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Whether you like to bring your dog along with you on hikes or let them run free in your backyard, there’s always a risk that they’ll run away — especially if your dog has a high prey drive. In such scenarios, a dog GPS tracker can help you locate where your dog is so you can bring them back home, safe and sound. Our Lab pros at the Good Housekeeping Institute narrowed down the best dog GPS trackers on the market, whether you’re looking for one with impressive battery life, precise tracking or extra features like health monitoring.
The engineers and tech experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute test gadgets to help you keep track of your things, from key finders to luggage trackers, as well as pet essentials like dog food, cat carriers and more. When testing the best dog GPS trackers and collars, we evaluated more than half a dozen models on our own dogs, evaluating their ease of use, accuracy, fit and extra features. We also interviewed Megan Conrad, M.B.B.S., a veterinarian at Hello Ralphie and associate vet at WellHaven Pet Health, to help you decide whether a dog GPS collar is worth it for you. These are the best dog GPS trackers, according to our engineers, pet parents and positive consumer reviews. After our top picks, continue reading to learn more about dog GPS trackers and how to find the right one for your pup. For another way to keep tabs on your dog, consider investing in a pet camera to watch them while you're away from home.
The Whistle GO Explore tracks your dog's location and provides activity and health data in a compact package that can easily attach to the collar of dogs weighing 25 pounds and up. What's unique about it is that it features a lost dog mode that will update your pet's location every 15 seconds, unlike other GPS trackers we tested that often took a few minutes to geolocate. Plus, it comes packed with intuitive geofencing abilities that let you create multiple "safe zones" so you're alerted when your pet leaves those areas.
During testing, our pros found the tracker easy to set up and the app intuitive to use. We also like that it was small enough to not bother our tester dog at all when clipped onto the collar, and once it was clipped on, it wasn't coming off. In addition, the Whistle GO offers some of the same amazing features of other luxury trackers, like in-app graphs of your dog's activity levels, details about their positive and negative behaviors (like drinking water or scratching) and records of their sleep, but at a slightly more affordable price.
With over 13,700 five-star reviews on Amazon, it'd be a shame to overlook the Tractive GPS dog collar. It's a nice entry-level option at a price that won't break the bank, and we like that its suitable for dogs as small as 8.5 pounds. In testing, we observed that the device easily attaches to the dog's collar with little effort and location tracking was pretty accurate. Our pros also love the live-tracking feature, which allows you to track your dog's movement in real-time to show you exactly where they are each second, unlike other GPS trackers that can take up to a few minutes to update. Though it lacks some extra features you'll find on other trackers, you can still monitor your pet's location, sleep patterns and daily activity. Plus, this tracker is waterproof so you don't have to worry about your pup running in the rain or splashing in large puddles. One worry, however, is that the silicone collar attachment could be pulled off if your pet is running vigorously through trees or brush. Another downside is that the battery life could be longer.
The Jiobit tracker is the smallest GPS tracker that we've come across so it's a great fit for tiny dogs and even cats. Although we tested the Jiobit specifically as a pet tracker, it can also be used to monitor the location of children, elderly family members and adults, making it incredibly versatile. Not only is it easy to charge and set up in just a few minutes, but it can be attached via one of four different clips — just choose the clip that fits best for your dog's collar, a kid's backpack, a keyring or even clothing.
What sets this dog GPS collar apart from other picks is that there are no buttons so you don't have to worry about accidentally forgetting to turn it on. You can easily monitor the tracker's battery life in the app, which should last up to 30 days, according to the brand. Once your pet is in a trusted place — like within the radius you've set up around your home, work or wherever you are — the tracker automatically goes into a power-saving mode so it can stay active for longer. In our tests we did notice, however, that once the tracker was removed after a walk, there were endless push alerts sent warning that the GPS was disconnected.
The FitBark dog tracker may be tiny, but it packs a punch and measures everything from your dog's behavioral changes (like reduced activity or increased sleep patterns that can indicate illness) to their location. It has a relatively long battery life — up to 20 days on a single charge — which means you can clip it to your dog's collar and not worry about messing with it too often. Like a few of the other options on this list, the FitBark is a 24/7 tracker that works best if your dog wears it at all times since it monitors their sleep and health.
The FitBark measures things like skin conditions, calories burned and sleep quality. It's lightweight (fitting pets 5 pounds and up) and has a waterproof rating of IP67 so your dog can wear it in heavy rain. Though the FitBark has many great extra features, its main downside is the location lag. It will keep you up to date on all of your pet's health concerns, but it takes a few minutes to catch up to their accurate location so if you own an escape artist they may be far away by the time you get the alert.
Unlike other options on this list, the Tile is not actually a GPS tracker and wasn't only designed for pets. Instead, it's a Bluetooth tracker that you've probably heard of people using for tracking keys, phones and other items — but that doesn't mean it can't track pets. Simply slip the small tracker onto your pet's collar and forget about it — you don't even have to worry about charging it as the built-in battery should last up to a year.
Unlike GPS trackers, Bluetooth trackers have one major limitation: distance. The Tile Pro can track items up to 400 feet away from you, so once your pet leaves that radius, you won't be able to track them. But in our testing, we loved that we could tap into the "Tile Network" — even if your phone isn't in range of your Tile, other people in the Tile Network may be. That means that when you tap the "notify when found" button in the app, you'll be able to receive a notification of your pet's location if they run into the radius of other phones. It's certainly not a foolproof method and we advise those seeking accurate location tracking to invest in a GPS dog tracker, but Tile can come in handy when you want to keep track of your pup in a large backyard or property.
The Fi collar tracks your pet's location and measures the number of steps they take, the distance they walk and even the length of their nap time. In the morning, you can check on your pet's sleep stats and see how many times they woke up during the night. The Fi tracker also comes on a sturdy collar available in various colors and sizes so you don't have to worry about finding a way to connect it to your pet's existing collar. When testing the collar, our pet experts loved how easy the app was to use and how you're able to check your dog's entire tracking history to find out where they walked and how long they were out. However, if you have a speedster that's prone to breaking out, the Fi takes a few minutes to update your pet's location so you may not be notified that they've left home until they're already down the block. Some online reviewers mentioned issues with connecting the Fi to the base making it difficult to charge, receiving incorrect location alerts that said their pet had escaped or was in a significantly different location. However, we didn't experience any of these issues while testing and noticed accurate location updates, if a bit delayed.
Our team at the Good Housekeeping Institute reviews pet gear of all kinds from dog beds to dog harnesses. We read hundreds of reviews to find the most popular dog GPS trackers worth considering, then tested over half a dozen of them on our expert's two pups: a Weimaraner and a greyhound/lab mix. We even tested a few on other Good Housekeeping pooches. Our recommendations are based on our evaluations of the following factors:
When browsing through the many dog GPS trackers that are available, here are a few things to keep in mind to help you make the best pick:
✔️ Size: The size of your dog will play a large role in the size of the tracker you choose. Some of the more luxury trackers that include additional features on health and activity levels can be too heavy for small breeds. Always double-check the recommended weight limit.
✔️ Battery life: Some trackers have long battery lives that are great for dogs that seem to always slip away at the least expected moments, while others are better for attaching to their collars right before you go on a walk. If you don't want to charge too frequently or fumble with taking the tracker on or off, consider investing in a tracker with a longer battery life.
✔️ GPS accuracy: If you've got an active pup that's prone to running off, choose a tracker that updates every few seconds so you can be sure to catch them as quickly as possible. If your dog simply strolls down the street at a relaxed pace, you probably don't need such frequent updates.
✔️ Extra features: Aside from geolocating your pet, many of these GPS trackers include a variety of additional features that help you keep tabs on your pet's health and activity levels. If you're looking for something that does more than just alert you when your dog makes a break for it, consider a model that also includes some more data collection.
In order to find your missing pet, GPS trackers connect to a variety of satellites to determine the exact location of your furry friend. Most trackers also use a combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to help share your pet's data with the app linked to your phone. The app is always tracking your pet's location, and since GPS trackers use satellites, if you go into a spot with no cell service or Wi-Fi, the tracker should still work and update information. Any delay you see in your app is due to your phone not receiving the information in a timely manner rather than the location not accurately updating. Unfortunately, "in general, the more expensive the device, the more accurate it tends to be," veterinarian Megan Conrad explains. So if you want to keep track of your dog down to the centimeter, it makes sense to invest in a pricier option. "All GPS trackers rely on communication to GPS satellites so the strength of the signal can vary depending on the model," says Conrad. "But some more advanced models can communicate with international GPS satellites making them more accurate, while others may only be able to communicate within a certain area."
For decades, the Good Housekeeping Institute has been providing expert reviews and advice on everything a pet parent needs, including dog GPS trackers. In her former role as Parenting & Pets Reviews Analyst, Jamie Spain brought years of journalism experience to the Institute, having reviewed products for Good Housekeeping, as well as BuzzFeed, while also previously working in the parenting and pets sphere at People.
This guide was most recently updated by Media & Tech Reviews Analyst Olivia Lipski, who covers everything from consumer electronics to home, outdoor, fitness and more for the Good Housekeeping Institute. A fellow dog owner, she’s tested dog GPS collars on her (escape artist) Shiba Inu when hiking and thinks they're a great tool to keep track of your pup.
Jamie (she/her) is a parenting and pets reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she spends her time testing, researching and writing about pet and family products. Prior to starting at GH in 2021, she worked at BuzzFeed and People, covering a combination of product reviews and lifestyle content. She's a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and psychology and a master’s degree in journalism.
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