Well, 2020 is certainly off to an excellent start for me—glorious snow piled up in our yard! Even though Mom Dad and my mini-humans (especially the teenager) grumble about snow “removal” (they really just push it off to the side), I love to dive and play in the fresh powder! I even get to jump into a towel held by one of my humans and get a towel rub, afterwards!

When it snows, my humans spend a lot more time inside. They installed a so-called “voice assistant” (it sure doesn’t help me …), this winter, and now they do things like turn the lights on and off by saying, “lights on!” I tried to make it work, but apparently these voice assistants can’t understand husky. My humans don’t always understand it either, but at least they’re courteous and respond! Okay, I’m done barking now …

Mom and Dad have been talking about different ways to connect their home to be more cost-effective, time efficient and energy efficient. I decided that, even though their voice assistant can’t help me, I wanted it to help them! After my humans went to bed, I decided to do some digging on the internet (because Mom and Dad don’t like it when I dig in the yard) to find some more unique smart devices they might not have thought of, yet!

Vivint GoControl Z-Wave Smart Garage Door Control
$89.99 from Nelly’s Security with free shipping

Dad seems to forget to close the garage door, a LOT! I hear him drive back by the house, hear the garage door close, and hear him drive off! Mom forgets sometimes, too, and it just drives me crazy enough to chase my tail! Not just because I wanted them to come home, but because it is not safe to leave your garage door open! I try to bark, but I don’t think they understand I’m barking for their safety …

The Vivint GoControl would solve this problem! Once paired with the Vivint Smart Home App (iOS & Android), you can control your garage door through your mobile device from anywhere and receive 24/7 updates if your garage door is left open or if it opens or closes without you controlling it. Your garage is part of your home, and should be just as secure and smart as the rest of it!

PetSafe SmartFeed Automatic Dog and Cat Feeder (2nd Generation)
$194.99 from PetSafe with free shipping

Every time Mom, Dad or my mini-humans head towards the dog food bin, I get so excited that sometimes I jump up and down or chase my tail, causing them to scold me to calm down. If they deployed a smart pet feeder, I’d still get excited, but I wouldn’t accidentally knock one of them over while they try to fill my bowl!

This smart animal feeder works for both dogs and cats and features excellent functionality allowing you to adjust, monitor and feed your furry friends from anywhere when connected to the free app. If your supply is running low, you’ll receive a notification to either refill the 24-cup feeder tank or order your next batch of food right the app with Amazon Dash Replenishment. You can schedule feeding up to twelve times daily ranging in size from one-eighth cup to four cups. For pets that eat too quickly, there is also a Slow Feed setting to dispense meals in small amounts over fifteen minutes. All of this from the palm of your hand, anywhere you go— you’ll always know your fluffy pal is well nourished!

Google Nest Protect Smart Smoke Alarm
$119.00 / each from Bed Bath & Beyond with free shipping

This smart smoke alarm is much than just a smoke alarm that connects to your phone! The Nest Protect is packed with useful features a humidity sensor (to avoid going off if you’re simply taking a hot shower) and a 10- year carbon monoxide sensor. Rather than go bonkers, running around to figure out where the fire or smoke is coming from, Nest Protect smoke alarms are connected to each other in your home and will tell you in a friendly human voice where to check.

Additionally, if you’re cooking, you no longer have to worry about that wayward smoke setting off your alarm while you frantically wave a dish towel underneath. Pair the Nest Protect with the free Nest app (iOS / Android), and you can let Nest Protect know you’re cooking and shut off the alarm from your phone. You will also receive alerts anytime the alarm goes off, and the entire family can be connected with their own accounts. You’ll also be notified if batteries are running low (no more of those annoying chirps at 3:00am) and be able to one-touch test their functionality.

Not only will the Nest Protect bring your home better, more efficient security; it will also bring you a great deal of sanity!

Ruggie Smart Alarm Clock
$69.00 on Amazon with free shipping

Did you know that over one-third of all adults hit the snooze button over three times, every day! My oldest mini- human, the teenager, hits it at least five times. I know, because I can hear it every time from wherever I am in the house! I’m going to suggest Mom and Dad get him a Ruggie Alarm Clock!

Ruggie is designed to get you out of bed and out of that habit of rolling over and smacking that snooze button. The alarm is built into a memory foam rug with sounds ranging from 90-120 decibels, and only shuts off when you stand on it for at least three seconds (you can program it up for up to 30 seconds). The goal is to get your feet on the ground, because hitting the snooze button multiple times adds to sleep inertia, which makes you feel groggy. With Ruggie, you can get up, put your feet on the ground and get moving! You can also stop annoying your furry friend by hitting the snooze button several times …

Danalock V3 Smart Lock
$155.95 from NewEgg with free shipping

Have you ever accidentally left your house key inside the house? Or lost it? That recently happened to my oldest mini-human (Mom says teenagers can be extra forgetful), and he had to wait three hours until Dad got home to let him in! I wanted to help, but I don’t have opposable thumbs to grab a doorknob.

The Danalock V3 will make physical keys unnecessary. Once paired with the free app (iOS / Android), you can program as many digital keys as you need, both for permanent and temporary use. If you have a dog walker come by like Mom and Dad occasionally do for me, you can program them a temporary key to use on certain days and during certain hours. You can program permanent keys for the whole family, which the Danalock V3 can sense and automatically unlock upon arrival, if your hands are full of groceries (or dog biscuits!). You can also remotely lock, unlock and monitor your door from anywhere.

All this functionality comes with an advanced encryption method for transferring data called AES 256 used by governments and militaries to keep information secure. The Danalock V3 also comes in several designs and is compatible with any standard door.

Wow, that was a fun search! There are so many neat smart devices for the home, it was hard to pick favorites! I ultimately decided to focus on things my family would find useful, but there are smart devices out there to help you with just about any household function you can think of! Hopefully you’ve enjoyed my list of favorites, and it helps you connect your home to be the best it can be for you!

Now if only they could create some smart functionality to help us dogs access the refrigerator and cupboard when our humans aren’t home …

Until next time,
Your pawsitively pawesome pal Cache

*Prices subject to change by supplier.