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No matter how well you train your dog or how close of an eye you keep on them, things happen—and you can still get separated. Every year, more than 10 million pets go missing, according to the American Humane Association. It’s a pet parent’s worst nightmare, and one I’ve worried about on runs with my dog, Kona. What if she slipped out of her harness or I dropped her leash? What if she got distracted by trailside wildlife and I was unable to call her back in time? She’s much faster than I am—and I could never keep up with her long enough to catch her.
If those worries sound familiar, you might be just as curious about GPS collars as I was. Designed to track your pup’s location, these smart collars can provide peace of mind by helping you reunite with your running partner in the event that she gets lost. Some collars are also equipped to monitor your dog’s health, fitness, and activity.
There are many GPS collars on the market these days, but they vary widely in terms of features, accuracy, and price point. So, I did a deep dive into the available options, testing models, scouring specs sheets, and gathering notes from real-world users who regularly run with their dogs. Whether you’re wanting some reassurance on your adventures together or are worried about your little Houdini escaping when you leave them behind at home, you can rely on this guide to help you make the right choice.
RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Running with Your Dog
What Are GPS Dog Collars?
If you want to do the bare minimum to keep your dog identifiable, go with the basics: a phone number engraved on a collar or tag, and a microchip embedded under your pup’s skin. But there’s one drawback to this kind of ID: If your dog goes missing, you just have to sit and wait, hoping that some kind stranger will the time to lure your dog, ID them, and them back to you. And that’s far from guaranteed. Enter GPS dog collars, wearable tech designed to help you track your dog’s location in real time.
GPS collars use satellites to triangulate your dog’s exact whereabouts, then beam the coordinates to your smartphone via Bluetooth, WiFi, and/or cellular coverage. Most options available today also come with activity and health tracking so you can monitor their step count, burned calories, heart rate, temperature, and allergy symptoms. In addition to an upfront fee for the hardware, most GPS collars also require you to pay a monthly or annual service plan.
Designed to either replace your dog’s regular collar or to clip onto it, canine tracking devices are designed to withstand spontaneous swims, heavy rain, and any other scenarios your adventure dog might encounter. A few options also integrate training features and enable “geofencing,” a system that uses vibrations or audible tones to train your dog to obey invisible fence boundaries that you create in the brands’ compatible apps.
How to Choose the Best GPS Dog Collar for You
We analyzed six of the most popular GPS collars on the market. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of each one.
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Fi Series 3
The Fi Series 3 collar is a GPS-, health-, and behavior-tracking device. It’s designed for 24/7 wear for extra-small to extra-large dogs—and you can swap the webbing strap for a bigger size as your puppy grows. With a monthly or annual membership, the app allows you to set up safe zones—like your backyard or a favorite nearby park—and alerts you when your dog leaves the boundary (as long as you have LTE coverage). You can even organize a search party in the app if your pup ever goes missing. Not only does it track sleeping patterns and activity levels, but you can share comprehensive health reports with your vet and add multiple owners or dog walkers to your pup’s profile. A built-in, multi-color light on the stainless steel frame keeps them visible at night. These collars also promise top-notch durability; in fact, they’re used by the Tahoe Wolf Center to follow their pack of wolves—a pretty good test case. Downsides: One user says she can’t track her husky in the backcountry out of LTE range, so she keeps him on a long lead.
Whistle Switch Smart Collar
Whistle offers a few different products. The Switch Smart Collar offers 24/7 location updates, escape alerts, and activity and health tracking. You can set up boundaries for safe locations and track your dog’s activity and step goals. If you’re looking for a more affordable option, consider Whistle’s Go Explore 2.0 ($129), a GPS smart tracker that clips to your dog’s collar. The Go Explore 2.0 has a 15-day battery life, in addition to offering the rest of the features you’ll find on the Switch. One ding: Both collars rely on AT&T 4G LTE-M to work. Both devices also require a monthly or annual subscription.
Halo Collar 3
$569 on Amazon
Designed in collaboration with dog whisperer Cesar Millan, the Halo Collar 3 is both a tracker and a wireless dog fence designed to let your dog roam free without compromising your peace of mind. In the app, you can set up as many fences as you want—and edit them later—for areas as small as 900 square feet or as large as 1,200 square acres. When your dog approaches the fence, correction methods range from tap-on-the-shoulder electric static to vibration to sound, depending on what your dog responds to best. You’re immediately alerted when they escape, and you can call them back with the collar’s built-in whistle—but you need WiFi and/or cell coverage to get real-time updates. Unlike SpotOn, Halo also works indoors to prevent dogs from getting into places they shouldn’t be. If you’re planning on leaving a cellular coverage area, you can preload Halo Fences before you leave so you don’t need WiFi or service to keep your dog contained. The preloaded fences will buzz the dog when she leaves the designated zone, but without cell service, you won’t be able to track them or get alerts about her location. One other downside: Users say you must charge the collar every day for it to remain useful. Plus, it’s pricey.
SpotOn GPS Fence
The SpotOn GPS Fence is our top-choice GPS collar for folks who want their dog to safely run with them off leash in a big area. Just like Halo, users can create an unlimited number of fences for home, a favorite campgrounds, the beach, trails, and elsewhere. When your dog gets within 10 feet and 5 feet of the invisible fence, they receive warnings; when they breach it, the collar discharges either a static correction or vibration—and sends you a notification. A whistle helps you call them back, and a light provides visibility for night runs. The collar also provides precise GPS tracking, so you always know where your dog is. With every device, you get a free consultation to set it up, and in the app, SpotOn coaches you through a two-week program—15 minutes, twice a day—training to help you and your dog understand the new technology. A subscription is optional, but you’ll want it to see your dog’s location and access tracking features. One tester complained that this collar’s large size was distracting to her dog, who stopped every few minutes while training to crane her neck and look at it. Dogs can get used to the collar, but it takes time. Another con: This was the most expensive collar in our test.
Tractive GPS Tracker
A partner of the Humane Society of the United States, Tractive’s GPS Tracker provides worldwide coverage and unlimited range. You can choose from either a basic plan, which includes GPS tracking and activity monitoring, or a premium plan, which includes family sharing, a 365-day location report, and access to a GPS data expert. The fiberglass-enforced case attaches to the collar and weighs only 1.2 ounces, and is available for dogs as small as 9 pounds. In the app, the collar produces an activity and sleep report, with alerts like, “Joey is less active than usual. You should talk to your vet.” One complaint: charging is a little finicky. “It has to fit exactly on the charger to charge, and it often fell off if it wasn’t positioned properly,” said one tester.
Why You Shouldn’t Use an Apple Air Tag to Track Your Dog
Designed to keep track of belongings like luggage and keys, some dog owners also use Apple AirTags (or similar smart tags) on their pets—although neither Apple nor veterinarians recommend it. Even though it’s easy to set up and the most affordable option at $29, it’s also the most unreliable. If your pet wanders out of your smartphone’s Bluetooth range, which is around 30 feet, you won’t be able to locate them. When one user’s cat escaped overnight, he was able to locate her mewing on a neighbor’s porch, but only because he spotted her. Even though the Air Tag was close enough to signal, the tone was not loud enough for him to hear while searching. Companies like Samsung, Tile, and Jiobit also make smart tags, but they come with the same precautions.
Important Things to Keep in Mind
A GPS dog collar is not 100 percent foolproof. To get the most out of these devices, they should be used as a complement to building trust and training your pup to understand boundaries. It’s also important to note that not all pets respond well to a connected collar, either because they don’t like the noise, are bothered by the device, or are difficult to train. In that case, watching them closely, getting them microchipped, training them to understand verbal commands, and keeping them leashed when necessary is still your best bet.