PitPat Dog Activity Monitor FAQs

Yes. Most people are very surprised by how small and light our monitors are compared to how they look in photos. Unless your dog is a very miniature breed, your dog won’t even notice it on their collar. We don’t recommend PitPat for puppies under 12 weeks old though.

PitPat Activity Monitors use a super-strong VELCRO® Brand strap attachment which wraps around your dog’s collar. It’s quick, easily removable and really comfortable for your dog.

PitPat Activity Monitors will work perfectly on a harness instead of a collar. It doesn’t matter where it’s attached or which way up. If it’s on your dog, it’ll work.

Don’t be! Your dog’s PitPat is held on with an incredibly strong VELCRO® Brand strap attachment (similar to that used on parachutes) and is almost impossible to pull off accidentally. Provided you fit it correctly (pulled up nice and snug onto the collar) and clean the strap as needed, pretty much the only way it can get lost is if your dog loses their whole collar.

The strap will also need to be replaced periodically to ensure it performs to its best. If you are a member of PitPat LIFE, we will provide you with as many free replacement VELCRO® Brand straps as you need.

Please also see our How Do I…? section for how to fit and care for your strap.

No – not at all. Obviously, your PitPat can only record your dog’s activity or location when they’re wearing it, but if you just want to use it on walks, and your dog wears their collar or harness only when out for a walk, that’s fine. You’ll still find what PitPat reveals will be fascinating.

Brilliant! If you have your own activity monitor, you’ll know how interesting it is and how much fun it can be. But unless you walk your dog entirely on a lead and never let them off, you’ll probably be amazed at how different your dog’s data can be from your own. If your dog runs around, it can do a much larger distance than you. And if your dog runs ahead and then waits for you, it can actually end up doing less time walking than you do. PitPat owners who also have a human device often tell us how surprised they are at the differences and how glad they are they got a PitPat for their dog.

Completely! PitPat Activity Monitors are rated IP67, which means that you do not need to take it off when your dog goes swimming – even diving into the sea or hydrotherapy.

Yes – we designed the electronics and the software algorithms ourselves here in Cambridge. Unlike some others, PitPat is not simply a “re-purposed” human activity monitor. It’s made for dogs. During the development process we made video recordings of many real dogs of all different sizes and breeds, and studied carefully exactly how they move. Since then, hundreds of thousands of dogs have used PitPat, and that’s allowed us to tweak and perfect the calibration so that you can rely on what you see.

Almost certainly not. If your dog is old enough to wear a collar and go outside on their first walk, then PitPat is great for them. It’s important not to over-exercise younger dogs, and our app will recommend an exercise goal that’s nice and easy for them, and that will get bigger as they do, all the way to adulthood.

It certainly is! Your older dog still needs regular, gentle exercise. The PitPat app knows this, and will tailor its recommendation to be just right for your dog, whatever their age.

You can easily create a separate profile for each of your dogs in the PitPat app. Then, you can attach a PitPat to one or more of your dogs to manage their exercise individually.

PitPat judges walking and running by sensing the natural gait motion of the dog. PitPat judges the difference between walking and running by the intensity/exertion. If a dog is constantly changing from walking, to running, to stopping and changing direction this is characteristic of many dog games and the activity is interpreted as playing. PitPat looks at the different activities over a 5-10 minute period and then classifies the activity as the one which was the most prominent in the period. For walking and running PitPat also looks at the consistency/regularity of the motion in the period of time to make sure it is owner initiated exercise that is counted towards the goal (as opposed to the dog pottering around the house).

Yes, although it doesn’t directly detect sleeping, PitPat knows when your dog is not moving (which we call resting). If your dog is disturbed, wakes up or moves about in the night, PitPat will spot it, and you’ll see it very clearly in the graph of your dog’s daily activity. Lots of our customers have discovered interesting things about their dog’s nocturnal activities!

The PitPat Dog Activity Monitor weighs only 16g and is just 32mm x 32mm in size.

Absolutely. PitPat is “made for dogs” and is designed to resist the sorts of treatment our furry-friends sometimes give things! Nothing can be guaranteed completely “dog proof” though, so we do recommend that you don’t allow your dog to get hold of PitPat when it’s not on their collar.

Yes. We’ve designed PitPat to be as safe as possible. It is made in the UK, meets all the relevant product standards and is CE marked. PitPat does not heat up like your mobile phone, nor does it emit harmful radiation.

Even if your dog is always with you, or you already have a good sense of how much exercise they’re getting, you’ll be amazed at how interesting and revealing what PitPat tells you is. Our customers often tell us how surprised they are by what they see, and how delighted they are that PitPat shows and proves how well they care for their dog.

That’s brilliant – you’d love a PitPat! Have you noticed how even the fittest humans still wear human activity monitors (including top athletes)? Even if your dog is at the top of their game, you’ll be fascinated by what PitPat reveals and by the permanent record of your dog’s achievements you can build up. As a great dog owner you deserve recognition!

No, quite the opposite in fact! Once you start using PitPat you’ll wonder how you lived without it. Our customers love building up a history of their dogs’ achievements, day after day, week after week, year on year. You’ll probably find that want to go out walking just so you can keep up your goal streak and earn your next badge!

Yes you can. It’s free and you’re very welcome to download and use it. You get the customizable exercise recommendation tailored to your dog, and all the weight management features, absolutely free. If you ever decide to upgrade to buying a PitPat, you can easily do so.

Watch this space! Insurers can see that dogs with PitPats could well be healthier and happier because even just using a PitPat shows they have a extra-caring owner. We’re working with many insurers to help them offer PitPat to their policyholders, and to encourage them to reward dog owners for being great. If your dog joins PitPat LIFE, we even ask you if you’d like to tell us who insures them, so we can tell you about any special offers from your insurer, now or in the future.

PitPat GPS is our flagship dog tracker, and can locate your dog in two taps from the PitPat app. It also includes all the features you get in the PitPat Dog Activity Monitor, so you don’t need both devices.

The PitPat Dog Activity Monitor doesn’t have GPS, and can’t be used to track your dog’s location. Even so, it’s loved by hundreds of thousands of pet parents for the award-winning activity monitoring, that allows you to see exactly how much exercise, rest and play your dog is getting.

Not right now, although there’s nothing stopping you trying PitPat on your cat if you want to (just make sure you select a small breed of dog in the app!).

Your order will ship the same day when we receive it on weekdays before 2pm. We use Royal Mail First Class, so you should get your PitPat the next day if you’re in the UK! If you order after 2pm or at weekends, we’ll dispatch your PitPat the next working day. If you’re overseas delivery will take longer. Our packaging fits through all standard letterboxes and doesn’t need to be signed for, so you don’t even need to worry about being home!

Whatever you like! Your dog will be proud to wear their PitPat, and pleased to hear that you care enough to get one for them.

Not at all. We designed PitPat to pack as much technology and expertise as we could into a small and reasonably-priced package. With PitPat you’re getting all the features you need, in a product that’s made in the UK, with super-friendly UK customer support, and the knowledge that thousands of other dog-owners have bought one and love it. You won’t regret it, but don’t forget, if you buy PitPat and don’t love it, you can return it to us within 42 days for a full no-question refund.

No. Both our PitPat GPS Tracker and PitPat Dog Activity Monitor are completely subscription-free, and there are no hidden fees either.

If you decide to, you can join our exclusive club PitPat LIFE, to access VIP rewards and unlock certain features in the app, but this is completely optional.