Any experience with GPS for dogs?

[August W.]

Just wanted to check in and see if anyone has experience with any of the k9 gps tracking systems that are available? We keep our pups leashed when hiking but really like the idea of being able to track their whereabouts. Tagg is one gps product that clips onto the collar and offers real-time tracking. Can anyone share some experiences / opinions on this product or similar gps systems?

[Slo-go'en]

Apparently you need to be in an area with cellular service and depending on what carrier it uses, that may or may not be a problem. Verizon is considered the most reliable along the AT, so make sure both you and the tracker use Verizon. And since you'll be in the woods, the location feature will need to use topo maps, not just street maps.

Considering that a few dogs run off and get lost on the AT every year, it might be worth having one of these things. Looks kinda expensive though.

[Ronbo17]

I've used my friends Garmin (Astro) and the Sport Dog (i think it was Tek model) on my German Shorthaired Pointer. You may want to consider one of these...They are pricey though, but work. I'm considering purchasing one of these models for my dog and using it for hiking the North GA mountains. My only concern is that the range on these will be greatly reduced because of heavy tree cover/ and Topo (they have a range of 5-9 miles unimpeded). My friend thinks it should not be a big problem. I just have not tested it in the mountain yet, only on a very large farm/ pine tree covered area in central GA. If anyone knows the answer to this. Let me know what you think.

[Slo-go'en]

Looks like the Sport Dog uses a dedicated transceiver and allows you to talk to the dog remotely. Good for training or calling him back if he gets out of sight and voice range. Terrain and vegetation would defiantly affect range. Since this looks to be a UHF radio if the dog gets into a ravine or the other side of a big hill, you will likely loose communication. Heavy tree cover can also affect GPS reception. It's also got a radio antenna which sticks up pretty high which could get snagged on stuff.

The Tagg unit which uses cell service would in theory have infinite range, provided both you and the dog are in range of a cell tower. You could be on opposite sides of the country. Or you could just hang one of those little FRS walkie talkies off the dogs collar and call him back with that if he runs off. "Hey, get back here you mutt"

[BryanS]

I own a GPS locating device that my dog wears on her collar. The one I have is made by Pocketfinder and I liked it because it's a durable, plastic encased device that just fits into a pocket that attaches to the collar. After reading some reviews of comparable products like Tagg, it sounded like they might be prone to breaking where they attach to some collar mount. Pocketfinder works on AT&Ts network whereas Tagg works on Verizon as I recall but both are fairly comparable in their features and some important weaknesses. Since they use a wireless carrier, you can expect an ongoing monthly connectivity cost as well as the initial purchase price on these. I think I pay maybe $10-15 a month for service on it.

The way it works is that it periodically phones back to Pocketfinder and updates where it's location is. You can adjust how often it does this but as you have it check in more frequently you reduce battery life. For normal home use I put it on the charger nightly and had it checking in maybe every 15 min or so. If you were to have it report real time location I don't think it would last more than a few hours. You could set it just to report location once a day or once every several hours to extend battery life but that would make actually finding your dog really tough I think.

I don't know that the battery life on these sort of products really suits use where you can't put it on the charger at least once every couple of days. I think it's great for day hiking but it due to this limitation I don't know if it's suitable otherwise.

Also, as was previously mentioned and is probably obvious, since these use cell towers to check in, coverage for the carrier they use is required for them to work.

[Dirty Nails]

The dog tracking GPS models, like the Garmin Astro type have a very limited battery life. When I checked them out it seemed they would indeed need a daily recharge.

Another option might be a training collar that upland hunters use. It's not a tracker at all; uses no GPS.
But instead you can use the training remote to activate a loud tone on command. This would allow you to find your dog by following the loud beeping. Of course the problems are you must retrieve him before he gets too far away to hear it. And, it's yet another device, and charger for both you and your dog to carry...ugh! But it's not too bulky or heavy, except in the price tag. May be worth having for a back-up plan if it means keeping your dog. But it's no substitute for reliable training. I have the Dogtra 2500T&B, check it out.

http://www.dogtra.com/?mnu_num=2010&category=tnb&num=30

It's also a remote trainer. Get good training from a competent instructor before using that (good luck!).

The good news is that if you only use it occasionally, you can get several days on a charge. Perhaps get a week or more if you only use it for emergencies (lost dog).

I found I just didn't use any of my remote dog trainers on the trail because they just became a pain to deal with. My dog was reliable so I got tired of packing & charging it putting it on, adjusting it, taking it off, etc. for no reason. Just left them home in a cabinet.

[August W.]

Thanks for the the replies! Still haven't made a purchase. May wait until there are products that seem more durable and have better battery life.