Over the years, our pack of rescue dogs has included one or more members with an above-average amount of “prey drive”. We’ve had a few close calls, but thankfully never lost a dog in all of our travels. Our dogs are micro-chipped and always wear collars and tags with our contact info, yet we still worry about losing our furry friends while traveling.
A couple years ago, we bought a GPS dog tracker for Lulu Belle, our sweet but highly prey-driven Blue Heeler mix, who has since passed over the Rainbow Bridge. Lulu Belle was the kind of dog who could unzip a tent flap, open a lever-type door knob and spot a squirrel a mile away from camp. We thought she’d be a good candidate for a GPS dog tracker, so we bought her an early release of the Whistle Go tracker. Thankfully, we never had to use it to find her, but we did test it out when we traveled, to see how well it worked. Here’s what we found, and why a GPS dog tracker does have some limitations for use with traveling dogs.
Most GPS Dog Trackers Depend On Cellular Network Coverage
Most GPS dog trackers use cell phone towers to relay your dog’s GPS position to an app on your phone. They only work when the collar (and the owner’s cell phone) both have coverage. There are also some very expensive models designed for hunting dogs which use radio signals. Some of these professional models can work for up to several miles – yet most are bulky and out of the price range of many dog owners.
The Problem With “Subscription Free” GPS Dog Trackers
The biggest downside to any “subscription free” GPS dog tracker is this: if the dog (transmitter) goes beyond the range of the handheld receiver, you can no longer track them.
Some of these trackers are advertised using claims of range up to 20 miles, which is just nonsense. While they may have impressive features and apps similar to those found with Whistle Go, most have a range similar to that of children’s walkie-talkies, and tend to have short battery life. Also, don’t even bother with Bluetooth based “pet finders”, which won’t work for more than a few feet.
While all GPS dog trackers utilize satellite-based GPS signals to determine your dog’s location, they still can’t use a satellite to transmit that location to you.
For Lizzy Lou – The Whistle Go Explore
Our latest family member, Lizzy Lou, is a Lab-Hound mix, who loves to go “investigating” whenever she has a chance, so we got her a Whistle Go Explore, which has up to a 20 day battery life. This is perfect for most of our trips, but in some of the places we love to visit, this tracker can be as useless as a good luck charm on her collar.
Whistle Go trackers use AT&T, which, unfortunately, has spotty coverage in much of the mountain West. Those big white spots on the map below are some of the places we like to travel, and her new Whistle Go Explore does not offer coverage in the blank areas. Some other dog GPS trackers use Verizon, which tends to offer better coverage out West, but there are still many dead coverage spots, especially once you get off of the asphalt.
Despite the limitations of the Whistle Go Explore in some areas, we decided to go with it for the reasons that it has a reasonably long battery life, and because it works very well where we we spend the majority of our time – which is around Austin, TX.
Update: Tripp Gets A Fi Series 2 Smart Dog Collar
Our newest family member, Tripp – a rescue from a nearby shelfter – will get a Fi Series 2 smart collar. The Fi Series 2 collar uses AT&T’s LTE-M network, which has 30% more range than regular LTE cellular. We’ll have an update soon about how it compares to Lizzy’s Whistle Go Explore. It looks like this one might like water – which is why we’re thrilled that the collar has IP68 waterproofing.
IP68 vs. IP67 Water Resistance
The first characters – IP6 – show that the device is totally sealed against dust. The last digit indicates the level of water resistance. IP67 can withstand immersion of up to one meter, for 30 minutes. IP68 indicates that the collar can withstand immersion beyond 1 meter and may mean that device is hermetically sealed.
So Which Is The Best GPS Dog Tracker For Travelers?
Update: 7/22/2022. We have switched both of our dogs over to Fi Series 2 Collars. See our review of the Fi Series 2 GPS collar.
When it comes to keeping your dog from getting lost while traveling, the best line of defense is to keep them leashed and by your side at all times, have them micro-chipped, and wearing a collar with current ID tags. Secondly, a GPS tracker with long battery life, such as the Whistle Go Explore, can give some added peace of mind, if you’re aware of the limitations. Different brands of GPS dog trackers use different cell phone providers, and as you can see from the maps above, not all have the same coverage.
If you live in – or frequently travel to an area where you know that one cell phone provider works much better than another – choose a brand of dog tracker that utilizes that provider. Battery life is also very important. Fi’s Series 2 seems to beat the Whistle Go Explore on battery life, but just barely when away from home at 21 vs. 20 days.
Do GPS Dog Trackers Work Outside The US?
According to their website, the Whistle Go Explore will work in the U.S. and Canada, that’s all. The Fi GPS trackers currently only work in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Unfortunately, most dog tracking devices sold in the US only work in the U.S. Non-cellular based, radio-type GPS dog trackers may not be allowed in certain countries outside of the US.
Choose A Water Resistant Model
A feature that you should look at, besides which cell phone network a dog tracker uses, is waterproofing. A lost dog may end up crossing streams or standing out in the rain, so water resistance is a must. Look for models that offer some level of water resistance. The Whistle Go Explore is advertised to have IP67 waterproofing, and the Fi Series 2 offers slightly better water resistance with IP68.
Improvements In GPS Dog Trackers We’d Like To See
If we could order our own customized GPS dog tracker, we’d have the ability to choose between cellular providers, or even have two SIM card slots, so that if could operate with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint or whatever network worked in the area we traveled to. It would also be nice to have one that utilized satellites for worldwide coverage, as a Spot Messenger or Garmin InReach device does.
Tips For Keeping Your Dog From Getting Lost
- Have your dog micro chipped and make sure their microchip information is up to date.
- Know your dog’s limitations and weaknesses when it comes to going off-leash. Keep them leashed when in doubt.
- Keep durable tags on your dog with your most recent contact info. Collars with phone numbers printed or embroidered on them are a good compliment to tags, as they can be read from a distance.
- Keep the same routines when it comes to exiting the vehicle, feeding, etc. when traveling.
For more info on keeping your dog safe see “How To Keep Your Dog From Getting Lost While Traveling”
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