Best Pet Apps

Watch My Puppy Grow Free. Android. Create a video of your puppy, captured in daily or weekly pictures used to make a fun video that morphs your puppy from her first day to full growth. You can also make it into a slide show. The image is taken and stored, and a transparent overlay is created for the next image that is added so that each image is in the same position as the one before it, highlighting the changes as they take place. A very cool way to capture the memories.

Guide to Dog Breeds .99 iOS only An educational tool that will allow you to learn about most if not all dog breeds (over 400). You can search by name of breed or by origin country. Beautiful pictures of each breed and an impressive array of information. Users can make notes, bookmark favorites, and submit pictures of their dog for consideration in future versions of the app.

Petsie Free. Android only. A fun pet breed information app that has features such as "which is cuter", pet breed quizzes, and social feature that allows owners to create a profile for their dog. With over 110,000 pet profiles and 1.5 million pet photos it is a large online community for dogs (or dog owners). Learn about breeds, figure out what mix your dog might be, and much more.

Petoxins 2.99 iOS only This app created by the ASPCA helps owners keep cats, dogs, and horses from ingesting plants and vegetation that may be hazardous to the pet's health. Pictures of vegetation, its effects on pets, and what to do if ingested are listed. There is a link to call the ASPCA Poison Control if you are concerned your pet may have ingested something harmful. The app will help you choose houseplants that are not dangerous and be mindful of environmental hazards to your pet in your area. Thirty-five percent of the app's purchase price helps fund the ASPCA.

Pet First Aid by American Red Cross .99 iOS and Android This app really covers a lot of ground. It teaches owners how to respond to 25 different situations instructing through illustrations and videos. Early warning information helps you respond quickly to possible medical situations. It can keep track of veterinarian information,medications, and visits. You can contact emergency services or the pet's vet through the app. There is a finder feature to locate pet-friendly hotels while traveling. Contains both cat and dog content. Interactive quizzes help you learn and earn badges.

MapMyDogWalk Free. iOS, Android, and Web. Similar to other fitness apps it tracks your dog walk with GPS and keeps track of calories burned. Users can take pictures of your dog and include it in the record; share walks with friends via e-mail or Twitter. The app syncs across multiple platforms so users can access their data on smartphones, tablets, or online. The app also allows users to control their music, connect to heart monitors, and track their nutrition. Easy to use interface make this an easy to use app.

 Doggy Datez Free. iOS and Android. A social platform for dog owners. The main function is to "mark your territory" by geo-tagging a location users take ownership of an area (200m radius) in the physical world to see who else "visits" your spot, just like dogs do. User profiles are searchable to other members by gender, age, dog gender, dog age, and/or breed. 

Tagg Free app. (GPS tracker $99) iOS and Android. The app allows owners to track pets, monitor their activity, gives map / direction to get to your pet, and alerts you if they go beyond certain preset boundaries. The Tagg is durable, rechargeable, and waterproof.

Bring Fido Free. iOS only and web. Easily find dog friendly hotels, parks, beaches, and restaurants. Allows users to filter hotels for pet size, breed polices, or some that do not have a pet fee. Users can book rooms through the app and find nearby attractions for both owner and pet. Nice, friendly design and an easy to use interface.

Dog Park Finder Plus $1.99 iOS only. With over 6,000 parks / beaches and 12,000 dog-friendly restaurants Skejo Studios is working to provide an comprehensive app for owners to easily find a place to take your pooch. Features include maps to the park and of the park, easy search capabilities, email to friends, detail facilities information for each loaction, website for parks / restaurants, and the ability for users to write reviews and post pictures of locations.

Dog Clicker Training Free. iOS and Android. OK so this really is two different apps that have the same name. What I mean is that the version for iOS has a different developer than the Android so each has a different display and features. They both are highly rated with the basic clicker that professionals use in dog training. The iOS app has some pointers and good information for helping train a dog. The Android app has a dog whistle and some additional information for using the clicker or whistle for training. The iOS app has a beautiful interface while the Android looks a little busy and cluttered, but they are both free.

P5 Dog Training app by Purina Free. iOS and Android. I looked through several dog training apps and each had a host of issues. This app came out on top for comprehensive training, lack of in-purchase requirements, interface, lack of bugs, etc. It has an easy-to-use interface and a beautiful platform. It syncs with MapMyDogWalk and tracks your dogs activity, nutrition, and progress.

POOPEE PUPPY Free. iOS only. Very cute app helps track your dog's... well, business. The app alerts you when it might be you puppy's time to go. It also allows you to keep a log of meals, pet problems such as vomit, and vet visits. By keeping tack of accidents the apps help you see progress and praise your puppy as it progresses toward being house broken

A few less essential but cute pet apps:

iSqueek $1.99 iOS only. 16 virtual squeak toys that work just like the real thing beware your pet may want to bite and chew your device.

Pet Acoustics $1.99 iOS only. Cats, dogs, and horses have better hearing than humans so an acoustics company has created an app with music and sounds that is made for their hearing in mind. Highly rated by users it helps pet deal with periods or incidents that make them anxious by helping them relax.

Game for Dogs Free. iOS only. Cats or dogs will be attracted to the screen by the sounds and animated dog, squirrel, or cats racing across the screen. Be careful though one owner commented that their 90 pound golden retriever destroyed the iPad it was on. Some parts of the app require in-app purchasing.

Exercise instruction and tracking: more apps that help you lose weight (or just be healthier)

These apps are intended to help you get more out of your workouts, help you do quick but effective exercising,and track your exercise.

JeFit (Free. iOS and Android) While there are many apps that focus on cycling or running this app focuses on weight lifting. It will give you all kinds of plans for killer abs, bulking up, wider back, and much more. You can specifically chose a body part and it will give you weight lifting exercises to do with a timer and rest periods. It tracks your progress and you can take a picture to do side-by-side comparisons. There are 1300 exercises with small how-to graphics. There is a community of users that can answer questions, inspire, and motivate. You can create custom exercises and log your workouts. The step-by-step directions when you first start to use the app are helpful. There are ads at the bottom of the screen but they are not obtrusive. The user interface is typical and the layout average.

7M Workout by Johnson & Johnson (Free. iOS and Android) This app has a clean modern platform with an easy to use interface. The functions are intuitive and the options and features are given small how to instructions for the user. The app connects to the Apple Health app for iOS users, recording exercises and importing your personal details so that you do not have to enter information like age, height, sex, and weight. Each workout announces the exercise and shows you how to do it. Smart workout asks questions to create the best workout to meet your needs. You can view the videos to learn exercises at anytime. There are 23 workout plans to choose from, the smart workout feature, or you can create your own custom workout. You can learn set workout reminders, adjust audio prompts, and allow it to post to Twitter. All of the exercises are body weight exercises.

Nike Training Club (Free. IOS and Android) Much like the 7 Minute workout app this exercise app focuses on Pilates / body weight exercises but also includes weight lifting. The user can choose what their goal is: get lean, toning, strength, or specific parts of the body. The app has a beautiful user interface that is very intuitive. There are no ads and no premium in-app purchases. You can add friends, create your own exercises, and track progress. It syncs data from Nike's running app. With countless exercises for users of all levels and motivations this app is useful for a wide audience.