With all the options on the market, you might be wondering how to pick the best smart dog collar for your buddy. So here are a couple of features to help you pick the best fit - and why they're worth the investment in the long run.
Regular old dog collars with ID tags are old school. Now we’re all about getting our buddies a smart dog collar – aka, a device that helps you track every aspect of their safety, all in one. But with all the hundreds of results that pop up when you Google it – it’s pretty understandable if you’re feeling…well, spoiled for choice. So let’s dive right into what to look out for before you add it to your cart or hit that ‘Buy’ button.
A smart dog collar is essentially a high-tech collar with superpowers. Most of these include features to both track your dog’s location – as well as monitor their health and well-being. Many come equipped with escape alerts to notify you the second your dog tries to pull off an escape attempt.
Smart dog collars are also built to be tougher and more durable than regular ones with ID tags. (Which may fall off, get lost, or smudged – making them useless in case someone’s trying to identify your lost dog.) Some even come equipped with behavior modification features to reduce unwanted behaviors in your dog. (Like excessive barking, pulling the leash, or aggression.)
Now with all these perks…which one to pick from the endless list of options out there? Here’s what to look out for in a smart dog collar – if you’re finding yourself on the fence before hitting ‘Buy.’
What to look out for in a smart dog collar
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s help you shut off those endless Amazon tabs, one by one. Here’s what to look out for in a smart dog collar that’ll ensure your peace of mind.
Real-time tracking
Imagine being able to track your moving dog – with just a glance at your phone? That’s where following their every step in real-time can be a lifesaver. Which means for a smart dog collar to be worth the investment, your buddy is safest when you’ve strapped a dedicated dog GPS tracker to their collar.
With real-time – or LIVE – tracking, you can follow your dog’s every move, even while they’re on the move and bolting down a street at a hundred miles per hour.
⚠️ Most smart dog collars only update your dog’s locations every few minutes. Precious time you might lose out on if your dog’s, say, run out on to a busy street or a forest full of hunters, bear traps, and predators.
With a Tractive GPS tracker, on the other hand, you can check on your dog’s live location every few seconds. Enough time for you to intervene – and have 100% peace of mind when you know exactly where to find your dog, no matter where they’ve run off to.
What to look out for in a smart dog collar
Real-time GPS tracking – with quick live location updates.
When it comes to picking a smart dog collar that’s worth your while – go for one with unlimited range. Which, if it’s built on GPS, is pretty much a given. Because you now have a sky full of satellites helping guide you along to where your dog might’ve run off – no matter where they are. (Or where you are!)
Bluetooth trackers, on the other hand, like Apple AirTags or Tile trackers tend to be more limited in range and lack real-time tracking.
Most smart dog collars offer a range between 9 miles (14 km) to unlimited – if they’re built with GPS functionalities, of course. Even small dogs can run off up to a half mile (~1 km) – simply because they’re bored. Bigger dogs can cover even longer distances – up to 5 miles/8 km!
What to look out for in a smart dog collar
Unlimited range
Will this help in an emergency?
Absolutely.
Escape alerts
Most smart dog collars come with built-in escape alerts. I.e., once the collar tracker picks up that your dog is trying to sneak past a “safe zone” – you get an instant notification on your phone or tablet. With the Tractive GPS Virtual Fence, for example,you can set up safe zones and no-go zones – and then sit back and relax while your tracker does all the hard work for you.
⚠️Most smart dog collars the market might take anywhere between 5-10 minutes to notify you your dog’s escaped. By which time it might be too late – and now your dog’s running down the highway at full speed.
Or you could go for a Tractive GPS tracker that’ll notify you within 2 minutes in default tracking mode. (And within a few seconds in LIVE tracking mode.) Just in time for you to intervene and bring your dog back to safety.
One of the biggest gripes you’ll see about pet GPS trackers online? How they’re useless once you lose mobile connectivity. And yes, to an extent, it’s true that GPS is primarily an outdoor system – and it does depend on a network. Most smart dog collars work like smartphones and need at least a phone signal to function.
💡But if you’ve run into a versatile option like Tractive, you’re in luck. With its Heat Map and Location History, for example, you can still log your dog’s wanderings – even if you lose connectivity for a while.
“If you want to pinpoint your pet’s location or store their Location History, you don’t actually need a cellular connection.
So once you’ve equipped your Tractive GPS, there’s no need to worry if your device loses coverage for a little while.
Your tracker stores your pet’s positions securely. So you’ll be able to see where they’ve been even if you’re offline.”
– Ivelin Nenkov, Embedded Systems Engineer at Tractive since 2016
What to look out for in a smart dog collar
Features that work even in areas with poor connectivity.
Will this help in an emergency?
Absolutely.
Design
Another question to ask yourself when scrolling through smart dog collars on Amazon or elsewhere: would my dog be comfortable wearing this? Ideally, you want a device that’s so unobtrusive, your dog doesn’t even notice it. Plus, one that’s:
Built for dogs as small as 9 lbs (4 kg) or heavier than 45 lbs (22 kg)
100% waterproof
Equipped with a 10-30-day battery life – without charging. You can also connect your tracker to your home WiFi to set up a “Power Saving Zone”, which helps massively save on your tracker’s battery life.
Completely bite-proof and built with fiberglass-reinforced casing
Built to easily clip on to any dog collar or harness
For example, the Tractive DOG XL Adventure edition – which is built so that you can swim, hike, run, jog, and enjoy all your rough and tumble adventures outdoors with 100% peace of mind.
Always know where your dog is
Follow every step in real-time with unlimited range. Get alerts if they wander too far. Keep them happy & healthy with Wellness Monitoring. And let others – like walkers or sitters – keep an eye on your dog too.
A durable, waterproof build, good battery life – plus battery-saving features,and a size that’s designed for collars and harnesses.
Will this help in an emergency?
Yes – like if your dog’s gone for a spontaneous splash in a lake or you’re both in the habit of running or hiking together.
Health monitoring
Now when it comes to tracking your dog’s safety, we don’t just mean where they’re off wandering. Rather, many smart dog collars also come equipped with built-in health monitoring features, including Activity Tracking, Sleep Monitoring, and even Health Alerts.
Which, over time, can help you understand your dog that much better. Including how active they are on a day-to-day basis, how much sleep they’re getting – and when there’s a change in these behaviors. (Which could signal that something’s wrong.)
What to look out for in a smart dog collar
Health monitoring for relevant, vet-approved metrics. (Like your dog’s everyday activity.)
Will this help in an emergency?
Yes. In fact, by monitoring your dog’s activity and sleep – you can actually prevent a health emergency by taking your dog to a vet for a checkup early.
Found a smart dog collar that checks all these boxes?
Being spoiled for choice might seem fun – until your dog’s health, well-being, and safety are involved. Because like any loving dog parent, you know it’s worth it going the extra mile for them. So when it comes to picking a smart dog collar for your buddy, keep an eye out for:
Real-time GPS tracking
An unlimited range + ability to work in multiple countries
Quick escape alerts (<2 minutes)
Features that are built for areas with poor connectivity
A durable, waterproof build, good battery life, and small size
Health monitoring for relevant, vet-approved metrics (like your dog’s activity)
Which, once you’ve checked all your boxes, leaves you with the smart, sane solution dog parents around the world are going for:
Always know where your dog is
Follow every step in real-time with unlimited range. Get alerts if they wander too far. Keep them happy & healthy with Wellness Monitoring. And let others – like walkers or sitters – keep an eye on your dog too.
Want to see the Tractive DOG XL Adventure edition in action? Here’s a short, sporty video to get you pumped!
And if you’ve liked this post, share it with a fellow tech-savvy dog parent – and let’s help build a safer, kinder world for our furry friends together.
Real-time GPS tracking
