10 Best Dog GPS Tracker Collars of 2021 [Which One Suits Your Pup?]

Written by Anthony Dewitt

GPS trackers are a handy device to have if you have a dog that gets out a lot. They will tell you precisely where to find your dog, and save you time searching for him and worrying about where he is. These awesome devices also have great features that help you keep track of your dog’s health. Here are a few tips and reviews to guide you in finding the best dog GPS tracker to keep your eye on your precious pup.  

The Best GPS Dog Tracker Collars of 2021 

Our Favorite: Fi Smart Dog Collar

Designed to quickly find your dog if he gets lost, the Fi Smart Dog Collar allows you to track the location of your dog using an app on your phone. This GPS tracking collar can even activate an LED flashing light on your dog’s collar allowing you to see him easily in the dark. Making it easier to find a lost dog, no matter which way he ran, this tracking collar comes with several great features to keep your dog safe and in your yard.

The Fi Smart Dog Collar also includes a geofence feature that will alert you when your dog has crossed over it. The Dog Walker Monitor allows family members and friends to download the app and an alert will let you know that your dog has left the area and with which designed person. The monitor can also track how many steps your dog takes and compares his activity to other dogs in the United States.

You also get access to the Fi Community, so you can meet other dog owners in your area and see if you can find some playmates for your pup. This feature also allows you to connect the app to your Instagram so you can share pictures.

Made with an aluminum faceplate and reinforced hardware, the Fi Smart Dog Collar is dirt and water-resistant as well as resistant to 300 pounds of pulling force. It also offers a reliable signal, long battery life, and Wi-Fi integration for better escape detection. This collar also has four times better antenna signal sensitivity than previous models.

Runner-Up: Halo Collar

Developed to help find your dog when he wanders away from home, the Halo Collar is a next-generation wireless dog fence system that allows you to create a fence using your smartphone and send the instruction to be stored in your dog’s collar. It helps to guide a dog to stay within the boundaries of the perimeter that you have set up and will let your dog know when he has wandered away too far.

Providing peace of mind, the Halo Collar features an intuitive design that combines intelligent fencing technology and smart boundary training for a dog. Easily set up the boundary by walking with the collar around the perimeter you want to create or tap out and specific points on a map in the app to create your dog’s boundary. You can set up to 20 custom boundaries in different places to help keep your dog safe.

You can also customize the feedback you get as well as the warning that prompts your pup to stay in the designated area. The Halo Collar allows a dog to roam around his hard safely and lets him have all the exercises he needs each day. Plus, it acts as an activity tracker, so you know how much time your pup spends running, walking, or resting.

This portable fence provides safe boundaries, natural guidance, and limitless locations. The Halo Collar allows you to track your dog’s location extremely accurately within 10 feet. It also is usable in all types of terrains including rivers, elevations, driveways, and streams.

>> Check out our in-depth Halo Collar review <<

Most Versatile Dog Tracker: Whistle GO Explore

If you have a dog that tends to get out of the yard while keeping his collar on, the Whistle Go Explore is a great dog activity monitor to check out. This GPS pet tracker is a great choice for many breeds including Beagles, Poodles, Great Danes, Huskies, and Boxers. It easily attaches to your dog’s harness or collar and lets you see precisely where your dog is and alerts you when he has left the pre-designated safe zone that you have set up.

The Whistle Go Explore is also an activity monitor, which means that it will measure your dog’s activities while keeping track of his vital statistics. This is an interactive app that you can download on either an Android or iOS device. It does work on a cellular network, so you will have to maintain a cellular plan for your dog that you can activate the Whistle app.

This GPS collar sends you alerts by email, text, or notification on the app. The included rechargeable battery can last up to seven days. Plus, this unit is durable and totally waterproof and one of the top activity monitors and trackers on the market.  

Best Health Monitor: FitBark GPS

Moderately priced and tiny enough to fit on a typical collar, the FitBark GPS Dog Tracker includes a Verizon 4G LTE-M sim card that is embedded onto the device. The tracker requires a subscription to access the safety and tracking features of the unit, which is pretty common among these devices.

With this product, you will be using the Verizon network, so it’s important to check and see how reliable the coverage is in your area. Otherwise, it will be hard for the network to recognize the tracker that may prevent you from receiving reliable location updates and alerts.

Allowing you to set up several Wi-Fi safe places, the Fitbark lets you establish multiple geofences, so you can feel safe at the kennel, your parent’s house, or your friend’s house. The app can also message you anytime your dog leaves any of these locations.

This app can also track your dog’s activity levels and allow you to set up individual goals and targets. Plus, you can integrate it with other fitness apps or even your own FitBit.

Easiest Tracker to Use: SpotOn Virtual Fence

More than just an invisible dog fence, the SpotOn GPS Virtual Dog Fence gives you more control over where your dog goes in your yard and allows you to keep track of him. Simply put, it’s the best GPS dog fence you can find today. This is a super easy fence to set up since the entire process is virtual meaning there is no manual labor required. It’s simple to operate since it comes with an easy-to-use GPS-based phone app. 

This device is also comfortable for your dog to wear. The SpotOn GPS Virtual Dog Fence is pretty lightweight and won’t rub against your dog’s skin as he plays and runs in the yard.

Offering real-time GPS tracking, the SpotOn GPS Virtual Dog Fence gives your peace of mind from knowing where your dog is at all times. This customizable produce has a long battery life and provides more control over where your dog goes. It was designed for an active dog, so it can get wet and won’t fall off easily.

The SpotOn GPS Virtual Dog Fence comes with a 45-day warranty, so it can’t hurt to give it a try. One of the best features of this unit is how customizable it is, which provides great control over where your dog can go.

>> Check out our in-depth SpotOn GPS Dog Fence review <<

Best Budget Tracker: Cube GPS Tracker

Affordable and waterproof, the Cube GPS Tracker operates without having to sign up for a monthly subscription. This GPS tracker can keep your dog and any item safe. Small and lightweight, you can even use it on a cat.

Featuring a 200-foot range, the Cube GPS Tracker is capable of connecting to a phone app and will start ringing to let you know the last location it tracked before the unit went out of range. The battery will last between two and three months, which isn’t quite as long as the manufacturer claims.

The Cube GPS Tracker is a great budget tracker for your dog. It doesn’t come with a lot of features, but you’ll save money since it doesn’t require a subscription.

Best Nighttime Tracker: Link Smart Pet Tracker

The Link Smart Pet Tracker is both a GPS locator and an activity monitor for dogs. Easily track a runaway dog with this unit, which is an actual collar, not just a device that attaches to it. Capable of working with both Android and iOS, this smart collar is a great value and comes with an extended warranty, a size guarantee to ensure that the collar fits your dog, and a 24/7 helpline.

Offering nationwide location tracking, the Link Smart Pet Tracker works on the AT& T cellular network offering instant and accurate alerts when your pup leaves his designated area. This unit also includes sound training and activity monitoring, plus you can set up activity goals based on your dog’s breed, age, and size. The remote sound activation feature lets you train your pup using various sounds.

The Link Smart Pet Tracker also features temperature alerts that let you know if your dog is too cold or hot, and it comes with a long-lasting battery life that needs to be recharged every three or four days. And it comes with an LED light that helps make your dog visible at night.

Best Lightweight Tracker: Tractive GPS Tracker For Dogs

Usable in more than 150 countries, the Tractive 3G GPS Dog Tracker can operate on any 3G network. It features an integrated SIM card that can be activated with plans starting at $4.99 while other plans can vary subject to your needs. This tracker lets you geofence an area and gives you instant notifications if your dog leaves the area as well as a full location history if needed.

All tracking and features can be accessed using any internet browser or the Tractive GPS app. The Tractive 3G GPS Dog Tracker is shock-resistant and has a waterproof rating of IPX7, so you can track a dog under any conditions. The high-capacity battery will completely charge in just two hours and will then last for up to five days.

This lightweight tracker is recommended for use for a dog weighing up to nine pounds. You can easily attach the Tractive GPS app to a harness or collar. The Tractive Dog GPS Tracker doesn’t have any range limitation like other Bluetooth GPS finders.

Best GPS Tracker: PetFon 2 Smart Tracker

One of the best parts of the PetFon2 Smart Tracker is that there is no monthly fee because no subscription plan is required. This water-resistant unit has a rating of IP-65 and a battery life that lasts ups to 16 hours. Using Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and GLONASS technology, these trackers give you up to 3 ½ miles of covers in an open area and up to 0.65 miles in city or wooded areas.

The PetFon has a unique feature that no other dog tracker has, which is voice commands that are pre-recorded with your voice. All you have to do is push a button to call back your dog when goes out of his zone with your own voice. You can also set light and sound alarms to go off as well.

The tracker is rainproof, but not completely waterproof, so a good amount of water could affect how it functions. With the PetFon, you can track your dog in real-time without using a cell network or SIM card, which also means there are no fees. This is a great GPS device if you are just interested in tracking your dog and not monitoring him.

Best Real-Time Tracker: Jiobit Next

Using a mix of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS along with cellular technology, the Jiobit Next can track your dog’s location and then let you know if he gets lost or escapes. Easily monitor his position outdoors and indoors due to this innovative mix of tracking methods. Plus, the device is not restricted by objects or walls.

The Jiobit Next is lightweight and conveniently connects to your dog’s collar. Featuring unlimited range as well as a rechargeable battery, you won’t need to recharge the battery until after seven days of use. Easily set up a geofenced area and also receive alerts when your pup leaves his designated area.

This monitor also provides live tracking and monitoring allowing you to see where your pet is for your own peace of mind. You will need to register for a subscription in order to benefit the most from the Jiobit Next’s features, particularly if you want to use cellular tracking.

Tips for Buying Dog GPS Trackers

There are many considerations when you are choosing a GPS tracker for your dog. You will need to decide whether you want to just track your pet or if you need more advanced features such as dog activity monitoring or tons of information on how healthy your dog is and if he is getting enough exercise. You also need to decide how far of a distance you want to be able to track your dog or if you just want and a tracker that will work a few miles around your home. Plus, you should also decide if you want to track your pup anywhere in the world or just around your immediate area.

When a dog consistently gets out, having a GPS tracker can come in handy. How often this happens and where he runs off to can helps you decide how accurate you want your GPS tracker as well as the size you need the unit to be to fit your dog’s collar well but still not being too obtrusive.

What Are GPS Dog Trackers? 

A GPS tracker for a dog uses the same type of technology that you have on your phone that helps you get around. This small device is mounted onto your dog’s collar where it will send out signals that tell you exactly where your dog is as long as he is wearing the device through Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi, or cellular signal. Using these methods, dog owners let you find out precisely where your dog is in case you have to track him down. 

GPS trackers often incorporate other features besides finding your dog if he runs away. How it works just depends on the types of features that your collar is designed with as long as it works with an application that you have downloaded onto a smart device. Some of these devices need a cellular plan to allow you to track a dog using your smartphone and some devices use other methods that don’t require a monthly subscription fee.

Three Types of Dog Trackers: Radio, Short-Range, and GPS

There are three types of GPS trackers that you can choose from including radio, short-range, and GPS. Radio pet trackers work a lot of like a two-way radio or walkie-talkies. A radio transceiver is attached to the dog’s collar while you have a handheld device. Radio signals are transmitted from a handset that is then received by a device that transmits the information back to you.

The radio tracker lets you have a lot of control, and you can train your dog with sound and vibration alerts. Unfortunately, these collars and collar attachment devices often have limited range, but they still will work for several miles, they just don’t have the same range as a GPS tracker. If you live somewhere where cell service is spotty, then radio signals are a good way to track a dog.

Short-range trackers, also known as Bluetooth trackers, are convenient and affordable to use. Covering a smaller area, these trackers typically have a radius of a little more than a mile. They are also pretty affordable and a great choice for a small dog. With a Bluetooth Pet Tracker, you will need to install a specific app and then turn on the device in order for it to connect with your pet. 

GPS trackers also have a lot of advantages, specifically that they can be used pretty much anywhere in the country and even the world. These trackers use satellites that orbit the earth and provide a high level of accuracy and precision, so you won’t need another device to access the data. All you will need is your own smartphone and an app that will tell you exactly where your pup is as well as where it has been and the ability to monitor other things about your dog as well.

Dog GPS Tracker Features: What to Consider Before Buying

Size

Depending on the size of your dog, choosing the right-sized GPS Dog Tracker is important. There are a few choices of GPS tracker types to choose from that vary in size. The device that will attach to your dog’s collar can sometimes be similar to a dog tag but can also be a larger device that will clamp on the collar’s side. You can also get a collar that has GPS embedded into it.

Whichever, you choose, you want something that will fit your dog well. When considering a collar, you can sometimes be restricted in the size that you get since a GPS embedded collar may only be available in a few different sizes. You also need to check out the size of the GPS devices that attach to your dog’s collar since choosing the wrong size could mean your dog escaping without the device or that it could become destroyed. You are better off getting a smaller device, even if you have a large dog. Ultimately you want a device that will onto your dog’s collar securely and not fall off.

Accuracy

The accuracy of a dog’s GPS tracker is probably your biggest consideration since you want it to be as accurate as possible so you can track your dog’s location. GPS trackers provide you with real-time location capabilities, so when your dog moves, the marker on the GPS moves, which isn’t possible with a radio tracker where you have to activate the device and then let it ping to get your dog’s location.

Without the ability to accurately track down your dog, the GPS tracker is pretty useless. But, for some users, this isn’t the most important feature of the device. It all depends on your needs and how important the device’s other features are for you and your pet.

Activity Tracking

This is an added feature that not all GPS trackers have. But, it is a common feature on many of the trackers on the market today. To decide if you want to include this feature, you have to think about how comprehensive you want the tracking of your GPS device to be. Not only will this tracker be able to pinpoint where your dog is, but it will be able to monitor your dog’s activity and tell how much walking they get in during the day as well as how much sleep they get.

When you combine an activity tracker with a GPS tracker, you can get even more details like your dog’s blood pressure and heart rate, and it will even send you an alert when there could a medical issue that you need to take your dog to the vet for. There are even units that can store your dog’s records and is compatible with your vet’s software.

Remember the more comprehensive your GPS activity monitor is, the more expensive it is also. However, it does save you from having to buy a separate activity monitor down the road. Plus, having two devices attached to your dog’s collar may be very uncomfortable for your pup. later.

Notifications & Alerts

How you are notified that your dog is no longer in his safe zone is pretty important. It’s vital that you choose the best method to receive these alerts whether it’s email, text message, or an app notification since time is of the essence when it comes to finding a dog that has run away. In the perfect world, you should receive alerts in as many different ways as possible, but not every GPS tracker has that ability. Always check and see what type of alerts are available with each tracker that you are considering, especially since the more types of alerts that a unit has the better value it is.

Durability

Since your dog may get a little rough when he’s playing or rolling around in the mud, you want to make sure the GPS tracker is durable enough to withstand some abuse. It also needs to be weatherproof in case he gets stuck in the rain or splashes in a puddle. Your dog will also be wearing the device all day, so it needs to be made to last, so look for devices made out of strong materials and read reviews to make sure you are getting a quality product.

Safe Zones

The safe zones are the areas that the collar or collar attachment sets up for your dog to play and run around in. Any time your dog leaves the safe zone, or geofence, then the GPS tracker will alert you so you can check on your dog. Look for safety zone features like alerts for specific barriers that your dog has breached as well as the ability to set up several geofences at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the best dog tracker?

According to our list, the Fi Smart Dog Collar is the best. It is designed to quickly locate your dog with an app on your phone. It includes an LED flashing light that lets you see him easily in the dark and is both water and dirt-resistant thanks to the reinforced hardware and aluminum faceplate construction. The geofence feature alerts you when your dog has left his designated area, and you can also include other members of the family or the dog walker on the app to track your dog while he is with them.  

The Fi Smart Dog Collar includes resistance to 300 pounds of pulling force and gives you a reliable signal as well as great antenna signal sensitivity. Don’t forget capability with other apps! You can even ucose it to share pictures on Instagram and connect to the Fi Community to meet other dog owners in your area.

Do GPS dog trackers work?

GPS dog trackers definitely work, and there are a lot of benefits to using one. Of course, the benefits that you get from a track will depend on the features that the tracker has as well as the quality of the GPS tracker itself. But, at the very least, a GPS dog tracker will give you peace of mind in knowing that you are able to track your dog down in the event of his escape.

While some dogs may run away occasionally, or they can get out through an open gate, there are some dog owners that are concerned about having an expensive breed with a high pedigree getting stolen. In this type of case, having a GPS tracker can be very beneficial so you can find out your dog’s exact location by just checking on your smartphone.

GPS dog trackers also have additional benefits for specific lifestyles or activities. If you own a large piece of land, a GPS tracker can help you locate your dog on the property and find him easily in case something happens. A GPS tracker is also helpful if you take your dog on a hike with you or even on hunting trips. That way you can just check your phone to see where your dog is at all times giving you peace of mind that you will be quickly alerted to any important situations.

This type of tracker is also great for a family that has a dog that bolts through fences whenever he can or is just very energetic. Some dogs are just so fast you can’t catch them once they start running, which means without a GPS tracker, it could take hours to locate them. But, when you use a GPS tracker, you will always know exactly where your pup is, which will make it a lot easier to locate him. When you have an escape artist, it is very important that you are alerted quickly when they have escaped so you can track them down as fast as possible.  

Can you GPS chip your dog? 

Yes, you can microchip your dog, but they won’t have the same features as a GPS tracker. While you won’t be able to get your dog’s exact location, you will be able to find him faster since the chip will contain your information for the person that finds him. The chip won’t be able to give you real-time tracking, but it is still considered a good investment for its ability to reunite you with your pup. 

Are pet GPS trackers safe?

Yes, a GPS tracker is safe for your dog to wear. The collar or collar attachment simply connects with a cellular network, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi to provide you with your dog’s exact location. Just make sure that the collar or the attachment doesn’t have anything on it that will irritate your dog’s skin or rub too much.