The Best Dog GPS Trackers: Reviewed

Some pet owners like to give their dogs or cats a little freedom to roam. You may own property that your dog enjoys exploring, or you may like to take your dog off its lead when hiking. On the other hand, you may have a dog who is a masterful escape artist, somehow able to get out of your fenced in yard periodically, no matter how escape-proof you think you’ve made it. In situations like these and more, a dog GPS tracker is a great tool to help you monitor your dog’s location, or allow your lost pet to be found and returned to you safe.

What is the best dog GPS tracker? It depends on your needs and preferences regarding this device. Along with location monitoring, some dog GPS trackers have activity monitoring, too. Some of these devices can also track calories, movement, sleep, and more.

One dog GPS tracker may be waterproof, durable, pull-resistant, and able to fit on any collar or halter. Another dog GPS tracker may go beyond that with features like an LED light or lights, ringing alarms, live-mode monitoring, and a long-lasting battery. Your choice depends on the features that are important to you.

Some owners make their choice based on what they like to do with their dogs. Think of a dog owner who loves to take their dog along on camping and hunting trips. The owner is likely to choose a pull-resistant dog GPS tracker with accurate location monitoring for trips to the woods. If the dog likes to jump into creeks or lakes, the owner is going to want a waterproof device. Furthermore, the person is probably going to look for a device with an LED light and ringing sounds so if the dog becomes lost, it will be easier to locate in a forest, woods, or nature park.

Alternatively, a person who likes to take their dog on neighborhood walks and to the dog park is not going to need all of those features in a dog GPS tracker. The person is likely to opt for a simple location monitoring device that allows them to set up a safe roaming area for their dog.

The Top Picks for Best Dog GPS Tracker: Ranked

#1 Best Overall: Whistle Health and Fitness Ultimate Dog GPS Tracker GO Explore

The varied features of Whistle Health and Fitness Ultimate Dog GPS Tracker GO Explore have earned it our pick for the best overall dog GPS tracker. It provides location monitoring that includes sending an owner an alert if their dog leaves a specific location. The smart tracker updates every 15 seconds to give you the exact location of your dog.

This best overall dog GPS tracker also provides activity monitoring. An owner enters their dog’s information including weight, age, and breed. Health goals are set based on those criteria. Calories and movement are monitored along with behaviors like excessive scratching or licking. All of this is delivered in a succinct report to an owner via email.

This collar tracker attaches to any type of harness or collar. It’s waterproof and has a battery life of 20 days before a recharge is necessary. A bright LED light with a choice of three settings makes it easy to see the dog’s movements at night.

Whistle’s GO Explore dog GPS tracker operates on Wi-Fi and is available with an $8.25 monthly subscription plan. The initial cost of the tracking device is budget-friendly. It’s available in gray, purple, and green.

A disadvantage of this tracking device is there has been a mixed response regarding the effectiveness of the app.

Pros and Cons of the Whistle Health and Fitness Ultimate Dog GPS Tracker GO Explore

Best Overall

Whistle Health and Fitness Ultimate Dog GPS Tracker GO Explore

• Subscription required. Plan covers location tracking with GPS, health and fitness monitoring, including proactive notifications, alerts, health reports and more. Yearly $8.25/mo.
• Location Tracking. Set up alerts and quickly locate your pet, whether they’ve made a sneaky escape, or are 3,000 miles away. Receive notifications if your pet's location leaves a designated safe area.
• Health, Nutrition, & Activity Tracking. Monitor activity levels, calories, distance, and activity, along with behaviors like licking, scratching, and sleeping to keep an eye on potential health problems.
• 20 - Day Battery, Built - In Night Light. Use the app to choose between 3 safety night light settings, slow flash, fast flash or always on.
• Chat With A Vet. Your Whistle subscription gives you access to on-demand veterinary help through chat, phone or email.

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2. Best for Dog Activity Monitoring: FitBark 2 Activity Monitor

We like the FitBark 2 Activity Monitor because it tracks calories, movement, distance traveled, and even sleep quality 24/7.

An owner receives a detailed weekly activity report. We noted the report even compares a dog’s data for the current week with the past week. This is ideal for an owner who has specific health goals for their dog.

One of the best features of this activity monitoring tracker is its battery life goes up to six months.

This device fits collars up to one and a half inches in width. Plus, it’s waterproof and pull-resistant.

Dog owners and their dogs are able to monitor their exercise together. The FitBark 2 can be linked to FitBit or GoogleFit among others.

One major drawback is it’s only for activity monitoring. So, it’s not an option for a dog owner who wants a GPS device.

Pros and Cons of the FitBark 2 Activity Monitor

Best for Dog Activity Monitoring

FitBark 2 Dog Activity Monitor

• 🐾 ACTIVITY. Monitor activity, sleep quality, distance, calorie balance and overall health & behavior 24/7. Set ideal goals vs. breed, age & weight peers. Add multiple dogs and owners in our apps. iOS 12+ or Android 6+ required.
• 🔋 BATTERY. Exceptional battery life up to 6 months. Worry less about recharging and more about bonding with your pup! Lightweight (10 g). Fits dogs of any size and most collars up to 1.5” wide. Tough, rugged and waterproof.
• 👩‍⚕️ HEALTH. Catch early signs of discomfort or disease. Monitor mobility, anxiety and skin conditions through changes in the FitBark Health Index and Sleep Score. Invite your trainer or veterinarian to review FitBark data.
• 🏃‍♀️ MOTIVATION. Works with your Fitbit, Apple Watch, Apple HealthKit or Google Fit wearable device or smartphone. Compare stats side by side and start building healthy & safe habits together. FitBark Clock Face available on the Fitbit Gallery.
• 🎓 SCIENCE. Trusted by 100+ veterinary schools & research institutions that strive to advance science, including the University of Cambridge and the Mayo Clinic. Join users from 140+ countries in advocating for safer and better informed dog parenting.

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3. Best for Location Monitoring: PETFON Pet GPS Tracker

Our reviewers rated the PETFON Pet GPS Tracker number one for location monitoring due to its quickness and accuracy. It can pinpoint the location of a dog in live-mode in an urban or rural area. Plus, reviewers noted that this location monitoring device doesn’t require a monthly subscription plan.

A dog owner can specify a safe area for their pet as well as an area where the animal should not go. The owner is notified by alarm if the dog goes out of its safe area.

Our testing found this pull-resistant collar tracker to be durable as well as waterproof. It features several colorful lights and ringing sounds helping an owner see and locate the dog more easily. Each red, yellow, blue, green, and purple LED light can easily be seen in dark areas.

The battery has eight to 16 hours of life before needing a recharge.

One of the downsides of this location monitoring device is it needs recharging on a more frequent basis than other dog GPS trackers.

Pros and Cons of the PETFON Pet GPS Tracker

Best for Location Monitoring

Petfon Smart Pet Multi-Dog GPS Tracker

• 🐕NO MONTHLY FEE, ANTI-LOST RADAR SERCHING: Petfon GPS tracker is free of any service fee or monthly fee.The small, durable, and rainproof device allows you to track your pet's activity and pinpoint his/her location in real time. Petfon GPS tracker combines GPS, WiFi, bluetooth, and long distance wireless technologies for accurate real-time positioning.The unique Rada serching feature can help you find the direction of the lost dogs.
• 🐕REAL-TIME & LONG DISTANCE TRACKING: Petfon GPS Tracker is easy to install and use. Just download the Petfon app and follow the instructions. With the app, you can view your pet's activities and pinpoint his location at any time. The tracking ranges can be up to 0.65 miles in downtown/dense space and 3.5 miles in an open environment. But it will be effected by surarroundings.
• 🐕GEOFENCING,MULTICOLOR ALERT,CUSTOMIZABLE VOICE COMMAND: With Petfon GPS tracker you can define a safe area around your pet's location and get notified instantly if your pet leaves that area. You can also activate the colorful lights on the GPS tracker to locate your pet more easily in dim light or at night time. Voice commands can be recorded and stored on the tracker to communicate with your pets remotely.
• 🐕LONG STANDBY BATTERY,LIGHT WEIGHT & RAINPROOF: The Petfon GPS tracker is small and durable (42mm*42mm*18mm, Weight: 27.6g). The rainproof feature enables it to work in wet weather but do not working for swimming. Petfon GPS Tracker's battery can last up to 8-16 hours and comes with a compact charging station. It can recharge the device multiple times, which is perfect for going off the grid.
• 🐕Different from Petfon1, Petfon2 is blue rather than grey, and it is sturdier and more dirt resistant. Petfon2 firmware and software have been optimized so it is more sensitive & stable. The tracking distance is 15% further and the initial positioning time is 10 seconds shorter than Petfon1, which makes the tracking quicker and more accurate.

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4. Best Dog Tracker Chip: Humane Tribe Smart Pet ID Locator Tag

This dog tracker chip is on a tag attached to the dog’s collar. Our research determined that it has a QR code containing pertinent information about the dog.

This tracker chip is durable, and no monthly subscription plan is necessary. It’s available at a very low cost.

One downside of this tracker chip is another person must scan the QR code or call the number on the tag to let the owner know the dog has been found.

Pros and Cons of the Humane Tribe Smart Pet ID Locator Tag

Best Dog Tracker Chip

Humane Tribe Smart Pet ID Locator Tag

• ✅ Functions as an External Microchip - Tag Includes Embedded NFC Chip, Unique QR Code, Short URL, and the Humane Tribe Hotline access to connect the Pet w/ their Owner
• ✅ Real-Time Text Message Alerts - When the Humane Tribe Tag is accessed by a Viewer, the Pet Owner will be notified instantly via SMS/text message
• ✅ Email Notifications with GPS Location Sharing - When the tag is accessed by a Viewer, the Pet Owner will receive an email that includes the pet's location (when shared) w/ driving directions provided by Google Maps
• ✅ 24/7 Access to View/Edit/Share Online Pet Profile - Better than a traditional tag or data hidden in a implanted microchip, the online pet profile allows the pet's owner to add pet data, contact details, medical information, and much more that automatically syncs with the tag in real-time via our proprietary TagSync technology
• ✅ No batteries or cellular service plans needed! The best pet tag to compliment a traditional pet id tag, a pet microchip, or use as a stand-alone smart pet id tag! Keep your pet protected & connected with the Humane Tribe!

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5. Best Budget-Friendly Option: CUBE Real-Time GPS Dog & Cat Tracker

Reviewers reported that this tracking device, which can be used on luggage, valuables, and other objects in addition to pets, has a battery life of 10 to 60 days after charging. An owner is able to set up a geofence and monitor in real-time whether the dog is in its safe area.

It requires a monthly subscription and operates on WiFi. The app sends an owner an alert if the dog wanders from a designated area.

This pull-resistant tracking device fits on a variety of collars.

One drawback of this collar tracker is it may be a little heavy for the collar of a toy, or small dog.

Pros and Cons of the CUBE Real-Time GPS Dog & Cat Tracker

Best Budget-Friendly Option

Cube Real Time GPS Dog & Cat Tracker

• Tracks pets, vehicles, people, and belongings in real time via your smartphone or computer.
• Features a rechargeable battery that will last 10 to 60 days between charges.
• Use the app to set up geofences and get real-time notifications for crossing boundaries, low battery, speeding.
• Connects to Cellular networks—requires monthly payments to operate.
• Cube offers users convenient customer service and tech support to help you with any problems.

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The Best Dog Tracker: Pros and Cons Tracker Chip on a Tag and Collar Tracker Compared

Tracker Chip on a Tag

Collar Tracker Device

Our Criteria and Experience: How We Chose the Best

We took our research of the best dog GPS trackers very seriously, because the health and safety of our pets is of the utmost importance. We looked for products that displayed a long, reliable battery life, delivered on what they promised, and were durable. We sought waterproof options so that inclement weather wouldn’t damage them. We also looked for devices that were certified by veterinarians, and had a high degree of positive feedback from reviewers.

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