Recommendations for GPS tracker

[ChimneyRock]

My dog is 14 next month and slowing down quite rapidly. His hearing appears to have got markedly worse recently - doesn't hear us returning home and we have to stand in front of him with his lead for walks as he doesn't respond if we call from the door. His (long) sight isn't all that great either.
He's always been great off-lead but we're approaching the sad day when we probably can't risk it anymore. He is kind of self-regulating in that he doesn't wander far from us and we're obviously keeping much more of a close eye on where he is.
Anyway, although he's chipped and name-tagged on his collar, we feel we should attach a tracker to him in case the worst happens and he does get lost.
I've been researching but am a bit bamboozled. Do we need a subscription or are plug-in-and-go ones sufficient? I would want to be able to track him on a decent map and although we in the family all have iphones, my ILs look after him quite often and they have androids so it would need to operate on both systems.
Can anyone please advise?

Don't let him off lead. Use a long line.

I use Tractive for my springer cross, it’s a subscription service. Some of my friends put one of the air tags on the harness but my girl loves running into rivers and I would be worried it may come off.

If your boy is not running in and out of undergrowth/streams etc the air tag might be worth ago, otherwise I would use the Tractive.

The trouble with the air tag (which we do have somewhere) is that it relies on their being iphone users in close proximity to pick up the signal.

He will be on-lead mainly - this is for back up.

I will take a look at Tractive, thanks.

We use a Tractive too and been really pleased with it - mine spends his life throwing himself into water/mud/brambles and it’s only ever come off twice (both times the app took us back to exactly where it was).

Does it come with its own collar or do you have to attach it to your existing one? Can't see anywhere on the website where it says.

Pawfit has served us well for the last 3 years with our pointer, who is selectively mute (think it's a breed characteristic )
Only used it 3 occasions in anger & it worked well each time.
The unit clips onto a base that is fed onto the collar.
We have a message on there that speaks his name & our contact details for when he actually does get lost.
Also counts his steps so we have a measurement of his activity each day & can adapt food, exercise, rest etc accordingly.

Tractive is really good. I previously had a PitPat but the Tractive is much better.

@ChimneyRock it attaches to their collar, I’ve added a pic of my dog wearing his, it’s the white rectangle! It’s a few years old so the older version, they look a bit smaller now

Exactly.

Any dog that (for whatever reason) doesn't recall should be on a lead. For everyone's sake. A tracker will not stop an elderly, deaf dog from walking into the path of a car (or worse)

I have acknowledged about the on-lead part.
I've asked for recommendations for trackers as a back up, just in case. He's only ever been off-lead in the woods/fields and his recall has been good to date. As his hearing seems to be fading, we are making plans for the imminent future.

Pawfit user here, would recommend it.

we like our tractiv, it’s quite an old model. I wasn’t impressed with how it attached so had to fashion my own way of securing the devide in place for my dog. We have it on the harness. Newer models may have a better design. Very happy with it. Must have had it for 6 years.

Mine have apple tags in rubber holders on their collars