Adventure Dog Apps: The Appiest Apps Apphound

I’m ALL ABOUT THAT APP. You heard me right. Apps are awesome. Specifically, there are 6 apps that I love and adore for dogventure time.

There are a few important concepts when it comes to adventuring with a pet. Safety, familiarity with a new area, and training are all priorities. But it is also important to be prepared with your pet’s paperwork. And then we have to realize that some adventures are safest with our dogs in a safe place- far far away from the alligators of South Carolina. Today we’ll discuss some helpful apps to have on your phone while on adventures with your dog.

**Disclaimer: These apps have no idea I’m writing about them. They haven’t paid me a dime. I think they should. But for now, this is just my experience talking.**

Red Cross Pet First Aid

I feel like everyone who has a pet and a smart phone should download this app. It’s amazing! I’ve been searching for a way to be animal first aid certified by asking local veterinarians about classes, and so far the best thing I have found for first aid education while living a portable life is this AWESOME APP.

You can take tests about CPR, dehydration, frost bite and many other medical issues you could experience with your dog (OR CAT)! You can learn the normal vitals, where to find a pulse, respiration and temperature. And you can upload any vet info for your dog or cat, so it’s available in an emergency. There is also a wonderful ‘prepare’ tab with info about toxic foods for dogs, holiday tips and travel info. I was SO EXCITED about this app, it’s awesome! Here is a huge thanks to the red cross for educating us all about animal first aid.

Rover/Wag

These apps are genius and have made a world of difference for dogs in the travel world! Rover is the app I usually use so I’ll talk about Rover, but I hear wag is similar. Basically, you can find daycare, daily check-ins, or dog walkers using this app.

The pros are how easy it is to use, that people who work from home or don’t work can spend all day with your pup no problem, and if you’re boarding overnight, you know your pup is safe with another human getting personal attention- maybe even getting to sleep in a real bed! The cons are: you don’t always know the person you’re trusting to watch your dog.

If I am spending a weekend without Chloe (mostly if I have to fly somewhere), I love to use Rover. It’s also helpful when first getting integrated somewhere, since formal daycares usually require temperment testing etc prior to letting your dog play there, but you can set up a Rover in advance. I’ve also left Chloe at a Rover if I am just needing a dog sitter while I am on a kayak trip in South Carolina (no alligators for Chloe) or going to a concert. I’ve recommended this app to patients who aren’t quite able to handle walking their dogs yet, or people who are gone at work 8 hours a day and their pup needs to potty over lunch. Can I just say again- LIFE. CHANGING. APP.

Bark Happy

This app is so appy!! (Like happy… I could do this all day). I originally got this app because I loved that it shows pet friendly areas/restaurants/hotels etc, similar to how bringfido does, except the bringfido app is exclusive to hotels which I always thought was less efficient. Bark Happy shows you awesome pet friendly fun-spots (like this bar only TWO MILES AWAY from me right now- What. A. Win.) It also highlights animal hospitals, hotels, dog parks and dog friendly outdoor areas and much more.

You can also meet up with people and their dogs! Yup. Fantastic. Apps like Digs and Tindog are online dating apps for dog lovers, which is great, but they don’t have the fun extras that barkhappy does. Last, there are also dog friendly EVENTS. Yup, you heard me. One of my favorites was a halloween trick or treat (I mean how perfect for dogs) in Columbia, South Carolina. I mean, what a fun, great way to stay social and keep your dog involved in the community.

Doggo

You’ve heard the expression ‘there’s an app for everything’ right? Well sit and lay down because there is an app for dog training! I was pretty excited about this. I love the exams, the training sessions and the ideas for new tricks to learn. I also love the reminder- time to train your dog! But I do have to say I was annoyed you can only do one exam per day without paying for the app, and the instructions for teaching could use some work too. The moral is- use the app for motivation, ideas and ensuring you are training everyday. Don’t rely on it 100% to train your dog. Definitely take classes with another human. And keep your eyes peeled because there is a- “how to find training classes while you’re on the road” blog post coming soon.

I’ve recently learned that behavioral concerns is one of the biggest barriers preventing people from going adventuring with their dogs. Doggo as an app is a great way to make training a part of your daily routine to help overcome that barrier.

ScanBot

You know what else is a part of your daily routine? CANADA. No? Maybe Mexico? I hear there are puppy passports for Europe. Is this true my European friends? Well in North America puppy passports aren’t as popular (though I’m definitely going to get one for Chloe Rue someday). Therefore, in this digital age, I’ve made my own puppy passport. All of Chloe’s info is ON MY PHONE! Its spectacular. All of her shots are scanned and saved on google drive so on that horrible day when we had to go to the hospital- we had all her shots available. And when we got to her first day of daycare and I forgot her Binder- it was all uploaded on my phone anyway (hashtag single dog mom life?). Even if you don’t use Scanbot, keep vaccinations current and available because when you cross the boarder, they might want to see proof of vaccination. And if you’ve ever learned the biological process and progression of rabies, you would also be a huge proponent for proof of vaccination.

All Trails

Last but most certainly not least in the list of necessary dogventure apps is an app for hiking. All trails is the barkiest. I uploaded a ton of other hiking apps just to compare the dog- friendliness and All Trails is still the winner. It says right on the trail description if a hike is pet friendly, if it is light or heavily trafficked and then you can read reviews to learn about recent experiences on the trail. I decided to keep another app called ‘Cairn’ which allows you to notify a select group of people what trail you are hiking and if you make it back safely. Isn’t that genius? It’s not as pet friendly as all trails but I love to keep our families safe!

Well my barking embarking friends, I wish you all the best on your adventures this week! Keep your tails high this holiday season and keep your pets safe- far away from broken glass peanut butter jars (Chloe is recovering wonderfully) and far away from Alligators. I would LOVE to hear about the apps you use on your adventures in the comments, or if you have tried any of the above listed! Thanks for reading! Happy Trails, Happy Tails, and Merry Christmas!

Barking Embarkers