New high-tech collars act like a Fitbit for dogs

Herbie the French bulldog is 13 years old. He's pretty healthy, but has a little trouble with getting around, which is why veterinarian Jeff Werber got him a Pet Pace collar.

"It monitors your dog's daily activity; temperature, respiration, heart rate, activity level. It will tell you when he's eating. It will tell you when he's sleeping, which side he is sleeping on," Werber said.

The electronic collar offers a lot of data, some of which you may not need or want. But Werber points out that information goes directly into the app, which you can show your pet's vet if needed.

And remember, when you take your pet in, they can get a little anxious, too.

"Sometimes you take your pet to a veterinarian. Their pulse is racing, their respiratory rate is higher because they're nervous, they're excited," Werber said.

The device detects low, normal and high range and alerts you when there is a major change.

"It's good for your vet to know how your pet is doing at home," Werber said..

There's also another tracker called the Whistle 3, and Werber likes it because it's part GPS and part nanny cam.

"You can set a perimeter and if your pet goes outside that perimeter, you're going to get an alert. Then you know to turn on your GPS and you can actually follow your pet," he said.

Since the Whistle 3 also tracks activity, you will know if your dog is exercising, perhaps at the time you've scheduled a dog walker.

"When you see the dog is not moving, you know you're paying for nothing," he said jokingly.

Both collars have a small monthly fee. The Pet Pace collects more data and is about $200. The Whistle 3 offers GPS and activity tracking and is around $80.