GPS for dogs: which is the best of 2021?

Dogs are very good companions and very curious. Their day-to-day routines can lead them to lose themselves. But technologies are of great help to many aspects of our lives today. And there is the GPS for dogs, created especially to never lose sight of your most beloved pet and thus avoid being in danger.

There are a wide variety of GPS devices on the market, with different characteristics. Especially when we talk about connectivity and ways of use. In this guide we seek to help you learn first-hand why your dog needs a device that allows him to be located and how to use it efficiently.

The most important

• GPS for dogs help us not lose sight of them. In case they are lost, or even if someone steals our pet to sell it, we will know where to find it.
• Most of the latest generation GPS on the market are now connected to smartphones. In addition to knowing where our dog is, they allow you to activate other very useful functions on your locating device.
• When buying a GPS, you have to look at the battery that is used, the weight of the device, since it must be hung on the dog’s neck, and its connectivity with the devices that you have available to handle this geolocator. We will see it in depth in the purchase criteria section.

The best GPS for dogs on the market: our recommendations

In the following lines you can find a classification with the five most popular GPS tracking devices for dogs on the market. In addition, each product comes with a detailed summary of its characteristics. In this way, we want to help you make an appropriate decision about which product is best for you. Do not miss it!

• The best waterproof GPS for dogs
• The most versatile and functional GPS for dogs
• The most sophisticated GPS for dogs
• The most complete GPS for dogs
• The smallest GPS for dogs

The best waterproof GPS for dogs

This GPS works with a service plan that costs a minimum of 3.75 euros per month. The price depends on the services that are contracted. It has an integrated SIM card and requires a service plan to cover connectivity. It works in 150 countries. The battery lasts from 2 to 5 days. You can enable live tracking or view a full history of locations.

The application (app) that accompanies the device is available for Android and iOS and for any computer, operating system and browser that you may have on your PC. It weighs less than 35 grams and is recommended for animals over 4.5 kilos. You can set a specific radius and if the pet leaves it, the app will notify you over the phone.

The most versatile and functional GPS for dogs

This product offers real-time positioning and display of location information automatically up to 5 meters away. It is compatible with Android, IOS, Web and WAP. The device comes with a microphone, so the sound around the GPS can be heard. If your pet is in danger, you can use the ‘SOS’ button. Is free.

The terminal weighs 50 grams. Use a SIM card to offer the location to the phone. The plan is chosen with the mobile operator. They serve cards with 2G, 3G and 4G connectivity. Every time you want to find the tracker, you just have to call the SIM phone number or send a text message. And you get a message with a link from Google Maps.

The most sophisticated GPS for dogs

This device allows locating the position of an animal anywhere through a geolocation system. Unlike other Bluetooth devices , this Kippy GPS works in Europe, Turkey, India and South Africa. Besides the location, this tracker can monitor the daily activity of an animal and tell the calories it consumes.

You need an app on the phone and the activation of a monthly or annual service that covers the connectivity costs. The service options are not included in this tracker and need to be purchased separately, through the Kippy website or the application. The battery usually lasts no more than two days. If mobile coverage fails, so will service.

The most complete GPS for dogs

This GPS stands out because it can be purchased to track between one and four animals. The price varies slightly, depending on the choice. It works by radio and is capable of locating an animal up to 500 meters away. It uses AAA rechargeable batteries to work. And both the batteries and the charger are included. It has a guarantee that lasts two years.

It comes with a silicone case to protect the device from water. And it is very light so it is not annoying for pets of little weight and size. A beep can be activated so that when the animal walks away, it makes a sound and the animal returns because it does not like that sound. There are people who accompany that return with a treat to train their pet.

The smallest GPS for dogs

This GPS locator includes 5 MB of data that can cover 1 or 2 months and that can be recharged in the future. It is valid for the entire European Union, the United States and Russia. It is resistant to water splashes, weighs only 46 grams and is very small. The GPS device can be configured on several smartphones at the same time, through an application.

The purchase includes the GPS, a USB charging cable and a neoprene velcro sleeve. It weighs 46 grams and its battery is 850 mAh (milliamp-hour), with autonomy of up to 30 days, depending on use and configuration. Control is through an app . They spend about 5 MB per month. A 5MB recharge costs about 5 euros. It works even 800 kilometers away.

Shopping Guide: What You Should Know About a Dog GPS

A dog encounters situations throughout the day that can lead him to get lost. Or someone could steal your pet. For this reason, GPS for dogs have become very fashionable today. Pets are a very important part of our lives. And we don’t want to lose them for the world. Next, we are going to know these pet products and their usefulness.

What is a dog GPS and how should I use it?

A GPS for dogs is a tracking device that allows you to track location and thus know where that object is located. Normally, the information from the GPS device is communicated to a smartphone.

It is very common in the current ones that you have to download an application on the phone from where the tracking is done. Thus, you can give your dog more freedom, since you will know where it is and you can be sure that it does not stray from the area where it should be.

Where is the dog GPS placed?

The normal thing is to place the GPS in an external garment that your pet wears. Therefore, you can hook it well to your collar or harness. There are also necklaces that come with the terminal already integrated, inside, which makes it not visible. Obviously, it must be as comfortable as possible for the dog and that it does not harm or be annoying.

How can I start using a dog GPS?

The first thing to do is configure the device according to the instructions. It is common today that the GPS is connected to a smartphone. Then you have to be careful that it is well loaded. After this, you must place the object on its collar in a consistent way so that your pet’s jumps do not lead to that GPS being unhooked.

What should I keep in mind to know how I can use the GPS for my dog ​​with my devices?
It can happen, as with any technological object, that there are functions that may fail us due to some kind of lack of compatibility with other devices. So when buying a GPS terminal you must see with which mobiles or other equipment it is compatible. They all specify what operating systems and browsers they work with, whether they connect to a phone or a computer.

What functions can a dog GPS offer in addition to providing location?

In addition to giving you an idea of ​​where your dog is when you want to know it, there are GPS with complementary functions. This also usually influences the final price of the product. And in the simplicity or difficulty that its final use entails. Here we summarize the extra functions that can be found and a detailed explanation about their usefulness:

• Limit the perimeter away from your dog. You can indicate a specific perimeter. And the application will notify you when your pet moves away from that distance. Or it may even happen that the GPS beeps and if you train your dog, he will know that he is doing something wrong and will come back on his own foot.
• Educate your dog. You probably don’t like when he gets too far away from you. There are devices that activate a slightly annoying beep when your pet moves farther away than the one you have previously configured. Thus, he will return because he will know that something is wrong. On his return you can give him a prize.
• Control your pet’s physical activity. There are GPS that allow you to count the calories your dog burns throughout the day. And thus have more control over your health.
• Monitor the dog’s health status. Follow up on health issues such as heartbeat.
• To illuminate. Some GPS have a flashlight that can be very useful to make your dog visible at night. Easier to find if it’s lost.

If someone steals my dog, can they take away the GPS so that it remains unlocated?
It could happen that if someone steals a dog with the aim of selling it and making money from it, if they see a GPS, they take it away. But there are necklaces created with the GPS already integrated inside. This will make it almost impossible for the thief on duty to think that your beloved pet has a geolocator built into something as basic in a dog as a collar.

Besides using a GPS, how can I train a sheepdog to do its job?

Shepherd dogs are one of the great users of GPS devices, since they usually travel long distances and with livestock on their backs. Always protecting other animals from the possible arrival of predators such as wolves. Before leaving a flock in the hands of a sheepdog, even if it instinctively has an idea of ​​what to do, you must educate it.

Remember that dogs learn more with rewards than with punishment. And shepherds are very intelligent by nature, but also tremendously restless. You can hire an educator. Or do it yourself, adapting it to the herd since childhood and giving it prizes when it performs its functions. It takes patience and perseverance, but it’s worth it.

Purchase criteria

When choosing a GPS for our dog we must look at our needs, those of our pet and the technical aspects that surround this product. A location device has several aspects that must be taken into account so that it works according to the terminals that we already have at home. These are the most useful criteria to observe:

• Waterproof
• Connectivity
• Scope
• Features
• Load
• Compatibility with your phone

Water resistance

A GPS can be resistant to water and rain. Or it can come with accessories that make it do this, such as a neoprene cover. It is important to take into account the climate of the region in which you live, to analyze if your pet has a tendency to play in the water or actually avoids it. After looking at these aspects, choose if you need something waterproof or not.

Connectivity

Connectivity is a basic and fundamental aspect in a GPS, but not all work the same. In the following list, we offer you three different modalities and that you should take into account when acquiring these important devices to have our pets located. Pay attention.

• GSM chip: They work with a data SIM card, subject to the telephone signal of a mobile phone and the download of an app (Android or IOS). You must contract a monthly data plan with a telephone operating company for it to work. If mobile coverage fails, so will service.
• Radio: It works with the waves that allow us to capture the radio. It does not require a data plan, but it is simple and limited to a not very wide location radius. It’s easy to have radio signal connectivity anywhere.
• Bluetooth: It is simple that it adapts to any phone you have, even if it is old, but the location is short-term. You do not need a monthly payment to a company to fulfill its tracking function.

Features

As we already mentioned, in addition to offering geolocation, a GPS terminal can offer more functions. We must look at their abilities to choose. And it may be that we are interested in matters of our dog beyond where to find it. By always going with the animal, a GPS could also tell us the number of calories our pet consumes per day.

Another option that a geolocation device can integrate for our dog is to give us the possibility that the animal does not go further than what is convenient for it. For this, some of these products offer a limitation of the perimeters. You might also want it to be visible in the dark. Some integrate this function. Others do not.

Load

As with any electronic device, it will need external help to function. Either with electricity or with the use of batteries. Without them, it will be off or will not be able to perform any of its functions. Here we explain the functions of the two most common charging methods:

• Integrated battery: The integrated battery is recharged. You always have to have that charger specifically on hand. You always know when the charge is running low and you have to recharge. It is more environmentally friendly, since the same battery is always used and is not thrown away.
• External batteries: In case you forget to charge the battery, you have the option of buying new batteries anywhere. It is more difficult to know when to change the batteries and it is more harmful to the environment if you use disposable batteries.

Compatibility with your phone

As we have already mentioned, most of the latest generation GPS can be operated from a smartphone and from a computer. Therefore, when you choose a device you should look at which carriers it is compatible with. Some can be handled from any terminal. Others only from a few. Look at your phone’s compatibility and software .

Summary

Losing our dog can be a great nightmare. But technologies have come into the world to make our lives easier. The connected world leads us to always be in contact with friends and family. And it can also help us to always know where our favorite pet is, thanks to the GPS locator, which can indicate its coordinates.

Despite being a fairly new market, there are already many options to choose from, with different functions and utilities. They are not usually low-priced devices, since they offer very new technologies. But it is very useful. Especially if you have a dog that spends a lot of time away from you. There are many criteria to decide your purchase, as you have seen.