Wearable Tech Didn't Work For Me. But a Year Later, I'm Still Obsessed With My Dog's FitBark.

I recently returned from a two-month trip to Southeast Asia. It was a blast -- but I missed my dog tremendously. However, this year, for the first time ever, I was able to keep track of my dog's fitness and sleep, even from the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, with the help of her FitBark.

This is important, not only because I care about her health... but also because I celebrate my return to the States every year with an epic girl-and-her-dog backpacking adventure, so she's got to stay in shape while I'm gone!

I received my FitBark 1 last May -- and immediately loved it. It prompted How My FitBark Helped Me Solve a Crime.

I've joked on Twitter that I can always tell when the Roomba is running, because there's a little uptick in Ruby's activity. (Why she runs from the Roomba but plays chicken with oncoming traffic is beyond me, but you get what you get.)

And I've been the butt of countless, "You have a fitness tracker for your dog? That's so American/Californian!" jokes...

But I can firmly say, a year later, that I still love my FitBark. I update my app every day -- and more than any other fitness tracker I've used, from lifelogging apps to Strava to Striiv, the FitBark keeps me mindful and accountable.

Because, from where I'm sitting, it's one thing to neglect my own health and fitness... and quite another to let Ruby down. She depends on me for every meal, every drink of water, and every step of exercise. 

To be honest, getting enough exercise has never really been a vice for me. But, according to Get Up! Why Your Chair is Killing You And What You Can Do About It, the amount of exercise you get and the amount of non-exercise activity thermogenesis in your day are two completely different things -- and the latter has just as major health implications as, if not more than, the former. 

Ruby's FitBark encourages me to get out of my chair more often throughout the day, even just for short walks around the block after snacks -- or last-minute late-night, "Oh, crap! It's 11:20pm and Ruby still needs 300 more activity points!"

​James Levine would be proud.

The other great thing about having a FitBark is that Ruby is an aging dog -- so it's really important to me to make sure that she stays active, but not so active that it's causing her pain or discomfort. 

​The FitBark has helped us plan snowshoeing trips

​beach adventures

​backpacking trips

and so much more.

That was true last year when I first got it, and it's still true now.

What has changed... is the FitBark. I have the first generation, which has a two-week battery life (which I found pretty impressive)...

But the new FitBark 2 has a six-month battery life. It's even more lightweight and rugged than the first version, which has survived lakes, rivers, oceans, and mountains. 

So... as much as I think wearable fitness trackers are useful for increasing your own fitness, health, and mindfulness...

I've personally found the FitBark to keep me way more accountable. 

I'm super stoked about this product.