What Are Dog GPS Trackers and How Do They Work?

Keeping track of our furry friends can sometimes be more difficult than we expect. Whether they've found an out of the way hiding place to snooze, or they got off their leash and chased a squirrel into the woods, tracking down a dog is always a concern.

Fortunately, with modern technology, we have an option to help. GPS trackers are a great way to ensure that even the most adventurous pooch can be tracked down before something happens to them and brought home safely. They aren't quite as simple as they seem, though, so let's talk about them.

What are Dog GPS Trackers?

Some people, especially people who haven't had pets before, might think that the microchip implanted in our furry friends is a form of tracking. As we know, though, it isn't. A microchip is just a chip with an ID number on it; the ID can be looked up in a database, and that database stores information like your name and phone number. There's no way to track down where a pet is from their chip, but if a pet is found, their chip can be scanned, and your information can be used to find you.

Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/16176711@N02/53766536280

GPS trackers are different. A GPS tracker is a much larger device, usually attached to a collar. It can connect to a communications network (more on those later), and you can look up where the tracker currently is. That way, if your pooch gets out and goes on the run, you can load up an app and track them down.

There are several different kinds of GPS trackers, and they have some distinct pros and cons, so let's talk about them all.

What Are the Different Kinds of Dog GPS Tracker?

GPS trackers for dogs generally fall into one of three categories.

These include:

• Satellite Trackers
• Cellular Trackers
• Bluetooth Trackers

They function in different ways, so it's important to know which kind works best for your area.

Satellite GPS Trackers Explained

GPS is a fantastic technology, and it's one of the foundational pieces of technology that have been developed to power our entire society. These days, we often take it for granted that there's a planet-wide network of satellites that can pinpoint exactly where we are down to a few feet of accuracy.

Usually, sat-based trackers are very accurate and as close to real-time as possible. The downside is that they're generally larger and heavier and require a battery that has to be charged regularly. Because of this, they might not be suitable for smaller breeds and smaller dogs, and many people take them off when at home or to charge – which means if your dog escapes at that time, they aren't wearing the collar and can't be tracked.

Some modern satellite/GPS trackers are hybrids that roll in many of the same features as cellular trackers, which gives them even more precision. Many of them are also smaller because they're able to rely more on apps than on their own powered transceivers. In general, pure satellite trackers are most useful in areas where cell service is limited or unavailable, such as deep in the backcountry or wilderness.

Cellular GPS Trackers Explained

Cellular trackers are a lot like your cell phone, except without the ability to run apps, make phone calls, or really do anything your phone needs to do except connect to the cell service towers in your area. They use the same sort of SIM card as a phone and can connect to GPS satellite networks and cell phone towers to triangulate exactly where the chip (and, by extension, your dog) is.

If you've ever wondered how something like a Google Maps app on your phone knows where you are, it's the same as these kinds of trackers. Usually, you're always going to be within range of 3+ cell towers because we've constructed them all over the world to make cell phones useful anywhere. By measuring the amount of time it takes a signal to reach any given tower, a fairly exact location can be calculated.

Cell trackers are usually smaller and a little more passive than satellite trackers, but the biggest downside is that if you're in an area where cell service doesn't exist, these trackers won't exist either.

Bluetooth GPS Trackers Explained

Bluetooth and similar short-range trackers are a little different. These are a lot more like Tile trackers or Apple AirTags; they don't connect to an external network but rather to nearby cell phone devices. Apple relies on the number of people around the world who have iPhones to track AirTags, for example.

The downside here is that if there are no devices within range – and the range is very short – there can be no tracking. They also don't update very quickly, so if you get a location ping, it might be anywhere from five minutes to an hour old.

Since they're cheap, small, and don't require constant recharging, many people opt for these kinds of trackers, but they just aren't all that great. I wrote about them in detail here if you want to read a deeper analysis. For the most part, they aren't really even GPS, so I won't mention them for the rest of this post.

Other Kinds of Dog Trackers

There are a couple of other kinds of dog trackers you might see on the market.

One kind is a radio tracker. These are most commonly used for specific purposes, often hunting, where you're expected to be out in the wilderness and away from cell service. The collar component will have a full, powered radio transceiver, which broadcasts the location of the transceiver (and your dog) in a way that can be picked up by a radio you carry with you. You can use it to track and follow your dog through the wilderness. Since they're larger, heavier, and single-purpose, they aren't generally used for casual tracking purposes and are more for working dogs.

Another kind I have already mentioned is the hybrid tracker. These connect both to GPS signals and cell signals and use both kinds of information to provide more accurate, faster tracking. They're generally the best but can be more expensive than other kinds of trackers because they're the most recent iteration of the technology.

What Are the Benefits of Dog GPS Trackers?

The benefits of dog GPS tracking are obvious, really. You know where your dog is if they run off and escape! That's really all there is to it.

Instead of needing to run down the streets calling their name, leaving a shirt out on the porch, putting up flyers, and other tactics, all you need to do is load up an app, and you'll be able to track them down.

What Are the Drawbacks of Dog GPS Trackers?

With that much of a benefit, are there drawbacks to dog GPS trackers? Unfortunately, yes; otherwise, everyone would buy one as a matter of course, and we'd all have them.

First, they can be somewhat expensive. Some dog trackers are in the $20 to $50 range, but you can, if you want a very advanced and accurate device with advanced features, spend almost $1,000 on one. Full tracking systems from a big name like Garmin can be even more, though those are again meant for true professional use.

At the same time, many dog GPS trackers also require a subscription fee, just like you're paying for cell service on a phone. While a monthly fee might not be very high, it's still an ongoing cost, and if you feel like your pooch is never going to run off on you, you might be tempted not to keep it up, putting you in a vulnerable position.

Many GPS trackers, as I mentioned above, can be bulky or heavy. While they're still small and light enough that they won't cause a problem for a mid-sized breed, the smaller your dog is, the harder it is to manage. For the smallest breeds, you might even need a whole harness to carry it instead of putting it on a collar.

The cheaper a GPS tracker is, the more likely it will be to have a critical flaw as well. Most often, this means a shorter battery life, but it also might mean a lower range or less active response. Still, it's always better than nothing.

Is a Dog GPS Tracker Worthwhile?

This is a question only you can answer.

If your dog is well-trained in recall and even the most attractive distraction is easy to ignore when you call for them, then you usually won't need a GPS tracker. Similarly, if your pup doesn't seem tempted to run out and away and is content to hang around with you, there's no real need to worry about them.

On the other hand, if your dog likes to roam or if they've gotten lost before, a GPS collar can give you a ton of comfort and peace of mind. The expense is nothing compared to the emotional peace, right?

Dog GPS Tracker Frequently Asked Questions

Let's go over some of the frequently asked questions I get about dog GPS tracking.

Which kind of GPS tracker is the best?

The besttracker and the best tracker for youare probably different. The best trackers have multiple modes of tracking, come with handheld devices, don't rely on an app, and have real-time tracking. They're also very expensive, large, bulky, and meant for professional hunting, rescue, search, and other dogs. Most of us have no need for them.

The best trackers for typical home use are going to be hybrid trackers that can access cell networks and GPS signals. They don't need to be huge and elaborate or have multi-day battery life because you're likely only using them for an hour or three at a time when you take your dog out for a walk or go on a short trip.

Are Bluetooth trackers a viable option?

Almost always, probably not. Bluetooth trackers are good for wallets and other items that are likely to be lost in well-populated areas and, more importantly, aren't moving. Your dog might not be lost where people are around, and the delay on pinging home can mean it's frustratingly inaccurate to try to use them. If your pooch is skittish and flees from people, especially strangers, that makes it even less likely that these short-range devices are going to do you any good.

If you live in a rather densely packed area and can reasonably expect the right kind of phone to be within ten yards of your dog at all times, then sure, these can work. Otherwise, probably not.

What should you look for in a dog GPS tracker?

A lot depends on your needs, but consider these factors:

• Cost. The up-front cost and the over-time operating costs are both important.
• Size and weight. The larger and bulkier a tracker is, the more annoying it will be for your dog, and the more they might try to pull it off.
• Shape and form factor. A lot of modern dog GPS trackers are meant to sit flush with a collar and have a minimum amount of dangling or obstruction. This is primarily because dogs like to chew on things, and if they can reach and chew on a dangly tracker, they can destroy it. It can also get caught on the environment if your dog is lost.
• Reliability. I haven't done the work, so I can't tell you which brands are more reliable, but you'll probably want to read reviews and even something like a Consumer Reports testing report for the tracker you're considering before you invest.
• Accuracy. Some GPS trackers can track with more reliable accuracy or more real-time speed than others. You want one with low enough latency and high enough accuracy that you can use it to track down your pooch.

As long as you keep all of this in mind, you should be able to pick a GPS tracker that suits your needs.

If you have any other questions that I may have missed in this article, be sure to let me know in the comments section! I'd be more than happy to help you out however I can!