Have you ever wondered what Fido does when you are away from home?

Well, today’s technology can keep you baffled no more. Pet cameras are a great way to keep an eye on your pup when you are out on the town.

Pet cams have come a long way since big, ugly security cameras. They are smaller, sleeker, and easier to operate.

In today’s world it seems that most people want to make their private life public, so why not put Fido out there for everyone to see. Pet cams allow you to feature him on Twitter, Facebook, and even You Tube.

Other than keeping Fido’s status updated, there are other useful reasons for being a sort of Big Brother to your pet. Questions like, “Is Fido eating all the cat food?”, “Is he constantly barking at the neighbors?”, or “Is he marking on the end of the couch?” can all be answered with this technology.

Seeing how Fido acts when you are away can be a great start on correcting his problem behaviors.

Even veterinarians are starting to use cameras in recovering rooms, so you can check on your sick pet without disturbing their rest and healing.

Dog breeders have even been jumping on board by putting cameras on litters of puppies before they are ready to be placed with forever homes. Just think, maybe one day local shelters will put cameras up and citizens will be able to go on the shelter’s website and check out the dogs.

They would be able to see if there is a dog that might be a good fit with their family and to be sort of a watchdog for government run shelters.

Cameras come in a wide range of prices and features. They start out at about $99 and go as high as you want to spend. More expensive cameras, not surprisingly, have better video quality. Most cameras work by connecting a camera to a computer. Using a software or web-based interface, you are able to view the video stream over the internet.

Some cameras have audio capabilities and some even have speaker hook ups so you can talk to your pet, which may be confusing for Fido.

You can find cameras that continually record or you can get a camera that only is activated by motion. If you want a camera that you can move around a lot, wireless may be the way to go.

If you don’t have a laptop handy, most camera systems allow you to view your pet from your smartphone. There are even online communities specifically for pets.

For example Panasonic host the site SeeMyPetCam.com for pet lovers to share amusing pet videos with each other.

A pet cam is a great way to make sure Fido is behaving when the pack leader is away and can give you another tool in controlling problem behaviors.

Who knows, Fido may become a star. Remember, every dog deserves to be treated like a show dog.

Tony Barker, The BARKer Shop