The Best 2021 GPS Dog Collars
Healthy pets are happy pets. These collars and wearable trackers are equipped with activity and location tracking and help to ensure your cat or dog are both healthy and safe. Discover which is best for your pet.
2021 Reviews: The Best GPS Dog Collars & Trackers
Dog owners want to ensure their furry companions stay safe. This is why they take their pets to the vet on a regular basis for care and checkups, keep them on a leash while on walks, and train them to remain in the yard. However, in reality, even the biggest dog lovers have lost a pet at some point and experience severe anxiety and fear. In fact, one of the absolute worst feelings you could ever have is not knowing whether or not your dog is safe after getting loose while visiting friends or family or after escaping your yard. Today’s advanced technology makes it possible for dog owners to ensure their dogs are safer by buying a GPS dog tracker or dog collar. You can now find your dog and quickly bring him home.
We reviewed dozens of different GPS dog trackers in order to find the very best ones. When choosing the top GPS dog collars, we carefully considered wearability, GPS tracking functions and features, and user reviews.
3 Different Kinds of Dog Trackers: GPS, Short-Range, and Radio
GPS trackers are not the only type of dog tracker. There are several other types of technologies that are available for tracking your dog and it is a good idea to review all of the different options that are available to you.
Unfortunately, there is so much jargon that comes up whenever tracking collars are discussed. This can cause many prospective customers to get very frustrated and throw up their hands and give up.
However, don’t worry – it really is not that complex.
Basically, there are three different kinds of tracking collars that are widely used today.
- GPS Collars
- Short-Range Tracking Collars
- Radio Collars
In this article, we will be focusing on GPS tracking since they use satellite technology and can be integrated with your smartphone that allows you to track your dog at all times of the day and night.
The following are the Best Dog Collar GPS Trackers that are currently available:
1. Whistle 3 GPS Tracker and Activity Monitor
This is the top GPS dog tracker that is currently available in the marketplace. Its main function is providing real-time nationwide location tracking to help you find your lost pet. It achieves this via advanced cellular and GPS technology. This allows you to pinpoint the exact location of your pet. The GPS monitor is similar to a cell phone and a cellular connection is required in order for it to work properly. So for this tracker to work correctly, you must have a monthly subscription. The plans start at $7 per month. You can select your plan on the Whistle App. This is the best tracker on the market, despite the monthly cost.
The Whistle 3 tracker also tracks the movement of your dog as a secondary function which allows you to track whether or not he is getting enough exercise.
Pet obesity is a major problem. A clinical survey showed that 56% of all dogs could be classified as being clinically overweight. It is also estimated that a majority of dogs do not receive the amount of exercise that is recommended, especially when they are left alone for extended periods of time. The tracker can help you determine whether or not your dog is part of this category, and help you track the progress of your dog after you start making efforts to increase your dog’s activity levels.
In order to stay ahead of your dog, the tracker offers proactive alerts that will notify you via the app, email, or text, if your dog strays away from their assigned safe area. The innovative feature makes it possible for you to find your dog before he strays too far. The very last thing that you want to occur is to check your app and discover that your dog is many miles away.
Key Features of the Whistle 3 GPS Tracker and Activity Monitor
- Real-time, 24/7 tracking
- Alerts you whenever your pet leaves his safe places
- Track progress and set activity goals
- View movement over 24 hours
2. Link AKC GPS Dog Collar
There are a number of different interesting features that this tracker is equipped with that make it possible for pet owners to remotely track the location and wellbeing of their pets. The Link AKC features activity monitoring and nationwide location tracking with the U.S. It is an excellent option for all pet owners. This product, similar to our number one pick, this GPS tracking monitors the location of your pet. That means you need to have a monthly subscription in order for the tracker to work properly. After all, it is difficult to see where your dog is located if the tracker is unable to connect with the cellular network. There are three choices available: a 2-year plan, an annual plan, or a monthly plan. Although a subscription is required, you can’t beat the tracking accuracy.
However, its activity monitoring is not as accurate as some other brands. This collar is advertised as being able to monitor the daily activities of your pet accurately, however, many customers have reported that it was not accurate. This tracker allows you to set your goals in a similar way as our top choice, although the inaccuracy may not make the feature very useful. Choose this product if you are just looking for a tracker. Choose the Whistle if you also are interested in activity monitoring.
In addition to those features. the Link also has a few other bells and whistles that pet owners might be interested in. It comes with a training sound that you can use to signal your dog when you are not there and a remote turn-on LED. Also, it tracks the surrounding temperature of your dog and alerts you when the temperature gets too low or high. The app also can set health reminders and store vet records.
Key Features of the Link AKC Dog Collar
- Sound & light for training
- Tracks activity and location
- Monitors temperature
- Stores vet records
3. Black & Decker Smart Dog Collar
This is ideal for pet owners who are searching for a GPS dog collar that is well-rounded.
The Black & Decker Smart Dog Collar comes with activity tracking and two-way audio and is a well-rounded, excellent GPS dog collar. The collar is equipped with a daily activity monitor and an accurate GPS tracking system. You will be able to see where your dog is, what they have been doing all day, and which routes they have been on, through using a basic app installed on your smartphone. Also, the GPS tracker sends an instant alert whenever your dog leaves his area and allows you to get custom safety zones set up. A number of different zones can be set up, so your dog can play at the park and at home, without getting continuous notifications on your phone.
The two-way audio is one of the most important features of this collar. By just pressing a button, you would be able to hear what your dog is hearing and directly talk to him. To some people, that might seem like just an aesthetic, but being able to speak to your dog’s collar can definitely be a big benefit if he gets lost. Think about being able to directly speak to your dog’s rescuers before you are able to get there.
Are you still not sure? This collar is water-resistant as well in water of up to three feet and is very durable. It also comes equipped with an OLED display with your contact information and your dog’s name displayed in case your pet gets lost. You can also have a customized message displayed for special situations.
Key Features of the Black & Decker Smart Dog Collar
- Customizable safe zones
- Activity tracker
- Water-resistant
- Virtual dog tag
- 2-way audio
4. PetFon GPS Dog Tracker
No subscription is required for this wearable, easy-to-use dog tracker that lasts for 15 hours in between charging it.
Features of the PetFon GPS Dog Tracker:
- A monthly subscription is not required
- In open areas provides coverage of up to 3.5 miles, and in congested downtown areas up to .65 miles.
- Lets you set safe areas for your dog and get instant notifications anytime your dog leaves his designated zone
- Can illuminate it at night, which makes it easier to find your dog in the dark
- Has an option for uploading voice commands, which allows you to correct your dog when he leaves his safe area
Pros of the PetFon GPS Dog Tracker
This unit’s real-time results were very popular with pet owners and many people praised its accuracy and how fast it reports barrier violations. Another win for pet owners is how easy it is to set up, and also the customer service provided by PetFon.
Cons of the PetFon GPS Dog Tracker
The range on the PetFon could be better, and it is disappointing that it does not have true waterproofing since a sudden swim when your dog is off his leash could be disastrous for this product.
5. Tractive 3G GPS Dog Tracker
This waterproof tracker offers real-time tracking information that helps you find your dog. Updates can be viewed on any web browser or the Tractive App, which provides you with extra flexibility when you are looking for your dog. This genuinely waterproof GPS tracker sends real-time information to your phone directly from the Tractive App.
Features of the Tractive 3G :
- No tracking range limitations
- A monthly subscription is required and starts at $4.99 per month
- Maintains a charge for as long as five days
- You can set up a virtual fence or safe area and receive instant notifications whenever your dog breaks this perimeter
Pros of the Tractive 3G GPS Dog Tracker
Pet owners love this app due to its options and design, which allows you to track your dog in real-time, and also gives you the opportunity to see where he has traveled on his journey beyond the safe zone. Owners also like the Google integration, which gives them landmarks such as houses to help them with their searches instead of just a basic blimp on the screen.
Cons of the Tractive 3G GPS Dog Tracker
This device, compared to others, is on the bulky side. For smaller dogs, that can be an issue. Reviewers also didn’t like the customer service, which can be slow and is only available via email.