Monitoring a dog’s activity levels can provide early indicators of health or welfare concerns, making wearable accelerometers an appealing tool for veterinarians and owners alike. Colpoys and Decock (2021) evaluated the validity of the FitBark 2, a collar-mounted accelerometer, by comparing its data to direct video analysis of step counts in 26 dogs.
Each dog was observed in three phases: off-leash exploration, human–dog interaction, and on-leash walking. Video recordings were analyzed to count paw steps, which were then compared with FitBark activity data. Results showed high correlations during off-leash exploration (r = 0.795, p < 0.001) and human interaction (r = 0.758, p < 0.001). However, the correlation dropped notably during on-leash walks (r = 0.498, p < 0.001).
These findings confirm that the FitBark is a valid and reliable tool for tracking free movement, making it valuable for monitoring daily activity and identifying changes that may signal health problems. At the same time, the weaker accuracy observed during leash-walking highlights the need for further refinement or complementary methods to ensure consistent monitoring across all contexts.
As wearable technology continues to advance, activity monitors such as the FitBark offer promising opportunities for integrating objective behavioral data into veterinary care and dog-owner decision-making.
Source: Colpoys, J., & Decock, D. (2021). Evaluation of the FitBark Activity Monitor for Measuring Physical Activity in Dogs. Animals, 11. Published March 1, 2021.
