We've teamed up with Panasonic to create a home monitoring kit for pets. Here, dog owner and blogger Trina Cooper shares how the monitoring kit helps her to keep an eye on her pet.
Trina Cooper owns Maggie, a 10-year-old Beagle, and runs Wag The Dog UK - a modern dog blog packed with advice and tips for pet owners. She started using the Panasonic Smart Home Monitoring Kit in February last year. 'My neighbours mentioned that they'd sometimes heard Maggie howling while I was out,' she explains, 'so I thought the monitoring kit would be a great way to keep an eye on her - especially now that she's getting older.
'It was really simple to set up and the only hard bit was deciding on where to put the camera.
Maggie likes to roam the house, but I settled on the lounge because she spends most of her time there when I'm away. I also downloaded the Panasonic app on my smartphone, so I could see what she gets up to via my phone's screen. The camera quality is good, without any of the graininess you usually see on CCTV-type systems.
'The monitoring kit's sensors, which can detect sound and movement, have been especially helpful. They pick up on Maggie's occasional howls, but also alert me whenever the dog walker arrives. Being able to check in on my pet, no matter where I am, is really reassuring.
'This summer I had a brainwave for a great way to use the kit, which I thought was worth sharing with other owners. As your dog is likely to spend more time outdoors, it makes sense to point the camera towards the garden. That way, even if you're only in another part of the house, you'll be able to check that your pet is still happy and having fun - and hasn't dug up the flower beds in the process!
'I've come across plenty of pet products on my blog, but I chose to share a review of the Panasonic monitoring kit online as I really felt it could give all dog owners peace of mind. Overall, I think it's perfectly suited for pet monitoring.'
For more on Trina and Maggie, visit wagthedoguk.com