My name is Susan, owner of a miniature pinscher. I am not only a proud fur baby parent, but also a proud and devout BlackBerry and Fitbit devotee. I began with the Flex, the Charge, and now the Surge. My current BlackBerry is the BlackBerry Z30. My Fitbit is instrumental in my fitness and health care management with my physician. The Fitbit app I use is an Android version which works perfectly on BlackBerry 10.
My dog, Batty, will be two years old in July. As a full time worker, I leave Batty with my daughter and two grand kids during the day. Recently, Batty has put on a few extra pounds and was declared obese by our vet, who prescribed an extra-long daily walk. Following this, I began considering a Fitbit-like device for Batty. In researching activity monitors for dogs, I came across FitBark. Not only are the color choices great (I chose green), but there is no weight restriction. Additionally, I was able to download the FitBark app to my Blackberry and I now use the app via an Android emulator for my device.
The FitBark was delivered with easy-to-follow instructions, the FitBark, a USB cord, and a collar band for attaching FitBark to Batty’s collar. After charging the FitBark, I began the setup process which was incredibly easy. The app is fun to personalize (I added a picture of Batty in the background on the home screen of the app). The app requests the pet’s name, age, date of birth, health conditions, etc. From this point, I’m able to track Batty’s activity from my Blackberry and add journal posts with pictures and other info about my dog, all from the FitBark app. My grandson wanted to help Batty too so we downloaded and installed the iOS version on his iPad mini. The app on iOS is fully functional and has additional features. I felt my grandson taking charge would lead to better management while I'm at work.
I love how easy it is to set up the FitBark. The dog bone-shaped activity monitor is tiny - one charge lasts two weeks. On the app side, I now have visible data about Batty, which has very much enhanced how we keep active. I also love how fun it is to personalize the app and add information. I hope to see the Fitbit integration on the Android app soon (I know it’s already implemented in the iOS app). Also, adding fur friends similar to adding human friends on Fitbit to add challenges and cheer each other on would be nice. I also looking forward to seeing how Batty compares to similar pups. Finally, I love that the Android app works great on my BlackBerry. A few days ago I was alerted to a firmware update and was able to install it through the FitBark mobile app on my device.
FitBark has made me more accountable and motivated and is making our fitness fun - I can't wait to show Batty’s vet. If you have a furbaby, and use a Fitbit, this is an awesome way to include him or her into your routine. I know my Batty has loved it as well as the extra attention. It's been great for both of us.
