9 Best Dog GPS Trackers in 2022 – Collars and Tags for Lost Pets – Good Housekeeping

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Why trust us?
Even the best pet parents need a little help keeping an eye on their pooches.
While there are many joys of being a pet owner, one of the biggest fears is your beloved dog zipping out an open door or getting spooked on a walk and running away down the street. While you could go driving through the neighborhood shouting out their name and hoping they respond, a handy pet GPS tracker could help eliminate the guesswork and let you track down your pup before they even get all the way around the block.

Most GPS trackers will require a monthly subscription in the app to accurately geolocate your dog, but a few like the Garmin TT 15 and the PetFon tracker don’t require any extra subscription fees. Whether you’re looking for something to do the bare bones work of locating your runaway pet or want a smart tracker that also measures your dog’s activity levels, health and more, there are a variety of great GPS trackers on the market for you to consider. We also spoke to Megan Conrad, MBBS, a veterinarian at Hello Ralphie and associate vet at WellHaven Pet Health to get a better understanding of how useful these devices can be when it comes to monitoring your dog’s health.

Experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute Lab tested over half a dozen GPS trackers and researched a dozen more based on their ease of use, accuracy, fit and extra features to find the best options for each family’s needs. Here are the best dog GPS trackers you can buy in 2022.

The Whistle GO Explore tracks your dog’s location, provides activity and health data and comes in a compact package that can easily attach to the collar of even small dogs. The GO Explore also features lost dog mode, which updates your pet’s location every 15 seconds, unlike most other GPS trackers which take a few minutes to geolocate, based on our testing. It’s small enough that it didn’t bother our tester dog at all when clipped onto their collar. And once it was clipped on, it wasn’t coming off. Our experts also liked its intuitive geofencing abilities that let you create multiple “safe zones” that will alert you when your pet leaves those areas.
Our experts loved how easy it was to set up the tracker and use the app. It offers some of the same amazing features of other luxury trackers, like in-app graphs of your dog’s activity levels, details about their positive and negative behaviors (like scratching and drinking water) and records of their sleep, but at a slightly more affordable price. The device uses a built-in accelerometer and has “advanced behavior algorithms” that help track what each specific movement means. The longer the tracker is on your pet, the better the data, since it uses their history and patterns to understand when they’re drinking or scratching.

One thing that truly sets the Whistle GO Explore apart from other trackers — aside from its incredibly prompt location updates — is its focus on your pet’s overall health, including the unlimited Televet access which lets you message veterinarians right through the app, the food portion calculator which helps you determine the right portions for your pet depending on their activity and size and the realistic fitness goals that help you track your pet’s activity.
• Size: 1.4 x 1.8 x. 0.7 inches
• Weight: Just under 1 ounce
• Brand-claimed battery life: Up to 20 days
• Subscription price: $8+/month
The Tractive waterproof GPS tracker has a rating of IPX7 (meaning it can be in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes without breaking), is easy to set up, attaches to your dog’s collar with little effort and has some pretty accurate location tracking. In our testing, we loved the live tracking feature which allows you to track your dog’s movement in real-time and shows exactly where they are each second, unlike most other GPS trackers which can take up to a few minutes to update.

While it lacks a few of the extra features of some other trackers, you can still monitor your pet’s location, sleep patterns and daily activity. Plus, it’s waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about your pup running in the rain or splashing in large puddles. Its compact size means even smaller dogs won’t be weighed down by its presence. At a price that won’t break the bank, it’s a nice entry-level option. One worry, however, is that the silicone collar attachment piece could be pulled off if your pet is running vigorously through trees and brush.
• Size: 2.83 x 1.14 x 0.63 inches
• Weight: 1.41 ounces
• Brand-claimed battery life: Up to seven days
• Subscription price: $9.95/month
The Jiobit tracker is the smallest GPS tracker that we’ve come across, which makes it perfect for a tiny dog. It’s easy to charge and sets up in just minutes. It can be attached via one of three different clips, making it ideal for attaching to a dog collar, a kid’s backpack, a keyring or even clothing depending on which clip you choose. Although we tested it as a pet tracker, the Jiobit can also be used to monitor the location of children, elderly family members and adults, making it incredibly versatile.

One thing unique to this tracker is that there are absolutely no buttons on it, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally forgetting to turn it on. You can easily monitor the tracker’s battery life in the app, and when your pet is in a trusted place — a radius you can set up around your home, work or wherever you are — the tracker goes into power-saving mode so it can stay active for longer. While testing, we noticed that it takes a few minutes for each update to come through, so rather than mapping the entire real-time path of your pet, the app connects each location dot from every update. Since there is no off button, once the tracker was removed from our tester dog the app sent endless push alerts that the GPS was disconnected until we turned it off, which could be helpful if it accidentally falls off, but not so much if you chose to take it off after walking your pet.
• Size: 1.45 x 1.97 x 0.47 inches
• Weight: 0.63 ounces
• Brand-claimed battery life: Up to 20 days
• Subscription price: $8.99+/month
The Fi collar tracks your pet’s location and measures the number of steps they take, the distance they walk and even the length of their nap time. In the morning, you can check on your pet’s sleep stats and see how many times they woke up in the night. The Fi tracker also comes on a sturdy, regular-sized collar so you don’t have to worry about finding a way to connect it to your pet’s existing collar.

Our experts loved how easy the app was to use when testing. You can even check your tracking history to see when they’ve left home, where they’ve walked and how long they were out. However, if you have a speedster that’s prone to breaking out, the Fi takes a few minutes to update your pet’s location, so you may not be notified they’ve left home until they’re already down the block. Some online reviewers mentioned issues with connecting the Fi to the base making it difficult to charge, or receiving incorrect location alerts that said their pet had escaped or was in a significantly different location. However, we didn’t experience any of these issues while testing and noticed accurate location updates, if a bit delayed.

• Size: Four available
• Weight: Four available
• Brand-claimed battery life: Up to three months
• Subscription price: $1.59+/week
Unlike the other options on this list, the Tile is not a GPS tracker, but a Bluetooth tracker. You’ve probably heard of using it for tracking your keys or phone, but it can also be used to track pets. Simply slip the small tracker onto your pet’s collar and forget about it — you don’t have to worry about changing the batteries or charging it.
Unlike GPS trackers, Bluetooth trackers have one major limitation: distance. The Tile Pro can track things up to 400 feet away from you, so once your pet leaves that radius, you won’t be able to track them. But in our testing, we loved that we could tap into the “Tile Network” — even if your phone isn’t in range of your Tile, other people in the Tile Network may be, and when you tap the “notify when found” button in the app, you’ll be able to receive a notification of your pet’s location if they run into the radius of other phones.
• Size: 2.32 x 1.32 x 0.3 inches
• Weight: 0.5 ounces
• Brand-claimed battery life: Up to one year
• Subscription price: Optional; $2.99+/month
Not only does the Halo 2 track your dog’s location at all times, but it lets you create electric fence borders wherever you go, so you can turn any open space into a pet-safe playground. Unlike regular invisible fences, the Halo doesn’t require any extra setup work aside from setting up your borders on your phone, and it trains your dog to stay inside the boundaries through warnings like sound, vibrations or static, rather than shocks.

While testing, we loved that the Halo updates your dog’s location every 15 seconds, which is faster than most GPS trackers. However, when it comes to using all of the other exciting Halo features, be ready for an extensive training period. This collar requires almost a month of pet and user training before you can truly reap the benefits. The Halo trains both you and your dog, helping you learn how to ensure that your commands are met with obedience. While Halo says you shouldn’t put the collar on your pet until you’ve completed at least the intro section of the training, without the training, the collar still functions as a highly accurate GPS tracker. Don’t use the electric fence capabilities without training, however. Your pooch likely won’t respond to the warnings and may simply leave the boundaries. Our testers also reported that the collar is a bit bulkier than the other options, making it less ideal for smaller dogs. Keep an eye on the battery since it only lasts about 13 hours at a time.
• Size: Customizable strap size
• Weight: 7.5 ounces
• Brand-claimed battery life: Up to 20 hours
• Subscription price: $4.49+/month
While at first glance, the Garmin TT 15 may seem like it has a hefty price tag, this is one of only two GPS trackers on this list that don’t require any additional monthly subscription fees. Rather than hooking up this tracker to your phone and downloading an app, the TT 15 is directly connected to a handheld tracking device. The upside of this is that you don’t have to worry about crowding your phone with additional apps, however, the downside is that if you forget your handheld device at home, the tracking collar won’t be too useful.

This heavy-duty collar is perfect for the dog who loves the great outdoors, and the handheld can track up to 20 dogs at the same time as far as nine miles. While this isn’t a tracker you’ll likely use on a day-to-day basis due to its bulky nature and antenna, it’s ideal for hiking or an outdoor day trip — especially if your family likes to go off the grid. Like many of the other trackers, you have the ability to create virtual boundaries that will trigger alerts if your dog crosses them and send out a warning to your pet via tones and vibrations. While the battery life won’t last you weeks on end, its estimated 20-4o hour lifespan is definitely long enough for daily activities. Grab the TT 15 mini if you’re looking to track a smaller dog.
• Size: 3.5 x 1.75 x 1.85 inches not including the strap or antenna
• Weight: 10 ounces
• Brand-claimed battery life: Up to 40 hours
• Subscription price: None
The FitBark dog tracker may be tiny, but it packs a punch and measures everything from your dog’s behavioral changes to their sleep patterns, as well as their location. It has a relatively long battery life — up to 20 days on a single charge — which means you can clip it to your dog’s collar and not worry about messing with it too often. Like a few of the other options on this list, the FitBark is a 24/7 tracker that works best if your dog wears it at all times since it monitors their sleep and health.

The FitBark measures things like skin conditions, calories burned and sleep quality. It’s lightweight, so smaller pets don’t have to worry about being weighed down, and has a waterproof rating of IPX7. While the FitBark has many great extra features, its main downside is the location lag. While it will keep you up to date on all of your pet’s health concerns, it takes a few minutes to catch up to their accurate location, and if you have a speedster, they may be far away by the time you get the alert.
• Size: 1.86 x 1.18 x 0.61 inches
• Weight: 0.6 ounces
• Brand-claimed battery life: Up to 20 days
• Subscription price: $5.95+/month
The PetFon tracker is one of only two picks on this list that don’t require any additional subscription costs, which means you may be paying a bit more upfront — but if you plan to use it for several years, it will be worth it. This tracker has a variety of cool attributes, like its voice command feature that lets you record your own voice as you say commands so your dog can hear it if they cross the customizable geofence border and leave their safe zone.

One of PetFon’s best features is its Radar function, which helps you find your missing dog when your GPS signal goes down — great for those who may be bringing their dogs on hikes with them or regularly enter areas with spotty service. The small controller device that comes with the tracker beeps while you search for your pet, which is incredibly helpful if you aren’t able to see their location on the app due to a lack of service. Kind of like a game of hot and cold, the faster it beeps, the closer you are to finding your missing dog.
• Size: 1.65 x 1.65 x 0.71 inches
• Weight: 0.97 ounces
• Brand-claimed battery life: Up to 17 hours
• Subscription price: None
Our team at the Good Housekeeping Institute reviews pet gear of all kinds from dog beds to dog harnesses. We’ve read hundreds of reviews to discover which GPS trackers were worth considering, then tested over half a dozen of them on our expert’s two pups: a Weimaraner and a greyhound/lab mix. We even tested a few on other Good Housekeeping pooches. We based our recommendations on extensive research of the market, assessing brands and materials, reviewing styles in real life and considering the following factors:
✔️Fit: We make sure that each pick comfortably fits on our tester dogs and is easy to slip around their necks. We try these styles on active dogs to see if they’ll fall off in transit, irritate their necks or otherwise cause any discomfort.
✔️Accuracy: The most important thing about a GPS tracker is how accurately it reports your pet’s location, so we look for trackers that correctly report where your pet is in a timely manner. To test, we took our pups out to the park and played a game of hide and seek where one person used the app to find where the dog and owner were walking.
✔️Ease of use: Most GPS pet trackers require you to download an app to get real-time updates on where your dog is at all times. Setting up some trackers can require quite a few steps and some tech-savvy knowledge, so we looked for apps that were easy to navigate and trackers that were simple to set up.
✔️Extra features: While having a plain GPS tracker will do the job, some brands offer additional features like measuring your dog’s step count, sleep patterns and distance walked. Others have “lost dog” features that cause the device to emit a loud alarm or turn on a bright light to help you find your missing pet. We tested a variety of lost dog features, alarms and lights to see if they were visible and loud enough to hear if searching for your pet. We also took our dogs on the same length path a few times a day with different trackers to see how accurate their step count and distance walked were.
In order to find your missing pet, GPS trackers connect to a variety of satellites to determine the exact location of your furry family member. Most trackers also use a combination of WiFi and Bluetooth to help share your pet’s data with the app linked up to your phone. The app is always tracking your pet’s location, and since GPS trackers use satellites, if you go into a spot with no cell service or WiFi, the tracker should still work and update. Any delay you see in your app is due to your phone not receiving the information in a timely manner rather than the location not accurately updating.

Unfortunately, “in general, the more expensive the device the more accurate it tends to be,” veterinarian Megan Conrad explains, so if you want to keep track of your dog down to the centimeter, you’ll have to be shelling out the big bucks. “All GPS trackers rely on communication to GPS satellites so the strength of the signal can vary depending on the model. Some more advanced models can communicate with international GPS satellites making them more accurate, while others may only be able to communicate within a certain area,” says Conrad.

“[While] these devices can be useful, they shouldn’t be solely relied on when it comes to monitoring your dog’s activities, health and eating habits,” Conrad explains. “Having a tracking device can sometimes be handy for additional information to discuss with your vet, but shouldn’t be your single source of information.” Overall, the most important thing for your dog’s health is to take them to an annual checkup with the vet, she says.

For most pet parents, you’ll likely spend enough time around your furry family members that you’ll be able to tell if something is different without checking an app. But, “monitoring these activities can confirm an owner’s suspicion that something is different,” she says. And for pets with chronic conditions like diabetes or behavioral issues that may need to be closely monitored, “tracking their day to day patterns may be useful.” And if you’re the parent of a healthy dog, it can still be fun to know how far your dog runs while off-leash in your backyard, or to track how many calories they’ve burned so you know whether or not to up their food intake. Trackers can also provide helpful information about your dog’s activity while you’re away from home, “potentially helping address concerns about behavior, for example, if the dog tends to pace while the owner is away,” says Conrad.

When browsing through the many GPS tracking systems that are available, here are a few things to keep in mind to help you make the best pick:
✔️Size: The size of your dog will play a large role in the size of the tracker you choose. Some of the more luxury trackers that include additional features on health and activity levels can be too heavy for small breeds.
✔️Function and accuracy: If you’ve got an active pup that’s prone to running all over town, choose a tracker that updates every few seconds so you can be sure to catch them as quickly as possible. If your dog simply strolls down the street at a relaxed pace, you probably don’t need such frequent updates. Likewise, some trackers have long battery lives that are great for dogs that seem to always slip away at the least expected moments, while others are better for attaching to their collar right before you go on a walk.
✔️Extra features: Aside from geolocating your pet, many of these GPS trackers include a variety of additional features that help you keep track of your furry friend’s health and activity levels. If you’re looking for something that does more than just alert you when your dog makes a break for it, consider a model that also includes some more data collection.
For decades, the Good Housekeeping Institute has been providing expert reviews and advice on everything a pet parent needs, including dog GPS trackers. In her role as Parenting & Pets Reviews Analyst, Jamie Spain brings years of journalism experience to the Institute, having reviewed products for Good Housekeeping, as well as BuzzFeed, while also previously working in the parenting and pets sphere at People.

source