Imagine: after a long walk, your dog lies down in the living room. His breathing calms, his heart rate slows. You watch him, touched… but could you tell if his vitals are “normal”? Until recently, even veterinarians couldn’t accurately answer this question.
Because in a clinic, measurements are skewed. Stress, agitation, excitement: the environment alone is enough to raise heart and respiratory rates. And this is especially the case when you walk through your veterinarian’s door! Results? The numbers are overestimated in consultation compared to what the Minitailz Biotracker GPS worn continuously has recorded.
This is precisely what a groundbreaking scientific study aimed to change. Led by veterinary cardiologist Prof. Valérie Chetboul - a teacher at Maison-Alfort Veterinary School - and researchers from Invoxia, it followed 1,000 dogs directly at home, in their everyday living conditions. A world first, which changes our way of understanding canine health!
The true rate of a relaxed dog #
The results are clear: when at rest, in their familiar environment, healthy dogs show values very different from those recorded in a clinic.
| Vital Sign | At Home (Healthy Dog) | In Clinic (Standard Measurements) |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Rate | ~60 beats per minute | Often much higher (>100) |
| Respiratory Rate | ~16 movements per minute | Significantly higher (>30) |
This discrepancy proves how essential it is to observe animals in their daily lives. Only then can we get an accurate picture of their health and best detect certain diseases.
Breed, weight, age: what really matters #
One might think that breed is a determining factor. However, the study reveals that it has very little influence on vital signs. It is rather weight and age that play a key role.
A small dog tends to have a higher heart rate than a large one, and rates also change with the years. As with humans, the body adapts and changes over time. A valuable discovery for veterinarians, but also for owners who want to better understand what is normal for their pet.
These data provide a valuable scientific basis, both for veterinarians and for owners who want to better understand what is normal for their companion.
When weather influences rates #
The study also highlights an astonishing phenomenon: the seasons influence vital rates.
When temperatures rise, the heart rate slows, while the respiratory rate accelerates. These variations show how sensitive a dog’s body is to its environment. For owners, this is a reminder that panting in summer is not always a sign of concern… but a natural adaptation to heat.
Source : Chetboul et al., 2025 (Front. Vet. Sci., doi:10.3389/fvets.2025.1667355), CC BY 4.0
Detecting disease before it shows #
Beyond these observations, this study opens a revolutionary perspective: the early detection of diseases.
By monitoring heart and respiratory rates at home, it becomes possible to spot weak signals, invisible to the naked eye. In the case of pulmonary edema, for example, researchers were able to detect anomalies up to two months before the appearance of the first visible symptoms.
For dogs, this can make all the difference: faster intervention, less suffering, and often a better life expectancy.
A dog with mitral valve disease was monitored at home using the Minitailz Biotracker GPS. The algorithm highlighted a gradual increase in heart rate, detected nearly 60 days before the appearance of the first respiratory signs related to heart failure (pulmonary edema).
Until now, it was difficult to predict pulmonary edemas before they occurred, as we mainly looked at the respiratory rate.
Source : Chetboul et al., 2025 (Front. Vet. Sci., doi:10.3389/fvets.2025.1667355), CC BY 4.0
❤️ This beautiful story is reminiscent of Cracotte’s, whose Minitailz device helped save her before her pulmonary edema worsened.
Towards a new era of veterinary medicine #
This study is not limited to enriching scientific knowledge. It marks a turning point in the way we support our animals.
- For veterinarians, it’s a unique database to refine their diagnoses.
- For researchers, it’s proof that large-scale observation, in real conditions, changes our understanding of canine health.
- And for owners, it’s the assurance of being able to watch over their companion, not only when they are sick, but especially when they seem to be doing well.
When technology becomes an ally #
Without connected technologies, such a study would have been impossible. The devices developed by Invoxia allow for discreet and continuous measurement of dogs’ vital rates, without disrupting their daily lives.
These tools pave the way for a new approach to veterinary medicine: a preventive medicine, where we no longer wait for the disease to settle to act, but where we anticipate thanks to reliable data collected at home.
In conclusion: a giant leap for our companions #
Thanks to this study conducted on 1,000 dogs in their homes, we now know that dogs’ heart and respiratory rates are very different from what we thought. Breed matters little, but weight, age, and even seasons alter these constants.
Above all, this research proves that at-home monitoring allows for detecting certain diseases weeks, even months before they manifest. A revolution for animal health, made possible by the meeting of veterinary science and technological innovation.
Because ultimately, protecting our dogs’ lives also means offering them a more serene, longer, and happier existence — by our side.
Want to read Prof. Valérie Chetboul’s study with the Minitrailz Biotracker GPS in full? Visit here: The AI-Collar Study.