The Secret Life Of Pets: What Do They Really Get Up To?

One in four British households have a dog, with around five million of those spending three hours or more alone every day whilst we are at work or enjoying evenings out.

They may be by the door to greet you, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt, when you return. But, do you ever wonder what your pet gets up to when you are not in the house?

Perhaps they use it is an opportunity to celebrate their freedom and get up to mischief. These four-legged friends leave clues as to what they have been doing in your absence, leaving your house looking like it could have been burgled – resulting in you threatening to sell them on Freeads as you pick up the clothes and furniture strewn across the floor. But if they haven’t left any clues, how will you ever know?

Maybe they just sit by the door pining for you to come home, utterly miserable in your absence. One owner who attached a GoPro to his dog’s collar found this was exactly what happened. This video shows the pooch rushing between rooms and the front door whimpering, before standing on its owner’s bed howling. This, according to documentary Home Alone Dogs, can be the norm for dogs that are left. One in four of Britain’s eight million pet dogs are said to be suffering from depression caused by the stress of being left alone by busy owners.

But, when pets are home alone, you can’t call them to see if they are ok in the same way you could a friend or family member. Which often makes it harder; can you stay out longer or should you get home for them? Not knowing would leave you wracked with guilt if you stayed out anyway.

Well not anymore – now you can contact your pet on the dog and bone!SmartDog is the world’s first phone for dogs, with a webcam, speaker, microphone and dog biscuit dispenser for your home, which is connected to an app on your smartphone! Well there is an app for everything, so it was only a matter of time!When you activate it a pre-recorded message calls your dog’s name to encourage them to come near it. Your dog can also call you; whenever he/she walks into camera range it will trigger a video call to your smartphone.

The big screen now offers us a glimpse into this unknown world; not only has there been a TV series on it, there is now set to be a film! In the same way Toy Story showed us what are toys get up to when we are not around, animated film The Secret Life of Petsis set to teach us what our beloved dogs, cats, fish and budgies get up to as soon as we leave the house. Perhaps they don’t speak to each other like they do in the film, but how do we know what they do in secret?

With the rise in technology allowing all this insight into our pet’s lives, they won’t remain secret for much longer!