It’s a dog owner’s worst fear to call for their dog and not see their cute pup running towards them. Unfortunately, it does happen sometimes though, and we do lose our dogs when we hunt, hike, or just go for a run outside. Many of those dogs are found again however thanks to the new innovations in the best GPS dog collars. With just the right one, you’ll never have to worry about losing your dog ever again.

To give you some peace of mind, I’d like to give you as much information as possible about the best available GPS collars just for your dog, as well as what you should look for before you buy. All of these collars are really effective in their own right , but when you consider you and your dog’s needs, some will end up being more suitable.

Overview of the Top 10 Products

Image	Product Name	Control	Size	Price	Rating
	​ Garmin PT10 Dog Collar	On collar	1.7 x 3.1 x 1.7 inches	$$
	​ Link AKC Smart Dog Collar	Cellphone app	14-17.5 inches	$$
	Tagg GPS Pet Tracker	Cellphone app	1.5 x 3.2 x 0.8 inches	$
	Whistle 3 GPS Pet Tracker & Activity Monitor​	Cellphone app	1.8 x 1.4 x 0.6 inches	$
	Find my Pet Worldwide GPS Dog Tracking System	Cellphone app	Not specified	$$
	​ AGPtek Pet Tracker Collar	Cellphone app	25.6 inches	$
	​ PET Realtime GPS Tracker System For Dogs	Cellphone app	Not specified	$
	​ SportDOG TEK 2.0 GPS Tracking Collar​	Remote	6.3 x 2.6 x 13.3 inches	$$$
	SportDOG TEK 1.0 GPS Tracking and E-Collar System​	Remote	12.5 x 6.5 x 7.2 inches	$$$
	PETCARE New Fashion Design Dog GPS Tracker	Phone app	35cm-53cm	$$$

Garmin PT10 Dog Collar

This stylish red collar from Garmin has two lengths of stainless steel as well as insulated contact points to help the collar work in water while minimizing any discomfort for your dog. It can even work as a training collar as well thanks to the built in BarkLimiter. Along with the advanced Bark Correction Technology, it’ll help keep your dog trained. Garmin’s collar will work for up to 1 mile with a 27MHz radio frequency that will ensure you’re able to find them anywhere. If you have any trouble using it, just take a look at the included manual and get started.

One of the reasons people love this collar so much is that you’re able to use one controller for two dogs, so you don’t need to use up so much money buying multiples. It’s even got tons of great features like the BarkLimiter, warning vibration, and some variable shock intensities for training your pooch. You control everything too, so there’s no worrying about too much shock or your dog being in any sort of pain. There are even LED lights so that you’re able to see your dog at night when you’ve got to go out for a walk.Read the reviews on Amazon

Link AKC Smart Dog Collar

Link AKC makes a collar that not only looks great, but that works great too. Accurate GPS tracking works quickly to find your dog no matter where they may be, but you can also customize activities for your individual dog. That means that you can watch them regardless of where you are and keep an eye on activity, weight, and what they might be doing when you’re not at home. Turn on the light to see your dog in the dark, and turn on the sound to help with training and temperature alerts when it’s warm out. In the end, this collar is designed for your dog’s utmost comfort.

This collar includes a lot of extra features to help with your dog’s comfort levels, but people love how great it is with tracking too. It finds your dog with lots of accuracy, and the collar itself is very durable and comfortable. If you ever need to attach or reattach the unit to the collar, that’s easy too. People have found that the click feature helps a lot with training, and the accurate locations are what draw people into buying it. You can even check your dog’s temperature to be sure that they’re safe no matter where they might happen to be.Read the reviews on Amazon

Tagg GPS Pet Tracker

This award winning GPS pet collar by Tagg works to give you peace of mind that sends both text and email alerts whenever your pet gets out. You’re able to view and track your dog’s daily exercise levels to make sure they’re healthy when you’re at work or away for the weekend. Use it on either your iPhone or Android after you attach it to your pet’s current collar, so don’t worry about spending more for a great collar. Use the interactive map to get directions right to your pet when they’re lost, since it fits most collars and dogs over 10 pounds really well.

Tagg works very well for many types of dogs due to the fact that it’s light and compact, and has a long battery life that will work up to 30 days. It doesn’t use battery up unless your dog gets out of the zone you’ve set up, so you won’t need to remember to charge as much. It’s so light that is won’t affect your dog’s mobility in any way, and it’s accurate enough that it’ll track your dog down to three yards. People love that they can use it for smaller and more lightweight pups. You can even find the device you use quite easily if you happen to misplace it when you’re walking around!Read the reviews on Amazon

Whistle 3 GPS Pet Tracker & Activity Monitor

Whistle is one of the best companies when it comes to pet trackers, with Whistle 3 working as an upgrade from previous versions. It’s an all in one GPS tracker for both dogs and cats, giving you email, app, or text notifications whenever your pet leaves their safe area or when they get too far away. The coverage is nationwide aw well, so no matter where you are in the US, you’ll be able to pinpoint your pet’s location exactly. Follow your pet’s activities over the past 24 hours to see where they’ve been, monitor their daily activity, and use it for up to 7 days until you’ve got to recharge it again. On top of that, it’s both durable and waterproof too, attaching to any collar with ease.

One thing that separates Whistle is the customer service. If you have any problems when it comes to using it, you can get some quick and easy customer support. It provides you with great service when finding your pet as well, since it will send you an alert within a minute of your dog leaving your specific zone. There are many zones you can set up to avoid false notifications when your dog moves around. Even the size of the tracker is lighter for both you and your dog.Read the reviews on Amazon

Find my Pet Worldwide GPS Dog Tracking System

You’ve got lots of great features contained within Find my Pet, including 365 days of past history, smart alerts to let you know when you have low battery, an SOS button, and real time tracking with GPS. It’s meant to be highly accurate for usage on your iPhone or Android device. Your first month of service will be free, with only small prices for the subscription each month following. When you buy, you’ll get the device, a sim card, a charging cable, a case, lanyard, and many other additional features to help you get started quickly.

It’s great how light this device is, so your dog will not be uncomfortable when it comes to attaching it to their collar. The fact that it’s battery operated as well means that it holds a charge for a while, and won’t require a cord that you’ll have to deal with. Find my Pet sets up quickly with instructions that are easy to follow. Even small dogs won’t have a problem with it since it screws into the collar. You don’t have to worry about having all the pieces either with the case it comes with keeping everything on one place.Read the reviews on Amazon

AGPtek Pet Tracker Collar

This collar by AGPtek can be as long as 25.6 inches, so you’re sure to fit it around your dog’s neck with ease for the utmost comfort. The SMS tracking by GPS works for both iPhones and Androids. You’ll also receive free online web tracking and trajectory tracking, enabling you to find your pet no matter where they are. Dial the tracker to know what the environment is like, use the electric feature, and set whatever language it will be easiest for you to use it in. It’ll sleep when your dog isn’t moving around too in order to save some power in the end.

You can use this tracker in any country thanks to the languages it includes and the ability to set the time zone to wherever you may be. As long as you have your phone with you, you’re able to see your pup no matter where they are. Just pay for your subscription when you get started and you’ll see your dog’s location. It may not be waterproof, but people love how the tracker works and how it can be used for some training as well.Read the reviews on Amazon

PET Realtime GPS Tracker System For Dogs

PET Realtime makes a mini collar that will suit your dog without chaffing their neck and harming them. It’s small enough to fit even your little dog yet large enough to work for the biggest guys. Use the APP to track your dog on Android or iPhone for free. The GPS sport tracking allows you to Dial the tracker to know the environment around it, with an electric fence shut sleep mode to save power when your dog isn’t moving around. Set it for any time zone you need and use any language that you’re most comfortable with.

Not many people have had the chance to review this product yet, but they all seem to love the way you can customize the collar to whatever color you’d like. If you have multiple dogs you’re using this for, the different colors come in handy for easy tracking. On top of that, the price for this collar is one of the best, so it’s perfect if you can’t splurge for one of the more expensive models out there. The collar is large or small enough to use on any pet, meaning that no matter what type of dog you have, you’ll be sure that it’ll work.Read the reviews on Amazon

SportDOG TEK 2.0 GPS Tracking Collar

SportDOG’s 2.0 version of their tracking collar is certainly sleek and robust, touting great durability so that you can be sure it’ll still be working even when your dog has run off. It only works for the US, but it’s got a 10 mile range so that you can find your dog no matter where they’ve run off to. It’s waterproof as well if you’ve got a dog that likes to swim, and is submersible for up to 25 feet. Use it with any TEK 2.0 system for location tracking, and since it only weighs 1.2 pounds, you can be sure it’ll fit your dog comfortably.

This tracker is on the higher end of the spectrum in terms of price, but that ensures that you’ve got a tracker that will find your dog quickly and reliably. People love that it’s perfect for water, especially those people who live in wetter areas and areas that have a lot of space for their dog to swim in. It’s also durable enough to handle some rough housing without getting in the way of your dog’s daily activities. Thanks to the long range, people feel a lot safer when their dog isn’t directly in their line of sight.Read the reviews on Amazon

SportDOG TEK 1.0 GPS Tracking and E-Collar System

Pick up the SportDOG 1.0 to strap onto your dog and be sure that they’re completely safe. It may only work for the US, but you’ll receive both the collar and the handheld tracker that will allow you to see where your dog is for up to 7 miles. There are 99 continuous, momentary, and rising stimulation levels to call your dog back to you if you need it, making this a great training collar as well. Use the vibration and tone options too, and as long as you have more collars, your one tracking unit will expand for up to 12 dogs.

It’s amazing that this collar is so easy to use, including options for tone, vibrations, shocks and GPS all within your one unit. Work with your dog at greater distances with more control, so you won’t need to worry if you’ve got a large yard. It even toggles between regular tracking and training so you can switch modes depending on what you need in that moment! As long as you have other collars two, people with multiple dogs find that it works well for remote areas to track multiple dogs in many areas all at once.Read the reviews on Amazon

PETCARE New Fashion Design Dog GPS Tracker

PETCARE has certainly designed a product that not only works great, but will look great on your dog too. It adjusts to your dog’s neck size so that no matter what size your dog is, they will be able to wear this collar comfortably. Track, locate, and even monitor the activities of your pet using just the GPS and your cellular network. You have 4 positioning technologies for 4 times the accuracy, along with safe zones and trip recorder for real time location tracking and historical playback. Make use of additional features tracking your dog’s health and using your voice to train and track your dog like never before.

This collar not only works well, but is made to be high quality and soft to the touch. It’s so comfortable that your pup won’t find any problems wearing it for long periods of time. As the dog owner, you’re benefitted too with medication alerts for sick dogs and some social networking features to help you connect with other Petcare users. With the built in speaker and microphone, listen in on your dog in real time. Owners especially love that you can listen in when you’re not at home to keep your dog calm.Read the reviews on Amazon

Buying Guide – What To Consider

Before you pick up any one of our top 10 GPS dog collars, it’s important to think about the factors that are most important to you. If you’ve still got any questions, look here for all the answers.

What are GPS Trackers?

GPS trackers are basically collars with GPS in them, meaning that they track and log the movements of your dog wherever they may be. When you look for your tracker, there are two you can choose from, being subscription-based trackers that attach to the collar or specially designed collars with receivers. Neither type works better, but they are designed for separate purposes. Which one you pick ultimately depends on how often your dog goes running, if you need extra features to ensure your pups safety, and what type will work best for you.

There are two ways your tracker may function: GSM, or cellular, and radio-based. To put it simply, cellular trackers are used with subscriptions to communicate the dog’s location right to your phone. These are usually a little more casual and less reliable, so you might pick one of these up on the off chance that your dog runs off. They do generally have some real time data though and can help in a critical situation if your dog is gone suddenly.

Radio collars are meant to be more serious for professionals that hunt or spend a lot of times outdoors. You’ll have a handheld device just for you that will show you exactly where your dog is as soon as you press a button. That’s why these radio collars have a higher range and are able to track your dog from farther away, but they do require a larger initial investment. Keep that in mind before you decide on a radio collar.

Do They Really Work?

So you’re probably thinking: do any of these really work? Well, these types of trackers have been studied extensively to be sure they work well. In short, the best rated collars are extremely effective for both casual owners and professionals who are hunting or traveling. Radio collars in particular have become much more popular thanks to their reputation amongst hunters and scientists. They can even double as dog training collars at times, which is why these collars are considered to be so effective.

Features To Consider

You might already have your best collar in mind, but before you pick it up, let’s make sure it’s got all the features that will benefit you the most. For those whose dogs bark continuously for no apparent reason, buying a quality bark collar can help your dog learn when it’s okay to bark. Make sure you double-check the features to ensure you have brought the right collar.

Do You Need One?

In the end, not everyone needs a serious dog collar with a GPS tracker. If you own a huge amount of land or have a dog that’s prone to run at any time, a more expensive radio tracker might be just what you’re looking for. For those of you with dogs that aren’t as likely to run, you might consider the less expensive cellular version. Either way however, just having one of these trackers will give you the peace of mind you’re looking for.

Network Reliability

You do need to pay a subscription fee if you’ve got a cellular tracker, and usually this is more than worth it, but if the coverage in your neighborhood isn’t that great, it may not make sense to get a cellular attachment to the collar. Make sure you know what network your GPS tracker uses and check to see what your coverage is in your area. Radio collars by contrast have much better connection and will work reliably at all times, although they may have some trouble with real-time movements.

Battery Life

In the end, radio trackers have a much longer battery life than cellular trackers, since cellular trackers are trying to continuously get a signal to your dog. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but you do need to be proactive about charging. For the most part though, the batteries do last for 3-7 days on average, and some units will power down when your dog is inactive to prolong that battery life.

Waterproofing

Some of the more sophisticated models are actually completely waterproof while others are just water resistant. For those dogs that will just hop into a pool, go for the waterproof models that will still work even if the entire collar is submerged. If your pup usually avoids water, something that’s only water resistant will work just fine.

Activity Tracking

A huge additional feature is the ability to track your dog’s location and activity exactly. If you’re watching for activity or trying to reduce your dog’s weight, this is a great feature. By looking at the activity levels of your dog, you can adjust both food intake and playtime. You can even take a look at what your dog does in the house when you’re away! If you’re worried, some collars even check vital signs and other data.

Geo Zones

There’s a thing known as a safe zone in some of these trackers. Basically, you can set this zone so that your tracker will automatically notify you when your dog leaves that space. If your dog is a chronic runner, this is a great option for finding them quickly. So if you set your safe zone to your own home, you’ll know right away when they’ve left.

Getting the Right Size

Remember to purchase the size that will work best for your dog too. You don’t want one that’s too heavy for your dog or that’s difficult to carry around. As a collar attachment, these trackers aren’t too bad when it comes to weight, but most are 9-10 pounds, which may be too large for smaller dogs. Of course, be sure they’re durable and will stay on soundly too regardless of what sized dog you’ve got.

Conclusion

There are lots of options when it comes to picking out the best GPS dog tracker for your pup, from ones that work based on cellular systems to others that operate as radio systems. No matter which one you choose, you’ll have peace of mind regardless of where your pup might run off to. Pick out one of these top 10 that are waterproof, have good coverage, or are just the right size for your pet, and if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below!