Pet Wearables: How Bluefin Helped the American Kennel Club Launch a Smart Dog Collar

Wearable devices empower people to continuously collect health data, identify health patterns and trends, and make informed healthcare decisions. They can also be used to connect dogs with their owners — for example, consider the LINK AKC smart dog collar.

Bluefin Technology Partners helped the American Kennel Club (AKC) develop and launch LINK AKC, a pet wearable that tracks a dog's location and activity and provides timely, relevant, and accurate pet information. As part of our research and product ideation, we worked with AKC to:

• Define the right set of product requirements

• Assess AKC's internal assets

• Conduct interviews across AKC's target market

• Analyze the competitive landscape

• Produce a product strategy

Following research and product ideation, we helped AKC identify industry experts, develop RFPs, and establish a product development ecosystem. We collaborated with AKC's product ecosystem partners to define, design, and develop key elements of the physical and digital experience. The result: we found a way to create a seamless integrated experience between the smart collar and a mobile application. 

Next, we worked with the dog experts at AKC to develop early data collection prototypes and used that data to create structured algorithms, so dog owners would be able to capture insights about their pets. We then led a team of industry experts through the integration of hardware and software components.

In the final stage of our project, everything came together as planned, and we helped AKC launch the LINK AKC smart dog collar. Today, consumers can purchase LINK AKC online and download the wearable's app in the App Store and on Google Play.

Key Takeaways from the LINK AKC Project

Wearable technology is innovative and powerful, and it can be used by people and pets alike. Thanks to the LINK AKC, dog owners can monitor their canine's location, track its activity, and more. In doing so, LINK AKC helps dog owners connect with their pets like never before.

At Bluefin, we believe in exploring the true potential of smart and connected technology. In addition to helping AKC develop a wearable device for dogs, we offer Internet of Things (IoT) expertise to businesses in real estate, travel, and other industries. In fact, with our support, your business can make virtually any device smart and connected.  

We are happy to teach you about wearable technology and how your business can use it to distinguish itself from the competition, drive revenue growth, and engage with consumers. To learn more or to schedule a consultation, please contact us today.