Quick answers about EmberPaws

What is EmberPaws?

EmberPaws is a private, on-device daily care app for dogs. It tracks weight, stool, skin, feeding, walks, vaccinations, flea & tick, medications, and appointments — and gives you a live "Ember Score" of your dog's overall wellness from 0–100.

Is EmberPaws for cats too?

No — EmberPaws is dogs only. The Health Hub categories, Ember Score formula, and stool scale (Purina 1–5) are all calibrated for canine health. Building it for one species lets us do it well.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no sign-up, no email, no password. Open the app, add your dog, and you're going.

Who built EmberPaws?

An independent dog owner in Nova Scotia, Canada. The app is named after Ember, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. There are no investors, no analytics team, no marketing department. Read the about page for the full story.

How is the Ember Score calculated?

It's a 0–100 daily wellness score derived from your recent logs: weight trend, medication compliance, stool scores, skin condition, walk frequency, and feeding regularity. The more categories you log, the more accurate it gets.

Green (≈ 75–100) means thriving. Amber (≈ 50–74) means a few things to watch. Red (below 50) means something needs your attention. Tap the score to see exactly which components are pulling it up or down.

What's the Purina Fecal Scoring System?

A standardized 1–5 scale used by vets to assess stool consistency. 1 is very hard (pellet-like), 5 is very soft or liquid. Ideal range is 2–3. EmberPaws uses this scale so the data you share with your vet is immediately meaningful.

How do I add a second dog?

Settings → Manage Dogs → tap the + button in the top right. Switch between dogs from the dashboard's quick switcher (the ⇄ button next to the dog name) or from the Manage Dogs screen.

How do I share a Vet Report?

Settings → Vet Report (in the Dogs section). You'll land on an editor with toggles for each part of the report — an Include medications toggle plus one toggle per routine-log category (teeth brushing, coat brushing, skin checks, ear cleanings, eye checks, nail checks, paw checks). Shape what you want included, then tap Export as PDF or Export as Text and send via Mail, Messages, AirDrop, or any compatible app.

Medications are off by default. They're only included if you explicitly flip the Include medications toggle — the preference persists across launches, so once you've set it for your vet, you don't have to flip it every time.

What is the Sitter Info Sheet?

A one-tap PDF for whoever's watching your dog while you're away. It includes feeding schedule, walks, vet contacts, allergies, and your "while I'm away" notes. There's an opt-in "Include medications" toggle if your sitter needs to give meds — off by default, persists across launches. Find it under Settings → Sitter Info Sheet. Send via Messages, Mail, or AirDrop — no app install required on the sitter's end.

What is Sitter Mode?

Sitter Mode is a time-bounded handoff to a temporary dog sitter, new in v1.2.2. You schedule a sit (your dog, your sitter's name, the dates, optional notes), decide whether to share medications, then tap Create & Invite. EmberPaws generates a private CKShare and sends a tappable invite link via iMessage. Your sitter taps it on their iPhone and the app opens straight to their sit dashboard — a focused view of your dog's feeding times, walk plan, and (if you opted in) medication schedule.

Every feeding, walk, and dose your sitter logs flows back to your dashboard in real time. When the sit ends, the sitter's copy is cleaned up automatically — no manual cleanup, no lingering access.

Sitter Mode is different from the Sitter Info Sheet — the Info Sheet is a one-tap static PDF for sitters who don't need or want the app, while Sitter Mode is the live, bidirectional CKShare version. Medications are off by default in both; flip the per-sit "Include medications" toggle if your sitter needs to give meds.

How does GPS walk tracking work?

Tap Start GPS walk and EmberPaws records your route, distance, and time as you go. You can pocket the phone or lock the screen — recording keeps going in the background, and a lock-screen Live Activity displays the walk with a tappable End button so you can finish without unlocking. Auto-pauses when you stop moving; resumes when you move again.

Two modes via Settings → Walk Tracking → Battery Saver. Standard (≈10m precision, ~3–5% battery per hour) is the default. Battery Saver (≈100m precision, ~1–3% per hour) is built for daycare staff and pro walkers running all-day shifts — a less-detailed route by design. Both modes use precise location authorization; Battery Saver just spends less battery chasing the finest fixes. Don't want GPS at all? You can still log a walk by duration alone, with no location used. New in v1.2.3.

What reminders does EmberPaws send?

Day-before and day-of alerts for vet and grooming appointments. Auto-calculated due dates for flea & tick. 30-day expiry warnings for vaccinations. Daily reminders for medications, walks, and feeding times. Day-of and day-before for your dog's birthday. All scheduled locally — no server is involved.

What are trail badges?

Achievement badges your dog earns as you log trail check-ins together. First Trail (one check-in), Trail Friend (5 different trails), Trail Pro (10 different trails), Trailblazer (25 check-ins). Founding members of the original Toller community earn a Founding Trailblazer badge after their first check-in. Badges show on the Dog Profile header.

What's the Walking Club?

Organize a walk and share an invite — either as a tappable iMessage link (your friend taps it and EmberPaws opens straight to the walk, ready to RSVP) or as an 8-character join code they can type into the app. Built on Apple's CloudKit — only the meeting time, place, and dog name are shared. Health logs, weights, medications, and vet records never leave your private records.

How does Family Sharing work?

Family Sharing lets household members manage the same dog records across their iPhones. The owner sends a CKShare invite via iMessage; the household member accepts it in the native iOS prompt — no separate account, no setup screens. Once accepted, vet appointments, walks, feedings, weights, vaccinations, and medications all stay in sync via private CloudKit.

Medications sync within the household because whoever's dosing needs to see the schedule — but they never sync to public surfaces like Walking Club. Family Sharing shipped in v1.2.

What's the heat warning?

A weather-aware banner that appears on the Dashboard and Walks screens when today's forecast is too hot for the walk you scheduled. Thresholds are tuned conservatively for thick-coated working breeds — Tollers and the like overheat well before humans notice it's hot. Powered by Apple's WeatherKit. Toggle it on under Settings → Integrations → Heat Warnings.

Does EmberPaws sync walks to Apple Health?

Yes — opt-in. Toggle it on under Settings → Integrations → Apple Health. Walks logged with a duration become Walking workouts in Health, so the time you spend walking your dog counts toward your own daily activity. Write-only — Ember never reads any of your existing Health data.

Does EmberPaws add appointments to my iPhone Calendar?

Yes — opt-in. Toggle it on under Settings → Integrations → Calendar Sync. Vet and grooming appointments mirror to your iPhone Calendar. Edits and deletions in Ember update the calendar event. Calendar-side deletions don't propagate back to Ember (we use write-only access for privacy) — delete in Ember to remove from both.

How does the vaccine schedule auto-builder work?

From Vaccinations → tap the + menu → "Suggest a schedule." EmberPaws proposes a baseline canine schedule based on your dog's age — puppy series (DHPP, Rabies, Bordetella) for dogs under 6 months, adult boosters otherwise. Toggle off anything that doesn't apply, edit the dates your vet gave each one, and confirm. Vaccines you've already logged are pre-deselected so you never duplicate.

Where do I record allergies and care notes?

Dog Profile → Edit (pencil icon) → scroll to the Allergies and Care Notes sections. Both are optional and appear in the Sitter Info Sheet so whoever's watching your dog has the context they need.

How do I track grooming?

From the Health Hub → Grooming. Add bath, nail trim, ear cleaning, teeth cleaning, full grooming, or a custom appointment. Day-before and day-of reminders happen automatically. Mark done with a swipe.

Can I switch between lbs and kg?

Yes. Settings → Units. All existing weight entries convert automatically.

Where is my data stored?

On your device, and in your private CloudKit database (your own iCloud, end-to-end encrypted). EmberPaws has no servers that hold your dog's health information. We can't read your data — Apple can't either; the encryption keys are on your devices.

Does EmberPaws use analytics or tracking?

No. There are no analytics SDKs, no crash reporters, no advertising identifiers, and no third-party SDKs that touch user data. We don't know how you use the app.

How does EmberPaws handle medications?

Medications never sync to any public CloudKit database (Walking Club, future Litter Network). That's a structural rule — there's no toggle that exposes them on those surfaces.

For household members on Family Sharing, medications DO sync — whoever's dosing needs to see the schedule. That's the only place meds travel without a per-share toggle, because household members are inside the same trust boundary as the owner.

For sitters and vets, meds are opt-in: both the Sitter Info Sheet and the Vet Report have an "Include medications" toggle that's off by default. Flip it on if you want the recipient to see name, dosage, and instructions. The preference persists per surface, and meds only ever leave your phone when you tap Share with the toggle on.

What happens if I delete the app?

The local copy on that device is removed. Your records remain in your private iCloud — when you reinstall on the same Apple ID, they sync back automatically. If you also delete the iCloud data from your account, it's gone everywhere.

What does Walking Club actually share with other users?

Only the event itself — meeting time, place, dog name, your first name, and an optional note. Health logs, weights, medications, vaccinations, vet records, and addresses are never in the public database. Walking Club uses CloudKit's public DB only for the event invitations themselves.

What about my location data on GPS walks?

Location is captured only while a walk is actively running — you tap Start to begin, End to stop. The route lives on your device and in your private iCloud; it's never sent to our servers, and never appears on public surfaces like Walking Club. Routes travel to a sitter or household member only through the same private CKShare that already syncs your other records — and only because that person is inside the trust boundary you set up.

iOS shows its system location indicator for the entire time a walk is recording. Don't want GPS at all? Log a walk by duration alone — no location used. See the privacy policy for the full disclosure.

Can I export my data?

Yes — the Vet Report (PDF or text) and Sitter Info Sheet (PDF) are the easiest exports. A complete data export (JSON / CSV) is on the roadmap. Email us if you'd like to be notified when it ships.

How much does EmberPaws cost?

Free to download. No subscription. No in-app purchases. No "premium tier." All features are included.

How is it sustainable then?

EmberPaws is built independently, not as a venture-backed business. Costs are intentionally low — no servers to run, no analytics infrastructure, no marketing spend. If the app grows, we may add an optional one-time supporter purchase. We will never gate existing features behind a paywall.

Are there ads?

No. There never will be.

What devices does EmberPaws support?

iPhone running iOS 17 or newer. iPad and Mac (via Apple Silicon) compatibility may follow — for now we're focused on the iPhone experience.

Is there an Android version?

Not currently. EmberPaws is built natively in SwiftUI for the iPhone. We have no plans for Android in the foreseeable future.

Is there an Apple Watch app?

Not yet — it's on the Phase 2 roadmap. The plan is a glanceable companion for quickly logging walks and seeing today's Ember Score.

What is the Litter Network?

A Phase 2 feature for connecting with your dog's littermates from the same breeder. Compare growth charts, spot shared health patterns early, and discover siblings near you. Opt-in, of course.

Lock-screen widgets and Apple Watch?

Both planned. The widget would show today's Ember Score and the next reminder. The Watch app would let you start a walk and mark today's medication as given without pulling out the phone.

Will iCloud sync get more options?

Today's sync is private CloudKit — your own iCloud, end-to-end encrypted, automatic on the same Apple ID. Future enhancements include manual conflict resolution for households (covered above) and an option to pause sync if you ever want to.

How do I suggest a feature?

Email [email protected]. The roadmap is shaped by real owners — most current features started as someone else's idea.