If only dogs could talk, pet parents would know if something is off before it becomes a full-blown issue. Until dogs can voice their concerns, I rely on veterinary visits, paying close attention to my pup’s behaviors, and using high-tech, reliable tools. I decided to try the Maven Pet Smart Collar for several weeks with my three-year-old American Cocker Spaniel, Sir Alvin. 

Unlike the hundreds, if not thousands, of gadgets offered to pet parents, the Maven Pet Smart Collar tracks respiratory rate, scratching, water intake, and daily health insights. As a lifelong dog mom and pet product expert, I know early intervention leads to better outcomes. Fortunately, Maven Pet’s Smart Dog Collar works 24/7/365 to detect many anomalies. 

If only the Maven Pet Smart Collar had been around when my Dexter was alive, I would have been able to track his respiratory rate automatically instead of manually counting breaths. I am sure his cardiologist would have loved this health-focused smart device. There is no price a pet parent can place on peace of mind.

This Maven Pet Smart Collar review will share my real-world experience using the device with my dog, what it does, how much it costs, what makes it different from other smart trackers, and if it’s worth the affordable investment in your dog’s health. Spoiler alert: You don’t have to be tech-savvy to use this small device and accompanying app. 

A health-focused technology company founded in 2021 by four entrepreneurs, Maven Pet’s first product is their smart collar, available for dogs or cats. Their goal is to revolutionize pet care with clinical-grade monitoring of your pet’s health. Living in a time where this technology is available makes me proud and happy to be a dog mom. 

Unlike other brands, Maven Pet’s system is easy to use, wear, and implement. There is no fancy learning curve or fumbling with difficult collars. Maven Pet’s wearable sensor monitors your pet’s activity level, respiratory rate, sleep patterns, water intake, and scratching. In this way, pets can communicate with their parents without saying a word. 

Maven Pet operates on a subscription model, meaning you don’t pay for the smart collar sensor or Maven Home Station. Instead, you choose a plan that makes sense for your budget, including unlimited access to the Maven App. I love this because I get 24/7 ongoing professional monitoring for my dog, even when he’s sleeping, without a high price point. 

Unlike other activity trackers that monitor your dog’s steps, the Maven Pet Smart Collar monitors what’s happening with your dog even when they aren’t moving around. 

How many steps my dog takes every day is unimportant to me. Instead, Maven Pet monitors your dog’s activity. For Sir Alvin, I took comfort in this to assess if he got enough exercise and movement each day. For example, here are some sample screenshots from the app related to his daily activities:

I love that the Maven app indicated things like:

Beyond activity and rest patterns, Maven Pet also provides real-time insights into your dog’s biometrics such as respiratory rate, water intake, and itching (ideal if your dog has allergies or you want to track patterns to discuss with your veterinarian, something we are dealing with right now). 

Each statement contains a little quip about your dog’s activity in that time frame. Cool beans, right? Only fellow pet parents understand these things and build them into their app and framework. 

Thanks to Maven Pet’s proprietary AI platform, AI-Vet™, subtle real-time changes are detected, alerting pet parents and veterinarians contracted by Maven Pet. 

If the technology detects something unusual, it is flagged and sent to a real veterinarian. If this is something you should act on, the veterinarian will communicate with you through the app.

The Maven app is intuitive, walks users through the setup process, and is clean and uncluttered. I keep up with techie things but am not a tech pro. Maven’s app is user-friendly and stayed connected without issues. I did not need to repair the app at any time during our several-week test process. 

Setup is a breeze: 

I kept waiting for something to drop off or go wrong, but that never happened. Kudos to the tech team at Maven Pet for understanding pet parents and keeping things stress-free.

The Maven Pet sensor’s battery lasts at least two weeks before recharging, but I can’t say the same for my fitness tracker! 

You don’t need to purchase a separate collar or wear a clunky, unfashionable collar to use the Maven Pet sensor. I appreciate that it is lightweight and waterproof if it rains while I walk my dog. Here’s what the Maven smart sensor looks like on my dog’s collar:

There are two ways to attach the sensor to your pet’s collar: a rubber loop attachment or a plastic or metal clip (three choices come in the box) that clips directly onto the collar. The method of attachment you choose is a personal one. If your dog roughhouses or tugs at their collar, you may want the plastic clip that we chose. 

The sensor measures 1.6 x 1.1 x 0.3 inches, making it one of the smallest available. It weighs 0.5 ounces, which makes this dog mama happy.

Sir Alvin was never bothered by the addition of the Maven Pet sensor to his collar, which says a lot because he tends to notice anything new on his body. 

I had no synching or tech issues. I am home with my dog 24/7, so I could double-check if his activity log was correct. The real-time synching between the base station and the collar was accurate. The app takes a few seconds to a few minutes to load historical data, so if Sir Alvin had the zoomies or took a walk, the activity soon reflected in the app. 

When we took a road trip two hours from home, I noticed the app was not keeping track. After contacting customer service, I was told it does not have a GPS locator. Also, they told me, “When the Sensor is offline (outside of the Home station’s range, as was the case at the time of your report), it will continue to track for as long as its battery lasts; once it’s back in range (near the Home station), the data will be synced.”

I appreciate this because their customer service is timely, and I’m fine with catching up on my dog’s data once we are back home and within range of our home station.

If you are going away for a few days or weeks, it is ideal to take the Home station with you and change the WiFi network. This way, you’ll have real-time access to your dog’s data. 

For this Maven Pet Smart Collar review, I researched what other pet parents had to say online. Most other reviews and feedback were positive for veterinary access and real-time proactive health alerts. 

For example, some of the feedback includes:

“The data is great and very accurate. I checked the sleep patterns and they correspond with what I observed, as I was up late.” (Trustpilot)

“If you care about your pet’s health and want peace of mind, you won’t go wrong with Maven! Happy Frenchie momma here!” (Trustpilot)

Regarding complaints or negative feedback, some pet parents express a desire to have the app available for Android users, as it is currently iOS only. Some others prefer real-time GPS tracking, which Maven Pet does not offer. Your pet must wear the sensor for seven days for patterns to develop and be assessed. In the meantime, you will still receive real-time data. 

I was gifted with a subscription for this review, but a monthly subscription includes the Maven Sensor as part of the cost. Each Maven subscription covers up to three pets, so the total monthly fee depends on the number of pets covered. Additional pets can be added at half the original cost (up to three pets). For even more savings, pet parents may consider an annual subscription for 30 percent off. 

Having access to veterinarian insights and ongoing health reports is priceless. The continuous monitoring feature lets Maven Pet’s AI detect developing issues early on. You will be informed immediately through the messaging portion of the app that something is amiss. Following up with your pet’s veterinarian may help avoid potentially more serious issues. 

Maven Pet, Fi, and Whistle are all smart pet tech devices, but they each have different functions and priorities. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Proactive health tracking, veterinary insights, but no GPS tracking.

: Ideal for pet parents who want escape alerts or GPS tracking, but no health insights or veterinary support.

While it provides health tracking and GPS for some models, the vet access is general and does not actually monitor your dog’s health trends.

On arrival, you’ll receive a box with one Maven sensor per pet, three collar adapters per sensor, one home station, charging cords, plugs, and an instruction pamphlet.

Here’s a video that explains how Maven Pet’s service works:

The Maven Pet Smart Collar is available through Maven’s official website, Maven.pet. The initial investment is $19.99, which includes a one-month membership for one pet. After that period, pet parents can cancel or automatically renew the coverage. The Maven Pet Health Sensor for one pet is free, but a Maven membership is necessary to use the service.

If monitoring your dog or cat’s health in real-time with 24/7 veterinary support is important to you, the cost is worth it. Pet parents can be billed monthly or with a yearly subscription at a discount. Comparing the pricing to other smart collars is like comparing apples and oranges because Maven Pet is the only smart collar offering this specific real-time coverage with veterinary support.

Putting dogs and cats first with real-time health monitoring that provides pet parents peace of mind is well worth it. I am not easily impressed, and I worry that something too techy may not be ideal for my busy dog mom lifestyle. I am happy to report that the Maven Pet Smart Collar fits seamlessly into our routine and daily living activities. 

What really took things to the “next level” is that a veterinary professional monitors my dog’s wellness in the background, even when I am sleeping. For pet parents who take their dog or cat’s health seriously but aren’t interested in a confusing gadget, the Maven Pet Smart Collar is ideal.

Although the sensor lacks GPS tracking, it provides activity insights so I know what my dog is doing, how much exercise he got that day, and if he is close to his daily goal. The combination of reliable tech that isn’t overwhelming to pet parents and real-time support is why I will continue using the Maven Pet Smart Collar.

Pet parents who share life with dogs or cats and want expert input on their pet’s behavior, activity, and health in real time. People with senior dogs or those with health conditions may find extra comfort with the Maven Pet wearable smart collar.

Those who want a GPS or location-tracking collar or don’t want to pay an ongoing subscription cost (most monetize this way). Remember that your dog or cat must wear the smart sensor on its collar around the clock. Sometimes, we prefer removing the collar at bedtime. 

The app comes with a health symptoms journal and the ability to track your dog’s medical reports, weight, reminders, and more. 

To this day, having a reliable smart collar like Maven Pet could have alerted me to subtle changes in the respiratory rate or activity level of my second Cocker Spaniel, Dexter. He passed within 24 hours of a health crisis. I’ll never know if a smart collar like this would have provided additional insights, but I have peace of mind going forward. 

The Maven Pet Smart Collar is a welcome addition to your pet’s neck if you’ve ever asked yourself things like:

The Maven Pet smart sensor delivers on its promise and gave me something other smart collars cannot–peace of mind and real-time monitoring of my dog’s health. 

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