Ran into a message you didn't expect when starting the Separation Anxiety Monitor, or wondering why alerts are slow? Don't worry — most of these are quick to sort out.
Jump to:
- Bark detection couldn't be turned on
- A session is already running
- The Monitor won't start
- The tracker isn't paired with a pet
- Alerts are missing or arrive late
- Alerts stopped in the middle of a session
- The Monitor still looks like it's running
Bark detection couldn't be turned on
The message reads: "Monitoring started, but we couldn't turn on bark detection — we'll watch for restlessness instead."
What it means: the session did start, but we couldn't reach the collar to switch bark detection on. The Monitor will run on movement alone.
Why it happens: the tracker had no mobile signal and no Bluetooth link to your phone at that moment.
What to do: if you can, stand next to your pet for a moment so the app can reach the collar, then stop and restart the Monitor. If that isn't practical, the session is still useful — you'll be alerted on restlessness, just not on barking.
A session is already running
The message reads: "Separation Anxiety Monitor is already running".
Only one session can run per tracker at a time. A session is already active — go to your pet's map screen and look for the Separation Anxiety Monitor is on pill and the red stop button. Stop that session before starting a new one.
The Monitor won't start
The message reads: "We couldn't start the monitor. Check your connection and try again."
Your phone couldn't complete the request. Check your own internet connection and try again.
The tracker isn't paired with a pet
The message reads: "This tracker is not bound to a pet."
The tracker needs to be paired with a pet before it can run a Monitor session. Pair it to the pet you want to watch, then try again.
Alerts are missing or arrive late
This is normal to a degree, and worth understanding before you assume something is broken:
- The collar only sends its bark and step counters roughly once an hour, so an alert can arrive some time after the behavior itself.
- While a session is active we ask the collar for a fresh report at most every 15 minutes, and re-check the numbers every 5 minutes. That's a deliberate trade-off to protect the tracker's battery.
- Repeat alerts at the same level are limited to one every 30 minutes.
Also check that notifications are allowed for the Ask A Vet app, and — on Android — that the Tracker Alarms channel is switched on.
Alerts stopped in the middle of a session
Two calm windows in a row close the current episode. That's by design: if your dog settles down, the alerts stop. If they get upset again later, you'll be alerted again from the beginning.
The Monitor still looks like it's running
Sessions finish automatically after 24 hours. While a session is running the app re-checks with us about once a minute, so a pill that's out of date should clear itself shortly. If it doesn't, close and reopen your pet's map screen to refresh it.
Still stuck?
If the Monitor won't start at all with a reachable, paired tracker, contact our support team [CONFIRM: support contact channel and address] with your pet's name and the exact message you saw.
Related articles - What is the Separation Anxiety Monitor? - How to start and stop the Separation Anxiety Monitor - Separation Anxiety Monitor alert levels: what Unsettled, Distressed and Severe mean