Barksense App Tracks Your Dog’s Woofs, Arfs, and Bow-Wows

Unfortunately, we can’t always have our canine companions by our sides. Fortunately, there is something that can help to ease both you and your dog’s separation anxiety. Barksense is an app designed to keep an “ear” out for your pup while you’re away. A very useful app for the anxious dog (or owner) that’s free to download from the App Store or Google Play!

Barksense uses AI to detect when your dog is barking or howling in distress. When the app detects a bark, the intensity and duration is recorded to your device for future playback. Listen regularly and these recordings will allow you to recognize any possible recurring triggers (trucks, neighbors, other dogs) that affect your pooch’s distress levels.

The app also displays daily bark activity in chart form to allow you to easily track how distressed your dog was on any given day. You can choose which hours the app begins and ends recording daily within the app settings. Another great setting is the ability to choose how much bark recording storage can be kept on your device. Once the data exceeds the limit you’ve set, the oldest recordings will be automatically deleted.

Within the app, there is an option to be alerted by email if your pet is noisy for more than a certain amount of time of your choosing. If the barking continues for longer than what you deemed acceptable, you receive an email from Barksense with an audio attachment of your distressed pup.

In addition to the email notifications, you can also choose to record voice feedback so your doggy can hear your voice when they’re anxious. Record a command for when your dog begins to bark, such as “no” or “quiet,” and record praise that is triggered to play when your dog quiets down quickly following a howl or bark. Good boy!

The app is best suited for a device that you are able to leave at home when you go out, like a tablet; Chromebook; or an old, out of commission smartphone. It is recommended that you leave the device plugged into a power source while you are away, to ensure that your dog’s day is recorded in full.

If your device’s microphone is having trouble picking up your pup’s woofs, or your voice feedback isn’t playing loudly enough for them to hear you, it’s recommended to invest in an omnidirectional microphone and/or a bluetooth speaker. Both can be purchased for around $10 each.

Barksense could definitely be useful for owners with an anxious dog. It helps to give owners a better understanding of their dog’s behavior when they are not home to monitor them. This can assist in training, recognizing their triggers, and could help you determine whether you should schedule a vet visit to treat your dog for anxiety. If that’s the case, the app would also be a wonderful helper to visualize your pup’s progress!

The only drawback for this app is that you must leave your device screen on at all times to allow the microphone to continue recording. However, these are privacy rules put in place by all modern operating systems, so it’s understandable.

Barksense is a creative and innovative app that uses modern technology to solve the not-modern problem of dog-owner separation anxiety. No one wants their dog to go unnoticed, give your fluffy best friend the attention they deserve with Barksense!

Rating: 8/ 10
Price: Free