AirTag vs GPS Dog Tracker: What’s The Best Tech For Your Buddy?

Every pet parent wants to keep their dog safe and secure. Whether your pup is an escape artist, a wanderer, or just curious about the world, knowing their whereabouts is essential for their well-being. Many dog parents consider using an AirTag for dogs, thinking it will help them track their furry friend. But is an AirTag truly the best solution for pet tracking?

The short answer: No. A dedicated GPS dog tracker like Tractive is a much better choice.

While Apple’s AirTag is a great tool for finding lost wallets or keys, it has serious limitations when it comes to keeping track of your dog. If you want real-time location tracking, escape alerts, and global coverage, you need a device designed specifically for pets.

Let’s break it down.

Find out how your dog spends their time.

Read more

Quick Answer: Why Tractive GPS is the best choice for tracking your dog

If you’re short on time, here are the key reasons why Tractive GPS is the superior choice over an AirTag for dogs:

• ✅ Real-time GPS tracking — AirTags only update location when near Apple devices.
• ✅ Works anywhere — AirTags rely on the Find My network, which isn’t reliable for runaway pets.
• ✅ Instant escape alerts — AirTags don’t notify you when your dog runs away.
• ✅ Health & activity monitoring — Track your dog’s fitness and wellness with Tractive.
• ✅ Designed for pets — Waterproof, durable, lightweight, and made for active dogs.
• ✅ Pet-safe design — Unlike small AirTags, which curious dogs might swallow, Tractive is designed with pet safety in mind.

Now, let’s explore why these differences matter and why AirTags fall short when it comes to tracking your pup.

Keep track of your dog’s daily adventures

Follow every step with unlimited range Live Tracking. Get alerts if they wander too far. Keep them happy & healthy with Activity & Sleep Monitoring. Get Health Alerts if something seems off.

Get Tractive

What is an AirTag – and how does it work?

Released in 2021, Apple AirTag is a tiny item-tracking device designed to help users keep track of personal items like bags, wallets or keys.

Finding lost items is AirTag’s only function – and it can do a great job at that if conditions are right (i.e iPhones are nearby).

Apple AirTags use Bluetooth to communicate with nearby Apple devices, which then relay the tag’s location to the owner through the Find My app.

Like other Bluetooth trackers, AirTags only work within range of another device, in this case an iPhone, iPad or Mac.

They’re great for finding your lost keys under the couch, or in city full of iPhone users. But is AirTag a safe bet when you need to find your runaway dog fast?

It turns out, not so much. In fact, Apple does not endorse using AirTag for dog tracking.

Why Apple does not recommend using AirTag for dogs

The tech giant Apple has repeatedly stated that AirTag is meant for tracking items, not pets or people. So for now, tracking your dog with an AirTag is considered off-label use. Most likely this is because:

1. AirTags weren’t designed with pets in mind

As we mentioned, AirTag was designed for tracking inanimate objects, not living beings. This means that it’s missing a lot of pet-friendly features that GPS dog trackers have built-in.

It also won’t be able to stand up to your dog’s rough-housing, since it wasn’t designed for that. AirTag is only dust- and water-resistant, unlike popular dog trackers that are 100% waterproof and bite-proof.

Moreover, Airtags have a well-documented swallow hazard. That’s right – AirTag can do serious harm if chewed or swallowed by a curious canine.

At only 1.26 inches in diameter, AirTags can easily be swallowed by medium or large dogs. In some cases, a dog may be able to throw up or pass an intact AirTag. But other times, surgery may be required. If the AirTag comes apart, it’s even more serious. The battery inside could cause damage to the dog’s mouth or stomach and could even lead to poisoning.

For this reason, if a dog swallows an Apple AirTag – it needs to come out as quickly as possible¹.  Because of this hazard, vets have warned dog parents against using AirTags for dog tracking.

If you do use an Apple AirTag on your dog, secure it to the collar flush so that your dog can’t chew it. Avoid hanging the AirTag from the collar where it could be chewed off by your canine buddy or another dog.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Wall Street Journal (@wsj)

2. AirTags don’t work everywhere

Another reason why Apple doesn’t endorse AirTag for dogs is because they don’t work everywhere. Remember, AirTags can’t work if they’re not within range of a device in Apple’s Find My network. So they can’t be relied on to find your dog anytime, let alone give accurate and timely location updates.

Apple’s VP of worldwide iPhone product marketing, Kaiann Drance said that if people do put an AirTag on their pet’s collar, “…they just have to make sure that their moving pet gets into range of a device in the Find My network”². So that it can pick up the AirTag’s signal and notify you accordingly.

Except, how can you make sure your dog stays in Bluetooth range of a stranger’s iPhone? You can’t.

Luckily, a GPS dog tracker makes that unnecessary. Here are the top reasons why a GPS dog tracker like Tractive is a better choice than AirTag for dogs.

5 Reasons to choose a Tractive GPS dog tracker over AirTag for dogs

We can’t talk about AirTag for dog tracking without mentioning how a true GPS dog tracker works in comparison. So here are 5 reasons why experts recommend using a GPS dog tracker over AirTag.

1. Unlimited range = peace of mind

When it comes to tracking your furry friend, there’s a lot of factors to consider. Range and coverage are two of the most important factors that will determine if you can track your dog or not.

💙 Tractive GPS Dog Trackers work over an unlimited range – so no matter how far your dog roams, you’ll still be able to open the app and see their exact location.

🚩 AirTag can only report your dog’s location if it’s within Bluetooth range of an Apple device. So if there’s no one with an iPhone around – say your dog ran off into the forest – you won’t be able to find your buddy with AirTag.

2. Adventure-proof, worry free

Next, you don’t want to have to worry about your dog’s tracker breaking – it should be able to accompany your dog wherever they go.

💙 Tractive GPS dog trackers are built to withstand your dog’s wild adventures – they’re shock-proof, bite-proof, chew-proof and 100% waterproof.

🚩 AirTags are not as durable, since they were only ever meant to sit on your keychain or in your purse. AirTags are only water resistant and dust resistant.

3. AirTag has safety concerns; Tractive supports your dog’s wellbeing

Whatever device you choose, it shouldn’t be a health risk to your furry friend. On the contrary, a smart dog tracker can provide you with health and fitness insights to help you maximize your dog’s wellness.

4. A runaway dog is no match for real-time GPS tracking

The whole point of tracking your dog is to make sure you can find them when it matters. If your dog runs away and could be in danger, you don’t want to be dependent on other people for location updates. Instead, you want to be able to simply look at your phone and know exactly where your dog is.

💙 With a dedicated dog tracker, you can see your dog’s location updated on an app on your phone in real-time. With updates every 2-3 seconds in live mode. So not only do GPS dog trackers help you find a lost dog immediately – but they can actually prevent lost dogs in the first place.

🚩 AirTags, on the other hand, have no GPS or live tracking capabilities.

5. Dog trackers are built for furry friends, AirTags aren’t

Since AirTag was built for tracking items, not living beings, it’s missing a lot of pet-friendly features that GPS dog trackers have built-in. Here are some of the pawsome, peace-of-mind features that you can enjoy with the Tractive GPS Dog Tracker (not available on AirTag):

• LIVE Mode: Find your furry friend with real-time location updates.
• Unlimited Range: Track your dog or cat from anywhere in the world, no matter how far away you are.
• Virtual Fence: Set a Safe Zone – like your garden – and get an alert if your pet leaves the area. Use No Go Zone to mark areas that aren’t safe for your dog (and get alerted if they go there too).
• Activity & Sleep tracking: See how active they are, monitor sleep patterns and set goals to help keep your four-legged friend in shape.
• Health Alerts: Get notified of changes in your furry friend’s activity and spot issues early.
• Location History: See where your buddy has been in the last 365 days.
• Radar Mode: Pinpoint your buddy’s location in close range.
• Power Saving Zones: Save on battery life in places where your buddy spends lots of time.

Just check out the feature comparison of Tractive vs AirTag below.

Tractive vs AirTag for Dog Tracking Feature Comparison

	Apple AirTag	Tractive GPS Dog Tracker
Designed for dogs?	❌	✅
GPS Live Tracking: Real-time tracking for runaway dogs.	❌	✅
Bluetooth Tracking: Find your dog indoors or within close proximity.	✅	✅
Range	within 10m (33 ft) of an iPhone	Unlimited
Accuracy	accurate at close distances	accurate at any distance
Virtual Fence	❌	✅
Escape Alerts	❌	✅
Location History	❌	✅
Activity & Sleep Monitoring	❌	✅
Health Alerts	❌	✅
Bark Monitoring	❌	✅
Danger Alerts	❌	✅
Dog Walk Tracking	❌	✅
Sharing	✅	✅
Sound	✅	✅
Light	❌	✅
Augmented Reality	✅	✅
Battery Type	replaceable	rechargeable (USB-C)
Battery Life	1 year	2-30 days
Waterproof	water-resistant	✅
Bite-proof	❌	✅
Shock-proof	❌	✅
Collar Attachment	❌ none included	✅ specially designed collar clips
Dimensions	Diameter: 3cm Height: 8mm	varies by model
Weight	11g	39g
Compatibility	iOS	iOS, Android, web
Cost	$29 purchase price, no monthly fee	one time purchase of under $100 + low monthly subscription

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Wall Street Journal (@wsj)

How does AirTag work for dogs?

Keep in mind, AirTags aren’t pet trackers. So don’t expect them to work in the same way a dedicated GPS dog tracker would. Meaning you’ll miss out on the ability to track your dog in real-time no matter how far they roam.

If you were to try AirTag for dog tracking, here’s how that would work:

1. Buy an AirTag and connect it to your Apple device.
2. Attach the AirTag to your dog’s collar or harness (watch out for these safety concerns).
3. AirTag sends out a signal that gets picked up by Apple devices within range. They send their location along with the AirTag’s identifying data to Apple servers.
4. When you need to locate your dog, you can open the Find My app and (in the best case scenario) view your dog’s location. 
5. If necessary, you can “Ping” the AirTag – it will make a sound that helps you find it.

If your runaway dog runs out of range (about 200ft from an iPhone) you may not be able to find them with an AirTag.

In that case, you can activate “Lost Mode” – you’ll get a notification when your dog is back within range of another Apple user. Then other people can tap the AirTag to see your contact information and get in touch with you.

Consider this: If your dog is likely to escape or roam in areas with no Apple users nearby, tracking them with AirTag is not a reliable option.

Pros and cons of using AirTag for dog tracking

Most people are drawn to the idea of using Apple AirTag for dog tracking because they’re 1) small & lightweight, 2) cheap and 3) have a long battery life. But in addition to the pros, AirTags have some important downsides you need to consider before you put one on your dog’s collar:

The bottom line on AirTag for dog tracking

When it comes to tracking your dog, you’re better off using a real GPS dog tracker than an AirTag.

AirTag is a simple item finder with limited features. It’s biggest downsides for pet parents? It wasn’t designed to track dogs, it can’t be relied on in certain areas, and it’s even a health hazard for our four-legged friends.

Dog trackers like Tractive GPS on the other hand:

• are designed (and continuously optimized) to track dogs like yours
• work in the city and country – no matter how far your dog roams
• offer real-time GPS tracking with updates every 2-3 seconds
• allow you to track your dog’s activity and sleep
• and come with way more features geared to make pet parents’ lives easier

So, what are you waiting for? Invest in a GPS dog tracker and start tracking your dog today.

Discover Tractive for Dogs

For more insights on using Tractive and AirTag for dog tracking, check out the review video below: