Have you ever wondered, is there is a GPS implant for dogs? Aka, a GPS tracker that can be implanted under the skin – so it can prevent your dog from getting lost, like a microchip? It does sound pretty ideal – a tool that can both identify AND track down your missing dog, all in one device.

But to answer your question in a nutshell: no, a GPS implant for dogs doesn’t exist yet. And it wouldn’t actually be the best idea for animals in the first place. Here’s why.

Key Takeaways

GPS implants for dogs do not exist and are not a safe or healthy option due to the large size of necessary hardware components (GPS antenna, GSM module, battery pack). You also can’t charge an implanted battery – and you’ll put your dog’s health at high risk if you could.

External pet GPS trackers worn on a collar are the safe and effective method for tracking a dog. They offer features like real-time tracking, unlimited range, and activity monitoring.

Microchips, on the other hand, only help identify your dog and can be implanted in their skin. However, they don’t contain any GPS tracking features and cannot actually, actively help you track down your dog.

At the end of the day, safety first: equip your dog with a microchip AND a GPS tracker to ensure you can always find them.

Is there a GPS chip for dogs? (And do you even need one?)

Let’s face it – losing your dog can be a dog parent’s worst nightmare. (Especially in a world where dognapping is on the rise and with all the reasons that dogs run away.)

But nope, such a device doesn’t exist in the first place.

(You might be confusing it with microchips instead – which we’ll cover a bit further below.)

đź’ˇAnd the good news? You don’t need to implant a GPS tracker into your dog’s skin to find them.

A dedicated dog GPS tracker that works across an unlimited range and includes real-time tracking works just fine – strapped comfortably to your dog’s collar.

black dog in forest
Pictured: Tractive GPS Dog Tracker

What could a GPS implant for dogs be like? (Theoretically?)

The phrase ‘GPS implant for dogs’ is commonly searched for in search engines every month around the world. But what could such a device for dogs be like, theoretically at least? Let’s take a closer look at this phrase:

  • GPS – short for Global Positioning System: a technology which tells you where you are on earth at any given momentÂą
  • implant – something which has been put into the body in a medical operation²
  • for dogs – for our favorite canine friends.

Which raises the question…

Is it possible to implant a GPS tracker into my dog?

The answer is a hard NOit is not possible to implant a device, which uses GPS technology to track your pet, into your dog at this time. Why? For the same reason such a device is not currently available for humans. Let’s explore this in greater detail.

dog receiving an chip implant by vet

If microchips can be implanted, why not a GPS tracker?

As a dog parent, it’s very important to understand the difference between the implantable chips that are used for identification of your pet, and GPS trackers – which are another type of technology entirely.

illustration of two dogs: one wearing a microchip and the other wearing a GPS tracker, dog tracker chip
  • Microchips firstly can be implanted into your dog’s skin. But they only help a vet or a local shelter identify your dog if they’re lost.
  • GPS trackers can’t be implanted into dogs’ skin. But they help you track your dog in real-time and take a more active role in finding them.
 Details


microchip for dogs
Microchip for dogs

Tractive GPS Dog Tracker 4
Tractive GPS Tracker
Size12 x 2 mm72 x 29 x 16 mm
Weight0,025 g35 g
ImplantableSymbol fĂĽr Vorteile in Pro-und-Kontra-ListeSymbol fĂĽr Nachteile in Pro-und-Kontra-Liste
WaterproofSymbol fĂĽr Vorteile in Pro-und-Kontra-ListeSymbol fĂĽr Vorteile in Pro-und-Kontra-Liste
Battery lifeNo battery included7-10 days – or 30 days on the Adventure edition
Upfront cost ~85 €49,99 €
Ongoing costsNoneYes – meaning a monthly fee less than your Netflix subscription
Location trackingSymbol fĂĽr Nachteile in Pro-und-Kontra-ListeSymbol fĂĽr Vorteile in Pro-und-Kontra-Liste
Are you going to have to rely on strangers?YesNo
Real-time location updatesSymbol fĂĽr Nachteile in Pro-und-Kontra-ListeSymbol fĂĽr Vorteile in Pro-und-Kontra-Liste
Legal requirementVaries from country to countryNo
Theft insuranceSymbol fĂĽr Nachteile in Pro-und-Kontra-ListeNo**
Area of operationWorldwideWorldwide
Escape alertsSymbol fĂĽr Nachteile in Pro-und-Kontra-ListeSymbol fĂĽr Vorteile in Pro-und-Kontra-Liste
Activity trackingSymbol fĂĽr Nachteile in Pro-und-Kontra-ListeSymbol fĂĽr Vorteile in Pro-und-Kontra-Liste
Sleep trackingSymbol fĂĽr Nachteile in Pro-und-Kontra-ListeSymbol fĂĽr Vorteile in Pro-und-Kontra-Liste
Health alertsSymbol fĂĽr Nachteile in Pro-und-Kontra-ListeSymbol fĂĽr Vorteile in Pro-und-Kontra-Liste
Light & Sound trackingSymbol fĂĽr Nachteile in Pro-und-Kontra-ListeSymbol fĂĽr Vorteile in Pro-und-Kontra-Liste
Dog weight requirementsNoneFrom 4 kg/~9 lbs onward

Why you can’t implant a GPS tracker into a dog

There are several reasons why it is not possible to implant a GPS tracker into a dog at this time. Firstly, think of any device you know of that uses GPS technology – for example a smartphone or automotive navigation system. All of these devices contain other important hardware components that must be built into the device to keep it running. (For example, a battery, or screen to show you the GPS location information.)

So here are two main reasons why these components make it impractical to implant a GPS tracker into your dog’s skin.

Reason 1: Size

The Tractive GPS dog tracker, has dimensions of about 72 x 29 x 16 millimeters and weighs approximately 35 grams. Below, you can see the size of the GPS tracker, which easily fits onto your dog’s collar or harness:

A brown dog wearing a Tractive DOG 6

Small, compact and lightweight, your dog can comfortably wear their GPS tracker at all times, in the same way that you wear a standard or smartwatch.

⚠️ So imagine the face of a watch being implanted under your skinouch! In this way, it would not be comfortable nor safe to implant a GPS tracker into your dog. By comparison, an implantable ID chip or transponder is about 11 millimeters long and two millimeters thick – nearly the size of a grain of rice. At this size, they can be safely implanted between your dog’s shoulders. It is a simple, electronic chip enclosed in a glass cylinder, as shown in the x-ray photo below.

Feline identifying microchip x-ray

Why is there a size difference between GPS trackers and implantable chips?

Microchips in general contain an ID number which can be linked to your pet. Meaning, they don’t contain any GPS hardware components or technology. That’s why microchips can afford to be the size of a grain of rice – they don’t come with the features a GPS tracker might. Which explains the first reason why GPS devices cannot be implanted into dogs at this time.

On the other hand, a GPS tracker contains several necessary hardware components, each of which is larger than a grain of rice and therefore contributes to the size of the device. Here are some of the hardware components you’ll find in a GPS tracker:

  • GSM module
  • GPS antenna
  • LED-light
  • loudspeaker
  • battery pack
Ivelin Nenkov, Embedded Systems Engineer at Tractive

“We use modern high-integrity components for building our GPS trackers. These components tend to consume space – because we want to ensure the best quality.

Also, if you want to reliably and continuously track your pet, you’ll need a strong, heavy battery pack. (In some cases, more than half the space in the device is reserved just for the battery.)

It’s a balancing act to find a compromise between size and quality. And one we can assure you that we’re constantly working on.”

– Ivelin Nenkov, Embedded Systems Engineer at Tractive since 2016

Discover Tractive GPS

Reason 2: Battery & Charging

Standard GPS trackers come with an integrated battery, which you need to charge every now and then. Since the size of the battery is directly related to the battery life of the device, this is the component which takes up the most space inside of the tracker. If you implant this in your dog’s skin – how are you going to charge it? (No way of inserting the USB charging cord, right?)

⚠️ Implanting a lithium-ion battery inside your puppy would likely come with certain health risks as well. It’s one reason why vets discourage the use of Apple AirTags for dogs – because if your buddy chews or swallows the little tag by mistake, it could severely damage their organs.

Ivelin Nenkov, Embedded Systems Engineer at Tractive

“A battery pack is built from very poisonous chemicals. A little puncture can lead to a leakage, fire or explosion. That’s why implanting a battery pack under the skin of your dog or cat can be very dangerous. So we wouldn’t recommend it.”

– Ivelin Nenkov, Embedded Systems Engineer at Tractive since 2016

Technically, there may be a way to integrate the tracker inside your furry buddy – but this is far from a “smart solution”. But at the end of the day: implanting a GPS tracker under your dog’s skin is neither a pet-friendly nor healthy way to keep your pet safe.

Where a smart dog tracker steps in

If you’re concerned about your dog running off or getting lost, a smart dog tracker with real-time GPS tracking can be your key to peace of mind. Loved and trusted by pet parents around the world – just like you – here’s where Tractive can lend a hand. (Or paw.)

A dog wearing a Tractive GPS tracker indoors

Strapped to your dog’s collar, you can now:

  • Track your dog in real-time
    Via LIVE mode on your Tractive mobile app – and follow your dog’s every step, as they make their every step. Better yet, unlike AirTags, Tractive devices don’t need a network of compatible devices to work. Nor are they limited by any range.
  • Get alerted if your dog escapes home
    By setting up “safe zones” and “no go zones” via your Tractive mobile app. If your dog leaves a safe zone or enters a no-go zone – you’ll get an escape alert on your phone.
Smartphone lock screen with a notification from Tractive app - Dog Molly left the Virtual Fence
  • Locate your dog at close range
    Your trusty Tractive device also includes short-range Bluetooth tracking for areas with poor network or where GPS isn’t helpful. (Like indoors.) So you can locate your dog if they’ve crawled beneth your bed or are hiding somewhere nearby.
  • Figure out where your dog spends their time
    From their Location History. So you can better understand where your dog likes to hunt, hide, or just hang out. Now in an emergency, like if they’ve gone missing, you’ll know where to look first.

Discover Tractive GPS

Is there ever going to be a safe GPS implant for dogs?

At present, there’s no such thing as a safe GPS implant for dogs available on the market today. While an implantable GPS tracker might be available in the distant future, the technology to make this device small enough, and safe enough, to be implanted into your friend is not available (or affordable) for mainstream use at this time. But even so, we have good news:

đź’ˇBoth GPS trackers and implants are widely available and necessary and helpful precaution measures to keep your dog safe. You just need to keep them separate so they can both so what they do best.

Tractive Dog 6

So if you suspect your dog’s a bit of an escape artist, it’s best to make sure your dog is already equipped and prepared with both a GPS tracker on the collar and a microchip ID implant. This will ensure that if lost, you can track your dog in real-time with Tractive’s LIVE Tracking, or brought into a vet and identified with the help of an RFID chip (if found by someone other than you)

brown dog wearing Tractive GPS dog tracker collar, app screenshot showing live tracking for dogs

Follow your dog anywhere

Get real-time location information, wherever they go. And find out when they try to make an escape, or just when they go somewhere they shouldn’t, with Virtual Fences.

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Found this article helpful? Share it with a fellow tech-savvy dog parent – and let’s help build a safer, kinder world for our furry friends together.