GIVE A DOG A PHONE
MARION MCMULLEN looks at gadgets for pooches
1 A new device was announced this week that allows dogs to video call their owners. The system, dubbed Dogphone, works when a pet picks up and shakes a ball fitted with an accelerometer prompting a video call on a screen. The new invention is the brainchild of University of Glasgow’s Dr Ilyena Hirskyjdouglas, her 10-year-old labrador, Zack, and colleagues from Aalto University in Finland.
2 A new television network created specifically for dogs and their owners launched in the UK last month. DOGTV airs scientifically tested programming which aims to alleviate symptoms from conditions in dogs such as separation anxiety, loneliness and stress.
3 An early version of a mobile phone for dogs was developed in 2005. The Petscell phone was a 3inx5in bone-shaped device that fitted snugly on to the collar of your dog. Top-ofthe-range versions incorporated a camera to show what pets were up to. If they were seen to be misbehaving, the owner could dial a number and shout commands such as “Bad dog”.
4 James Mcilvenna created a range of dog toys after his dog ate his wedding album. He says: “The idea with the K9 Connectables is you stuff the dog’s favourite treats inside and connect them together. They work with your dog’s instinct to hunt and work for food.”
5 The Woof Washer 360 came out in 2015 and was designed to help you wash your dog ‘in less then a minute’. The device from R&H Direct was a large hoop connected to a hose with a shampoo dispenser on the side of the device. The hoop slid over the pooch’s body while spraying water from inside of the ring.
6 Want to keep your dog dry not wet? Then pick up a dog umbrella for walkies. The dogbrella has a built-in leash that attaches to the collar and extends to allow you to go on walks as normal.
7 A new hi-tech dog collar was brought out in 2014 that could read a dog’s emotions and text owners if something seemed wrong. The Petpace invention monitored temperature, heart rate and breathing activities and sent an alert to owners if there was a problem.
8 Special dog gas masks, left, were issued during the Second World War to help man’s best friend survive any chemical warfare attack. The first gas-proof chamber for animals, below, was invented by Mr C H Gaunt, the Chief Technical Superintendent of the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals.
9 Any dog owner knows that walkies can be a real pain. Mr C Tumbridge sought to make it easier for everyone involved when he invented the doggie caravan in the 1950s. He was often seen towing his Jack Russell dog Prince behind his push bike.
10 Pet owners have long been looking at ways to improve the lives of their pooches, but not all new ideas win tail-wagging approval. It can be difficult to keep an excited dog from running off, but back in the 1940s a new dog restraining invention launched... it never caught on.