How to tell if your dog is happy when you’re not at home?   As a caring pet parent, your dog’s happiness matters. That warm waggy welcome shows they’re happy when you return home… but what about when you’re out? Do you worry whether they snooze, dream of chasing rabbits, or sit shaking by the window waiting for your return?  

Why Worry if Your Dog Has Sweet Daydreams?

You may be plain curious about what the dog gets up to when you’re out. For example, do they go straight to sleep or the first pace until exhausted?   Or maybe the dog has urinary accidents. Do these happen immediately or a few hours after you’re gone? This can identify the difference between a behavioral problem born of anxiety or a medical issue meaning they can’t hold on like they used to.   And when the dog is a fur-family member, it’s important to know your four-legged is content in your absence.   How to tell if your dog is happy? PetPace can give you this reassurance and so much more.  

How To Tell if Your Dog Is Happy

  Dogs have the emotional range of a 2 ½-year-old child… but without the tantrums! Your pet pal experiences emotions familiar to us all, such as love, anxiety, joy, fear, contentment, and excitement.  There’s no mistaking the intent of a play bow! The dog wears these emotions openly and in plain sight – when you know how to read their body language.   You probably interpret that softly open mouth, relaxed face, and tail wag with a butt wiggle as happiness without even realizing it. But along with these outward signs are inward, physiological parameters that are ‘tells’ to happiness.   A PetPace collar monitors these signs, such as heart rate, respiratory rate, HRV, activity levels, and body positions. Yes, this is done with the intention of monitoring the pet’s health, but it’s also an invaluable window into their mood.

Vital Signs of Happiness

  When left alone happy dogs relax and sleep deeply. This means a slow steady heart and respiratory rate. They are also likely to curl up and stay resting in one spot for several hours at a time.   Whilst at work, you can check the PetPace app on your smartphone for a real-time window on your dog’s state of mind. So if you have a hunch the dog suffers from separation anxiety then PetPace will give you the answer.  

Signs of a Stressed Dog

An anxious dog has a raised heart and respiratory rate and low heart rate variability (as shown on the health tracker app). They will be restless, pacing to and fro (as shown on the activity and body position monitor).   Indeed, if they are hiding and withdrawn, you’ll be able to spot their lack of activity but a skyrocketing heart rate. The dog that doesn’t move but has a racing heart isn’t asleep but is worried about something.   But more than this, PetPace helps you spot patterns that are key to understanding their anxiety.

• How long did the dog pace for?
• When did they settle down?
• Did they rest and then get up as if bored?

  All of which is invaluable information to correct the underlying issues. For example, knowing the dog is fine for three hours but then gets bored and destructive gives you options. Bringing the dog walker’s visit forward one hour may mean the difference between household Armageddon or sweet serenity.   Emotional Happiness and Physical Well-being   Along with your best buddy’s emotional state, PetPace tracks their physical well-being. You simply check the PetPace app to know how the dog is right now and in the past.   The easy-to-view pictographs tell the story at a glance. Plus, if there’s a worrying change, PetPace sends an alert to your phone.   If you are a pet parent to a pregnant, elderly, or sick dog then this information gives you peace of mind when you can’t be right beside them. For example:

• The dog’s activity level goes up: A dog with allergies may well be scratching and needs their medication dose adjusting
• A steady rise in heart rate and respiratory effort: Vital clues a dog with heart disease needs a meds review
• Unusual clusters of physical activity: The epileptic dog may be having a seizure

All Tracker Apps are NOT Equal

  PetPace is so much more than a tracker app.   Most tracker apps check the dog’s location with or without activity, but not their health and vitals. If your dog is an escape artist, then yes, a GPS tracker undoubtedly has benefits. But the majority of our pets spend more time home alone than roaming.   Better than by far to know your dog’s state of mind and physical well-being. This can lift the burden of worry from your shoulders.   How to tell if your dog is happy? PetPace….that’s how.