Whether you have an expansive yard or live in a densely wooded area, a GPS dog tracker can be a valuable tool for keeping your pet safe. However, not all models are equal in terms of price and extra features.
We tested the best options on the market to find which ones can do a good job of tracking your pet without draining your wallet.
1. PetFon
Petfon is a reliable dog GPS tracker that provides real-time tracking and is free of subscription fees. It also offers geofencing, which allows owners to set a safe area and receive an alert when their dog leaves that zone. Additionally, Petfon features colorful lights that can be activated on the device to help locate your pet in dim lighting and a voice command feature that lets you record messages and communicate with your pet remotely.
While it’s slightly more expensive than the Whistle Go Explore, Petfon has a few key benefits that make it an excellent option for any pet owner. The first is that it has no monthly subscription or SIM card requirement, making it a more economical option in the long run. The second is that it can support multiple pets, meaning an owner can have one controller, one app on their phone, and two trackers attached to their dogs simultaneously.
The PetFon tracker is small, sleek, and lightweight, allowing it to fit comfortably on your pet’s collar. It also has reflective stitching to increase your dog’s visibility at night. The PetFon app displays your dog’s location on a map in real-time and is simple to use. It also updates every 2 to 3 seconds, which makes it easy to locate your dog.
Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product tester who has been writing about home, kitchen, and pet products for more than six years. Her work has appeared in PEOPLE, The Spruce, and Home & Garden. She specializes in comparing products that provide the same function, so she can better determine the quality of each item. She also consults with experts in each category to ensure her articles are accurate and helpful.
2. Tractive
The Tractive GPS tracker is a great option for pet parents looking for a device that goes the extra mile in terms of features. Specifically, it offers real-time tracking in Live Mode and displays location information refreshed every two to three seconds on the app’s map view. It also gives you a more detailed breakdown of your dog or cat’s speed, distance and altitude.
The device is small enough to slip under your pup’s collar and weighs less than an ounce. Combined with its waterproofing and shock resistance properties, it’s a perfect match for active dogs and cats that like to get in the water or hike through rugged terrain.
Aside from its standard GPS tracking capabilities, Tractive has some other cool features that make it stand out from the competition. For example, you can use the app to create a safe zone or “No-go” zones around your home and other landmarks such as parks or playdates. If your dog or cat wanders into these zones, the app will immediately alert you.
If you’re looking for an even more detailed look at your pet’s movements, you can turn on the augmented reality feature and watch their path in a real-world view on your phone screen. This is a very useful feature for tracking pets in difficult to navigate areas such as forests or city streets.
Another handy feature is the ability to share your pet’s location with friends and family members (with a premium subscription). This is especially helpful if you have a pet sitter or other dog-loving people in your life who would be interested in keeping tabs on your furry friend. Lastly, the app provides regular stats on your pet’s level of activity, including how many active minutes they spend and how often they reach their activity goals (as suggested by the app). The Tractive GPS tracker uses both GPS satellites and WiFi to communicate with your phone so it can be used in any country where there is cellular coverage.
3. Jiobit
Jiobit, a Chicago-based startup, offers the smallest GPS tracker designed specifically for kids, pets, seniors and special needs users. The device is worn on the person and has a discreet design to keep the wearer safe without being a distraction.
The tracker is 1.96 x 1.45 x 0.47 inches and weighs about the same as a pack of Ritz crackers. It has three types of attachment clips (including a strap clip designed for pet collars) and a built-in loop for use with lanyards or keychains. My daughter wears hers with the hem lock clip, which is a specialized version of the clip that attaches to the cuff of her pants. We’ve yet to have her accidentally shake it off or remove it.
Unlike many other GPS dog collars that use cellular data systems, Jiobit uses Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone and report its location in a few seconds. While this is not as accurate as a GPS tracker, it will provide your child or pet with a good estimate of their location and help you find them quickly.
Jiobit allows you to set up Trusted Places, which are geographical boundaries where your child or pet will remain tracked. When outside of those zones, the app will show an estimated location and tell you to check in with a Care Team member for updates.
The app is easy to navigate and provides a wealth of information about your child or pet’s movements. It is available on both iOS and Android. Jiobit does require a subscription plan to enable its features. However, this is a small price to pay for peace of mind. We also like that it is a dependable and secure device, which will give you confidence your child or pet won’t slip through the cracks of daycare.
4. Garmin TT 15
The Garmin TT 15 track and train dog device with collar is a top mounted high senstitivty GPS/GLONASS receiver that uses 18 levels of continuous & momentary stimulation plus audible tone and vibration activated from Alpha 100. It also offers LED beacon lights which are visible up to 100 yards. VIRB control and Rescue mode are additional features that the TT 15 possesses.
It is an innovative system that combines Garmin GPS technology with Tri-Tronics electronic training. This powerful system lets owners track up to 20 dogs at once and provide different feedback configurations for various behaviors. It allows users to achieve optimum performance from their sporting dogs and it has the ability to correct behavioral issues for better relationships between man and his best friend.
This system features a GPS satellite and GLONASS technology, which provides more precision tracking data. It can accurately detect your dog’s location even when the dog is moving or buried under brush. It has a maximum range of up to 9 miles and it sends a position update as often as every 2.5 seconds. In addition, the TT 15X and TT 15 mini also have an improved sleep mode that functions as a remote on/off switch to extend battery life.
It is easy to set up and sync with other compatible devices. It comes with preinstalled TOPO US 100K maps and a barometric altimeter. It also has BaseCamp software that makes it easy to organize and create maps, waypoints, routes, tracks and more. This free trip-planning software can help you create and share your Garmin Adventures with friends and loved ones. This feature is especially useful when traveling abroad.
5. Apple AirTag
If you have a dog or cat who likes to wander or escape on walks, then this tracker may help keep them safe. It clips easily to most collars and allows you to follow their location in real-time on a map, plus get alerts if they wander too far. The device also records historical tracking for later review. You can also use it to keep tabs on your pet’s health with wellness monitoring, or allow trusted caregivers (like walkers and sitters) to access their location through an authorized app or web browser.
Our Rover testers found the AirTag to be easy to set up and use, with a clear user interface in the mobile app. The app can be used by multiple users, which is useful if you have a walker or sitter that needs to know your pet’s location at all times. Unlike other GPS dog collars on our list, the AirTag doesn’t need a SIM card to operate, so you can travel abroad with it and continue tracking without changing your plan. The device costs more up front than most of our picks, but the monthly subscription is fairly affordable at $15 per month or less with a longer contract.
Designed to be an everyday tracking device for items and people, the Jiobit offers excellent battery endurance for its size. It is tinier than most other trackers, which makes it more likely to fit in your dog’s collar or backpack. It is waterproof and can be tracked in real-time with a live map view. It also lets you create virtual fences and get notifications if your pet leaves them. Depending on the plan you choose, you can also monitor your pet’s sleep cycle and activity level with this device.
