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The best smartphone apps for dog lovers

6. September 2019 Published by Raphael Doerr

Having a dog is a most wonderful, albeit not always stress-free, experience. Owners are always asking themselves: “Is my dog allowed in the restaurant?” or “How can I make sure he’s kept exercised and busy?” We’ve compiled our favorite apps to help you answer these questions.

Dog’s Places: You’re welcome here!

Dog’s Places is one of our absolute favorites because it makes it far simpler to find a dog-friendly restaurant, a dog park or a vet, especially if you’re in a city you don’t know or are traveling. All the tips are arranged clearly in sections, so you can soon find what you’re looking for. You can display the search results on a map or as a list. A really great feature: Ratings from other dog owners show you right away whether the place is right for you and your four-legged friend. Have you discovered a new dog-friendly place? Then simply add it so that even more people know about it. The app is free for Android.

mydog365: The obedience school in your pocket

mydog365 is one of the most successful dog apps in Play Store – and rightly so, in our view. Obedience schools are very sensible to train a dog to behave properly. But sometimes you simply don’t have the time, and many schools are also not particularly cheap. So mydog365 is an ideal addition. The free app lets you access a large number of tasks that help you exercise your four-legged friends ideally and keep them occupied. The categories are divided into “Indoor,” “Outdoor,” “Games and “Tricks.” The app is really easy to use and makes training extremely efficient. There are precise instructions for every exercise – and even a video. It works using a reward system: If you log on every day and gather various achievements, you win more bones – which you can then use for new training elements.

Dog Walk: Track your dogs

Dog Walk is the perfect app to record walks with your canine friend. Does it feel like you cover countless kilometers when out with the dog? This app lets you know exactly how many kilometers you’ve walked – and hence how long you need for individual routes. It goes without saying that you can also add photos to individual routes to capture special memories. We think the app’s especially brilliant because we always try to explore new paths – but sometimes simply don’t know which ones our small friends liked the best. The app’s also really great for dog sitters, who then know exactly the favorite path each of their dogs likes to take. The app is free in Play Store.

Pawshake: Find reliable pet sitters

Of course, we’d always like to take our little darlings everywhere with us, but sometimes it’s just not possible. That’s where platforms like Pawshake come in extremely useful. You can find a dog walking service, day care or a family your dog can board with if you’re away for a lengthier time. The big advantage: Your four-legged friends can sleep in their basket and are in the company of a pack of other dogs, while you receive daily updates with photos. There are no subscription or booking costs with Pawshake; the dog sitter is paid directly and securely by app. The operators themselves say that only 20% of applicants pass vetting – and we think you can also tell the dog sitters are of a high standard. You can, of course, find the right Android app in the Play Store.

Mein Haustier: Everything to do with your pet

This app from the German Animal Protection League provides you with individual tips and advice on how to keep pets, health, diet, traveling, care and first aid in the event of emergencies. Additional features on the app include useful check lists, and you can store dates when your pet needs to be vaccinated or you have an appointment with the vet, as well as medication your darling has to take regularly. That means everything is at hand in one place. It goes without saying that you can also store photos of your pet in this free app. One aspect we find really great is that there are regular updates on topical issues relating to animal welfare.