Pet Camera

Most of us have wondered what the dog actually does all day. A pet camera answers that, and it does something more useful too: it tells you quickly whether a whine at the door is boredom, distress or just someone walking past the fence.

From simple indoor units to weatherproof outdoor cameras and roaming robot models, this range covers keeping an eye on things from wherever you are.

Indoor, Outdoor and What the Specs Mean

Indoor cameras cover the rooms your pet spends time in and usually add two way audio so you can speak to them. Outdoor cameras need proper weather sealing to cope with rain, dust and sun. Higher resolution helps when you want to tell a limp from a stretch, and night vision matters more than you would think, since most of the hours you are away in winter are dim. Motion detection and tracking cut down the footage you have to scroll through.

Setting Up Well

Mount at a height that shows the whole room rather than a patch of carpet, and keep cables well out of reach of a chewer. Check your wifi actually reaches where the camera sits, because laundries and garages are often dead spots. Use two way audio sparingly, as a disembodied voice with no owner attached can wind an anxious dog up rather than settle them. Be thoughtful about where cameras point in shared or rented spaces.

Where Cameras Earn Their Place

Breeders use them to watch a whelping bitch overnight without disturbing her, so a camera trained on the whelping box or the puppy pen saves a lot of broken sleep. They also pair neatly with an automatic feeder, so you can confirm dinner went out and got eaten.

Want to check in from anywhere? Explore the RPBA collection of pet cameras and choose one that suits the space you need to watch.