When I was a kid, my grandma had a beautiful Siberian husky named Shoe. She had fluffy tan fur, gorgeous blue eyes, and a long wild streak. She was a certified escape artist and managed to get out from the 6ft tall privacy fence with a latched gate several times. The search party (AKA my dad and I) would go looking for her and my grandma would call the local shelters. Shoe could be gone for several days or just a few hours. Somehow, she would find found her way home, just a little worse for wear. But then there was the time she ran away during a hike and came back with a mouth full of porcupine quills.
Apparently, I didn’t learn my lesson because as an adult we adopted another Husky (Husky mix!) named Denver.
Denver is also a bit of an escape artist and has gotten away from us a few times.
There was the time he snuck out of the gate and was almost hit by a car. I only caught him because he stopped to sniff a tree.
Then there was the time a strong wind blew open the gate of our new house a week after we moved in. I was wandering around the neighborhood at 5:30 in the morning looking for him. After this incident we taught him to “recall” with an ecollar.
Clearly, if you own a Husky a GPS collar isn’t a bad idea. Here are some options for your escape artist.
Contents
Tractive GPS Tracker for Dogs
Pros:
- Cost-effective
- Live tracking and movement history
- Waterproof and lightweight
- Tracks in USA, Canada, and 150 other countries
- Outline an “invisible fence” and get phone alerts if your dog ventures outside of the fence area
- 24/7 monitoring
Cons:
- Requires paid subscription plan- BUT it’s only $4.99/ month
- Collar attachment can be flimsy, so it could fall off your dog
- Battery life is not great
FitBark GPS Dog Tracker
Pros:
- Tracks dog’s health stats including activity levels, sleep, calories, etc and can even be used to help set goals like weight loss for your dog
- Waterproof and lightweight
- Easy set up
- Will integrate with your fitness trackers so you AND your dog can get fit
Cons:
- Requires paid subscription plan
- Tracking in US only
- If you’re in an area that does not have good Verizon coverage, it doesn’t work.
- Slow to update location so if your dog is a roamer, this is a problem
Garmin Astro 9000 Sport Dog GPS Tracker – The Best of the Garmin Dog Collars
Pros
- For serious sporting activities like hunting or birding- but will work wonderfully for simple activities as well
- Hand held device can track up to 20 dogs simultaneously (includes one dog collar)
- 2.5 second updates for almost immediate tracking
- High-sensitivity GPS and GLONASS satellite reception has the ability to track in more challenging environments than GPS alone
- Includes 1 year subscription to Garmin’s BirdsEye satellite imagery software
- Tracking range of up to 5 miles
- Collects other metrics such as your dog’s average speed
- Easy and intuitive user interface
Cons
- This is on the more expensive side of a dog GPS tracker, but, you get what you pay for
Verdict
There you have it! These are three of the best dog GPS trackers available for 2022.
If you’re looking for a simple tracker that can help you find your dog if they sneak out the Tractive dog GPS trackers are probably the best option for you.
Maybe you’re a little more active and want the GPS tracking but also fitness tracking so you and your dog can get in shape? Then the FitBark is the right option for you.
Finally, for a very active dog that spends a lot of time outside hiking or hunting, we recommend the Garmin Astro 9000 dog GPS trackers.
Let us know in the comments what you think!
