Does anyone use dog gps?

[heartbrokenmum1]

Hi I’m in the process of adopting two dogs and it’s been suggested trackers would be a good idea. I’ve been trying to research online but am just bamboozled! Can anyone suggest a tracker they use or would I be better with an apple tag?

If it helps I have a Samsung Galaxy2 on my mother, not literally around her neck but on her keys, it’s just there in case she loses her way home been elderly and her memory is going, it’s not supper accurate unless your phone is close to it and it only update her location is my home is close to it but it gives me a general idea of the location.

What will the tracker be for? That might help narrow it down (does it need to be waterproof, what distance does it need to cover etc).

Not sure Apple tags work that well for pet tags, as they work by triangulating from nearby mobile phones. If the pet isn’t close to someone’s mobile then it won’t work.

Not me - my service dog is like glue, even off lead - but my friend has an escape artist. Stick him in a box buried six feet underground, and he'll be 20 miles away in ten minutes - Houdini had nothing on him. She uses PitPat - it's a one off buy, no subscription, and there's a 42 day no-quibble refund scheme. She swears by its accuracy, and just as a test she "tracked" her dog whilst on holiday in Mexico and he was exactly where she left him (in the secure unit at the kennels!).

Honestly, if you think you’d need a tracker I’d suggest not letting them off the lead.

Being on a lead doesn't stop escape artists. Being in a garden with a seven foot securely locked gate and solid high fences doesn't either.

As an owner, it’s still your job to stop that.

I wasn’t planning to let them off the lead or let them out of the garden it was just as a precaution really in case they escaped

We have a PitPat. It’s decent and doesn’t need a subscription. Doesn’t constantly track location tho - you have to ping it. And doesn’t really work indoors

The PitPat is really good. I got one second hand off eBay.

In this case, as long as your garden is secure, I probably wouldn’t bother. I looked into it for a new dog, and decided it wasn’t worth it in the end as the good ones are expensive and some you pay a subscription. Just make sure they have proper tags on with your details in case.

We use a Tractive. It works really well.

I have a tractive for my rescue girl

GPS trackers were discussed a few days ago in The Doghouse, sorry I’m unable to link the thread.

Since I wasn't talking about my dog it isn't my job at all. And it may be an owners job - tell that to the dog. It happens. It shouldn't happen often, but not everybody is as perfect as you.

I use a Pit Pat. Also measures my girl’s activity levels and sleep.

I use a Pawfit which works really well, it definitely gives additional peace of mind with my high prey drive/easily spooked breed.

We use a Tractive GPS for our dog which has an app to our phones. She's a great dog, very active herding breed and loves off lead romping through the fields - woods etc and we keep her on GPS as a just in case, but she always comes back, and rarely goes out of sight, she's always checking where we are. She's escaped our garden once as a teenage dog and we were
Absolutely beside ourselves. She's popped next door to see her friend 😳. We got her back very quickly but just as backup we use this system now. We also have a light on her harness so she's easier to spot too when it's dusky