Pet Cameras Buyer's Guide
It is natural to feel concerned about your pooch when you are away.
While dog sitters and dog walkers are a big help, your presence and your voice will be missed by your furry friend. But with the help of pet cameras, you can keep on eye not only on the activities of the dog and ensure that it is safe. Apart from that, you are able to communicate with your pooch even from miles away.
What Is A Pet Camera?
A pet camera is essentially a camera that is installed in your house to monitor your dog when you are not around. It works similarly to a webcam and streams the video feed via the internet.
The live video feed of your dog can be streamed directly to your smartphone or PC. There are more expensive pet cameras with advanced functionalities such as treat dispensing.
Tips On Choosing Pet Cameras
The market is flooded with pet cameras but do you know which is the best of the lot? There are certain factors that you must consider when choosing a dog monitor. We have listed a few below help make the process easier for you.
- Quality of Video: With internet readily available in most places, you have the option of getting the live video feed in a higher resolution. Our recommendation is to get a monitor with a resolution of 720p and higher.
- Two Way Communication: It is not enough if you see your pet, you must be able to talk to it and hear it too. We suggestion getting a dog monitor that has an audio functionality. This way, you are able to talk and hear your pooch from the video feed too.
- Night Vision: Your camera must be able to provide you with clear video feed even in low light conditions. A good quality monitor will have night vision capability with a minimum coverage of 20 feet.
- Treat Dispenser: While not an essential, it is convenient if you have a dog monitor that doubles up as a treat dispenser too. This ensures that your dog is well taken care of even when you are away.
- Weatherproof: Generally not required. Most pet cameras are placed indoors. Usually weatherproof options are more expensive, so avoid overpaying for this feature if possible.
- Different Viewing Angles: There will be several blind spots that your dog can go it which is out of view from your dog monitor. The recommendation is to get one that is rotatable and not fixed. This allows you to view at various angles for a 360-degree view.
- Storage Space: Not an essential feature too. Some dog owners might find it helpful to store video recordings for remembrance purposes. You can either choose a micro SD card or look for cloud storage. The capacity of either of the two is purely a personal choice. Some cameras come with cloud storage for others you need to purchase that service at an additional cost.
- Motion & Sound Detection: Look for cameras that send you alerts when there is any movement by your dog in room. This saves you anxious moments of watching the monitor constantly. Some monitors are able to send you alerts when the sound level is higher than a certain decibel.
Why Should You Buy One?
Ask dog owners who have to stay away for long periods of time from their furry friends about the benefits of the monitor and they will gush how their lives have been transformed by this technology. Here are some reasons why you should definitely get one:
- You can monitor your pet's safety from wherever you are
- Check inappropriate behavior immediately
- Deal with separation anxiety issues in your dog
- Interact with them
- Record videos for memories
