Detect when dog is in the crate?

Hey guys - What’'s a good way to detect when my 60 pound dog is in his crate? I could use a motion sensor, but that would only tell me when he moves or alert me when he’s going in or out but not whether he was in or out. I tape a multi purpose sensor to the tray of the crate which vibrates when he moves in or out for now, but again I really only know that he moved - not whether he moved in or out. I wonder if there is a motion sensor or something that would detect the presence but not require motion (such as when he goes into the crate and sleeps).

Thanks!

How about a pressure mat hooked up to a z-wave door sensor with external contact sensors? When he is on the mat, it closes, if he is off, it opens.

3 Likes

motion sensor 1-2 inches outside the cage, might detect him breathing and shifting. You’ve got 5 walls to choose from. I’d prefer that to a sensor that required contact or pressure. Easy to test.

I do have false motions on Smartsense Gen2? battery motion sensors that go from 70F occupied to 32F unoccupied - they signal motion when cooling down around 50F unoccupied and no movement.

I agree with @diehllane; I would think a pressure mat would be ideal for this. You can probably put it under the crate itself rather than inside the crate to prevent the dog getting to the wires, depending on the sensitivity of the mat and the weight of the crate. Or put it in the crate under a different mat and run the wires outside the crate to the contact sensor

These work just as a mechanical connection: put weight on the mat and it closes the connection, and that triggers the signaling device, which is usually contact sensor that can be placed a little ways away (but wired to the mat).

For example, many houseboats use these as doorbells – – someone steps on the mat, and it triggers the contact sensor. But the sensor itself is in a sheltered area just with wires running to the mat. :sunglasses: