FitBark 2 Dog Activity Monitor | Health & Fitness Tracker for Dogs | Waterproof, Small & Leightweight (10 g) | Not a GPS Tracker

Over the past four years we have used a variety of activity monitors for our dogs and the Fitbark has stood out among them all. Over the past two years our original Fitbark served our pack of three dogs well. But the new Fitbark 2 is a welcome upgrade in a lot of ways. We love it. I’ll go into some details below.One of the things we loved about the original Fitbark was its size and shape. Shaped like a bone it fits well against a collar. It’s relatively small size is great for dogs of all sizes, unlike some of the competitors. The Fitbark 2 is slightly larger than the original but it’s still small enough that it fits well on our smallest 5lb chihuahua, Liberté.The other big upgrade here is the way the Fitbark 2 attaches to the collar. Originally it was attached with two rubber bands. We never had any trouble with that system but some people did. The new Fitbark uses a ziptie method that is sure to stand up to just about anything. It even comes with extra zip ties if you want to change out your dogs collar. It’s a huge upgrade compared to the old method.Perhaps the biggest change is the battery life. With the original Fitbark we could get 7 to 10 days on a charge. With three dogs that’s a lot of charging. The new Fitbark 2 is estimated to get up to 6 months on a single charge. Yes, you read that right. Six months between charges. In our first test I can say we got just over five months on our first charge. In a year that means from charging 40 or 50 times to maybe twice. That means more uninterrupted monitoring of your favorite furry friend.One of the most fun upgrades to the Fitbark 2 is the ability to buy different colored covers. With the original Fitbark you bought a particular color for your dog and that was it. Now the Fitbark 2 comes in a standard black but you can buy covers for a few bucks to switch out depending on your dogs fashions sense. It may seem silly but I love it. This cover is what you pop off in order to charge the Fitbark.One last upgrade I’ll mention is the charging port. In the original Fitbark the charging port was a standard USB mini. It had a rubber cap that would cover it to help with water proofing; but many of us took extra precautions to protect the Fitbark for our swimming pups, like wrapping them in water balloons or a surgical gloves finger etc. The new Fitbark 2, however, has a radically different charging port that uses a simple contact point so there is no possibility of water getting into the device. The new Fitbark 2 is definitely a more rugged device than the original.In the years we have been using Fitbark some things have not changed. The Fitbark team offers unparalleled customer service. One example is apropos of the how diligent they are at helping. I was having a problem with the wifi base station. I told the Fitbark customer support what equipment I was using. It seemed to be my AirPort Extreme was not communicating correctly with the base station. Fabrizio, the guy that was helping me, told me he was going to head over to the Apple store and get one so that he could do some tests in his office. He did exactly that and then got back to me with a fix. I was impressed. I am not exaggerating when I say it’s the best customer service I’ve ever experienced.If you’re wondering what the Fitbark actually does or why anybody would want one, I can only say that I look at it as investment in my relationship with my dogs. By monitoring their activity levels it keeps me honest on these cold and dreary North East winters to make sure our pups get the exercise and activity they need and want. But it also monitors their inactivity which is vitally important. You might have a general idea of how much activity you get your dog but it can be nearly impossible to monitor their sleep and this is where the Fitbark shines. A big change in your dogs sleeping patterns is a sure sign that something is amiss. It has definitely helped us in monitoring our oldest dogs health and get him to the vet sooner than we would have other wise.We absolutely love the new Fitbark 2. It’s more rugged than the original. It has an insane battery life. And you’ve got the ability to swap out different colored covers. If you run into any problems you have one of the best customer support teams in existence. If you’ve gotten this far in the review it’s time to add the Fitbark 2 to your cart. You and your dog will not regret it.

I am in love with this product! This is the Fitbark I envisioned years ago and there is nothing like it available anywhere else - I looked and looked.** update** I’ve seen reviews stating the covers fall off and wanted to address this. We haven’t lost a cover on any of our units. I’ve had one for over 6 months now with the original cover. When you put it in you need to make sure the edges fully wrap around the unit. If you don’t fully secure it it is going to come off it’s very easy to seat, but you MUST check it after charging. That said as an experiment I ran a unit without a cover for a month- normal high activity on a working dog. The unit is 100% still fine. Yes it should have a cover, you should put it on properly but if you let one it it does t affect the usability of the unit.-Original-I was one of the original kickstarter supporters back with their first model and i didn't hesitate for a second to buy multiples of this new model when it came out. I was waiting until there was a model that could hold a charge for longer and was completely waterproof. Well here it is. I have this model on my personal dogs, but also on over 10 program dogs. We will send them home with this model on them. I have been using this device since before the release and after the release I immediately bought enough to outfit over half of our dogs. I am now filling in the gaps as we raise funds and buying them 1-2 at a time to keep everyone outfitted as dogs are placed and new clients join our team.Pros/cons, I'm going to bullet point highlights, you will honestly need to weigh some of this yourself because some is very objective:-Our dogs wear these constantly, have been on their first charge (first week in dec. still running on first charge and it is mid feb.)-Covers are new and different and you can loose them, but they make the unit waterproof and much easier to charge (charger clamps on the front instead of having a port). The device still works without a cover so while you can loose them if you seat it properly it will stay on (i haven't lost one in over 6 months of use) but I'd rather replace a $6 cover than a $70 unit or need to remove it when the dogs get wet.-They are not coming off the collar- no way no how unless your dog bites it off because they are zip tied on. You can get extra ties from fitbark or your local hardware store and the box comes with 4 (so you get one move). I personally loved the versatility of the old model on my personal dog because we always swap collars and harnesses, but it was much easier to damage and loose - this is basically not coming off unless you personally mess up.- They have amazing and i mean amazing customer support. I talk to them regularly, when i've needed units repaired in the past, need help with the app, or just have a general question. they have always been quick to respond and been beyond accommodating.-The app is constantly improving and they listen to suggestions. I've done site/app programing and I know what it takes to add things and alter the code to include new features, but these guys honestly listen and try very hard to improve their product regularly.-This isn't a GPS unit. if that is what you are looking for this isn't it. It is like a fitbit for your dog and it is the perfect product that fits its goal.-works on apple and android devices and has a website as well - no subscription or fee for using the app/site. you can even link it to your activity tracker to see side by side and download your dogs raw data (if you need/want it). I get this question more than anything and while i get why people want that this is a small activity tracker a gps would have a subscription, be at least twice as big, and not nearly as versatile with every breed of do (or even other pets).

Exactly what I was looking for. Long battery life, great activity tracker and no subscription. If you are looking for a GPS tracker, want a monthly subscription and are OK with charging every few days there are lots of options available. App was a little unintuitive for how to register (must upload a picture to proceed) but the app is rich with data analytics and can sync with multiple pets. Our house has 3 dogs and all dogs have a fitbark now which makes it easy to keep tabs on everyone. Also really enjoy the weekly summary email on how every dog is doing over time. Would award it 10 stars if able.