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I actually think your argument works against you: * If you are attentive and interested in your pet this device tells you nothing new. Attentive and intereste

I actually think your argument works against you: * If you are attentive and interested in your pet this device tells you nothing new. Attentive and interested does not equate to "has a spreadsheet tracking their pet's activity". This device, just like Fitbit, is a personal (extra-personal, in this case) data collector. To say that tells you "nothing new" applies just as well to Fitbit. * Fitbit works because you can correlate the data to your personal well being. Unless this device magically discerns the dog's well being I don't see how it provides any actionable statistics. I'm not really sure what it means to correlate Fitbit to your "personal well being". I'm assuming you mean things like weight, resting heart rate, etc. Anyone who has spent much time with dog owners can tell you that managing your pet's weight can be as much trouble as managing your own. I don't use Fitbit, but I track fitness data in other ways using some ad hoc tools. There are differing perspectives on the benefits of personal data logging, but one of the more common is that it increases visibility in to your real patterns as opposed to your perceived patterns. In other words, the data doesn't lie. The data becomes a source of accountability, and even motivation. It's really hard not to look at the data and thing about obtaining a "high score". Pets are reliant on humans for their fitness needs. In the wild, a dog gets all the fitness it needs, because it has to chase down every meal. This puts the responsibility of wellness on the human, and these data collection tools provide the same benefits as they do for humans.

pdeuchler 13y ago
I completely agree with you, but you assume that this device has capabilities that it doesn't. I wish I could edit my previous post, as I feel like it would be helpful to address at the top, but this will have to do. Whistle Tracks: Type of Activity Duration of Activity Whether or not the user holding the iPhone w/ Whistle app is near their dog wearing the Whistle (I'm assuming that's how it tracks who the dog is with) Whistle Does Not Track: Speed of activity Distance of activity Calories burned Type of Sleep etc. etc. (getting this from the website) So unless you're simply tracking "My dog ran for 2 hours at 3pm" in a spreadsheet, I don't see how this helps you. All those nice little statistics people track using a Fitbit or other tools are not provided here. So to re-iterate (and not harping on you bradleyland, just for the benefit of the majority): If you are a attentive and interested dog owner you probably already know the activity and duration of your pet. Intensity of said activity would be quite useful, no doubt. But that is not provided by Whistle. Location of said activity would be useful. But that is not provided by Whistle. Distance traveled during said activity would be useful. But that is not provided by Whistle. If there was, say, a Whistle with GPS, accelerometer, heart beat monitor, etc. (possibly something that measures skin excretions?) it would be fairly useful. This is not that device. edit: Downvote brigade is out today! I would appreciate it if you would let me know how I am wrong instead of simply voting me down. At the very least it prevents me from looking like an idiot and allows me to retract/modify my statements edit edit: On further reflection, this could create some false data. A dog chasing it's tail for 2 hours in a kennel could be recorded as meaningful exercise ("running for 2 hours" according to the Whistle), leading you to make decisions off bad data ("I have no idea why she is so hyperactive, she get's plenty of excercise!"). Maybe. Just a thought. edit edit edit: A nice analogy... Whistle is the Moves app for Dogs. Except it costs $100 more and requires extra hardware.
- bradleyland 13y ago
  Shame you were downvoted for rational discourse. I always hate that :\ I get what you're saying, but I think we disagree on just how much utility even that limited data provides. The market will decide, but I think pet owners are just crazy enough to care about this simplistic data.
  - pdeuchler 13y ago
    Fair enough. I know better than to bet against pet owners with disposable income.

pdeuchler 13y ago

I completely agree with you, but you assume that this device has capabilities that it doesn't. I wish I could edit my previous post, as I feel like it would be helpful to address at the top, but this will have to do. Whistle Tracks: Type of Activity Duration of Activity Whether or not the user holding the iPhone w/ Whistle app is near their dog wearing the Whistle (I'm assuming that's how it tracks who the dog is with) Whistle Does Not Track: Speed of activity Distance of activity Calories burned Type of Sleep etc. etc. (getting this from the website) So unless you're simply tracking "My dog ran for 2 hours at 3pm" in a spreadsheet, I don't see how this helps you. All those nice little statistics people track using a Fitbit or other tools are not provided here. So to re-iterate (and not harping on you bradleyland, just for the benefit of the majority): If you are a attentive and interested dog owner you probably already know the activity and duration of your pet. Intensity of said activity would be quite useful, no doubt. But that is not provided by Whistle. Location of said activity would be useful. But that is not provided by Whistle. Distance traveled during said activity would be useful. But that is not provided by Whistle. If there was, say, a Whistle with GPS, accelerometer, heart beat monitor, etc. (possibly something that measures skin excretions?) it would be fairly useful. This is not that device. edit: Downvote brigade is out today! I would appreciate it if you would let me know how I am wrong instead of simply voting me down. At the very least it prevents me from looking like an idiot and allows me to retract/modify my statements edit edit: On further reflection, this could create some false data. A dog chasing it's tail for 2 hours in a kennel could be recorded as meaningful exercise ("running for 2 hours" according to the Whistle), leading you to make decisions off bad data ("I have no idea why she is so hyperactive, she get's plenty of excercise!"). Maybe. Just a thought. edit edit edit: A nice analogy... Whistle is the Moves app for Dogs. Except it costs $100 more and requires extra hardware.

bradleyland 13y ago
Shame you were downvoted for rational discourse. I always hate that :\ I get what you're saying, but I think we disagree on just how much utility even that limited data provides. The market will decide, but I think pet owners are just crazy enough to care about this simplistic data.
- pdeuchler 13y ago
  Fair enough. I know better than to bet against pet owners with disposable income.