You can now buy a doggie gps on a collar to keep track of your dog….?
…Would you buy one for your pooch?
It also has a cell phone built-in. If your dog is lost, the person who finds him can press a button on the collar to call you. The system can also signal your cell phone if your dog wanders away from home.
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9 Comments
Comment #1179
My guys and I work as an emergency response search and rescue team. We are often asked to search for lost people in all kinds of terrain and weather. Both of my guys have GPS tracking collars, and I would not be without them. 90 percent of the time when we are working, my pal and I are attached by a long line. But on rare occasions I do have to release them. I have only had to use the GPS system once, but it was worth every penny. Cody had actually fallen into an old run off ditch and could not get out, and had a nasty sprain. While he was only out of my sight for a few moments, it seemed like an eternity when I realized I could no longer see him, and he was not responding. I turned to my GPS, and in about 3 minutes I found him. Now, neither one goes out without their collars on. There are several types of GPS Systems that are out now, but all fall into one of three categories; The first is a web based system that notifies you of your pet’s location via the web or cell phone. An example of this is globalpetfinder. This type of system is useful for being alerted to when your pet leaves a certain boundary. You can set up multiple areas for your pet to be in, or set up a boundary while you are traveling. This is a great system for finding your escape artist. This type of system typically costs around $300.00. A few words of warning on this type of system; It is not completely water proof and has a limited battery life. There is also an additional fee for the service. It will typically cost $18.00 to $20.00 a month depending on what service you sign up for, or how many times your pup escapes. You also need to be sure that your area is covered by the service. The second type of system is a true GPS transmitter and receiver type. An example of this is Garmin’s Astro. This is the system that I use. It is very rugged and waterproof. It is designed to actually track your guy on a handheld GPS receiver. This receiver also has downloadable TOPO maps, area locations, a functioning handheld GPS with all the Garmin bells and whistles and costs around $600.00. This is a great and true tracking system. The third type is a combination of the two above. It actually will track via GPS map on your phone or PDA. An example of this is the Tracker System. I am not that familiar with this system, but have been told it is an excellent system, though a little cost prohibitive. While a GPS system is nice to be able to track your dog, particularly when you are traveling, camping, and things like that, I do not recommend it as a primary means to keep your pet at home. By keeping your pet at home you are making sure that they are safe. If you have an escape artist, as I do, I highly recommend using an Invisible Fence. It works incredibly well. I also highly recommend having your best friend tagged with a microchip. Collars have been known to fall off. Use the GPS tracking system as a backup, or when you and your pal leave home.
Comment #1185
….. they’re too big (I have a small dog).
i would pay for a long-distance RFID chip that could be inserted into his collar, or even placed under the skin.
one of our dogs is a rescue dog, and has the id chip. it helps us ID her as ours, but won’t help us find her if she gets lost.
Comment #1186
My dog isn’t exactly one of those who run through the electric fence in front of cars. He is a little smarter than that(although he couldn’t hold a candle to most dogs). It really depends on the dog and what you already have keeping them in. My dog has a mellow personality, he is a quiet nice dog and the beep five feet before the shock fence is enough to send him running for cover.
On the other hand my friends dog takes every chance he can do make a quick escape(only to return five minutes later after getting bored;-)) So for this crazy pooch I might recommend this GPS collar (although he always returns so it may not be worth it). Don’t get me wrong there are dogs out there were you can get a head start and you won’t stand a chance of finding them for weeks. Definitely for my dog it would be a waste, so think about your dogs personality before taking away more neck space with yet another collar.
Comment #1187
That said, I wonder how well the cell phone aspect of it would work here in Alaska. There are many areas where you can’t get a signal, so while it’s a great idea, I wonder if it’d work everywhere? Fortunately the two dogs I have now tend to be homebodies, but I had one that lived to go over or under the fence and even learned to open the gate, darn her, and it would have been nice to have avoided all those jaunts thru the brush and wooded areas in search of her. She was certainly one of those who loved to look back, let you get close and then laugh and trot away just when you thought you had her, but at least the gps would give you an idea where she is and maybe more importantly, wouldn’t it indicate the dog is on the move, hence it’s alive? I’d be seriously concerned if the signal just sat in one spot for a long period of time, I guess, tho’ I’d rather know than not know.
Comment #1183
Hopefully I would never need one.
Haven’t ever so far in 20 odd years of dog ownership.
Maybe they ought to insist that anyone whose dog is EVER found out on its own in the street HAS to buy one.
Yep now that would be a good idea.
Comment #1184
Wow. What’s not to like? Maybe the price. Maybe the looks. Maybe it’s too heavy? Otherwise, think of the problems it could solve/prevent! There are the doggie-poohs who get out of the gate just left open for a minute, are gone like a flash down the road, and will not win the encounter with an oncoming car. It betters the odds for those pooches to be found quickly.
I had a Walker foxhound who was a powerful digger and escape artist. I live in an urban area and once when she got out I found her miles away when she walked up to someone and asked for food and water and a place to take a nap! When I think of the traffic she crossed getting out of town and into the suburbs…whew!
How do I find one of those things?
Comment #1182
i say keep control of ur dog urself and dont depend on technology to do the job for u.
Comment #1181
lol or my dog could call during my lunch break at work and let me know how she’s doing. i’m sure if someone finds my dog they will just take her to the vet to get the info from the microchip. i’d be happy to buy something that would prevent cars running her over or people stealing her, but i’ve already got a collar with my phone number and a microchip for her, contacting me shouldn’t be a problem.
Comment #1180
Mmm, I’ve heard they’re not really worth it. I’ll wait for them to get a little cheaper or a little better before considering purchasing one. GPS hound tracking units are flippin’ expensive, but you can track six dogs anywhere and find out where they’ve gone. Better bang for the buck, I’d say.