Sorry CES, pet tech isn't going to make you a better pet owner
LAS VEGAS -- As the world becomes more connected, it's not a huge surprise that the weird world of pet tech will attempt to make stronger connections with our furry friends.
But just because your dog has the latest gadgets and gizmos, doesn't mean that you'll be a better pet owner. In fact, they can actually make you worse.
CES 2017 has been rife with pet tech. From smart feeders that will schedule your cat's meals up to a month and track its caloric intake to smart collars that can sense your dog's emotions and attempt to correct them, not to mention a plethora of weird smart toys aimed at making it easier for you to play with your pet. Some of these tools are actually removing humans from the equation.
It's hard to be a good pet owner -- you have to walk them, clean up their sh*t, play with them and show them affection on their schedule. Automating the process may not be doing much for the human-animal relationship.
Pet tech does, of course, have its uses. The ability to track Fido because he ran away again is essential to some pet owners, but it's also a bandaid and a quick fix to ease the minds of humans on a larger issue. Your dog is probably running away because you're not the pack leader it needs in your home, and a wearable isn't going to change that. A pet tracker will only make you feel peace of mind with this, instead of learning the proper way you should train and treat your animal.
Dogs need a pack leader to follow, they don't need to be connected to Wi-Fi.
Dogs need a pack leader to follow, they don't need to be connected to Wi-Fi.
Connected toys will let you play with and give treats to your pet while you're not at home, which can be great, too. Instead of being bored at home all day they can be stimulated by a ball or laser pointer controlled by your phone. But that could possibly lead to a subconscious sense of accomplishment and less human-to-pet interaction. 'I already played with my dog on an app all day, so now we don't need actually play fetch.'
Don't get me wrong, not all pet tech is useless, and some of it can provide important data and alert you when your pet isn't doing well that you can then bring to its veterinarian. Nearly all of the innovations I saw at CES this year in the category seemed helpful and fun, a few I would consider purchasing myself for my own pets. But the fact is that there are a lot of irresponsible pet owners out there, and some of these products can enable them to continue their bad behavior.
