Ask any doggie parent and they’ll tell you that leaving a dog alone at home while they’re away at work is a source of stress and worry. But thanks to three young men from Bengaluru, dog owners can relax, knowing their four-legged friend is safe and healthy.
Siddharth (24), Advaith (26) and Ajith (30) created Wagr, a wearable device and a mobile application that allows dog owners to track their dog’s movements and activities in real time.
It all began when a puppy walked into Advaith’s house. He was smitten by the little fellow and adopted the pup. But the IIT-Madras graduate worried every time he left the house for work. “I used to think who will take care of him, will he be safe with the domestic help in the house? That’s when I started thinking about how technology can help,” says Advaith.
The idea for creating Wagr was born when Advaith and his friends realised that many other dog parents faced the same problem. Siddharth explains,“All three of us have a background in technology. So, we thought why not go ahead and build a device and an app to help in dog parenting.” The trio have been working on Wagr since 2015.
How does it work? A device – a smart dog wearable- is attached to the dog’s collar. The sensor on the device tracks and monitors the activities and the location of the dog, and relays it instantly to the mobile app of the parent.
Siddharth says, “The dog parents can easily navigate the dogs even when they exit the house. There have been so many cases in which the dogs go missing. The dog will be safer. The device senses motions of the dog.”
The dog owner can keep a tab on their furry friend, with the app communicating if the dog is sleeping, walking or eating. Besides sending an alert if the dog leaves the “safe zone”, the app also tracks any odd behaviour of the pooch.
Much like fitness wearable, Wagr also records how much of sleep the dog is getting or whether it’s getting enough exercise.
And that’s not all. The app also provides a host of dog related services such as vets, food, supplies, boarding, grooming, and dog walkers based on location.
Wagr is expected to launch in October.