A pet escaping and getting lost are some of the worst nightmares of pet owners. Aside from not being able to come back home, they can even get hurt without you knowing. This is why many fur parents use GPS collars for their pets. If you also want peace of mind, you should consider getting your dog one. But make sure to do it after weighing the device’s pros and cons.
Is it really worth it? Is it the best option for your pet? Get all your answers here in this article. Find out what benefits come with GPS collars for dogs. At the same time, learn what are the potential cons you may encounter.
What Are GPS Collars and How Do They Work?
GPS collars are pet collars designed with GPS trackers. Their main function is to tell pet owners the location of where the pet wearing the collar is. But aside from that, GPS collars may offer one or more of the following features:
Geofencing: This is for setting up safe zones that will alert you when your pet leaves the area.
Real-time Tracking: It provides real-time updates and insights on your pet when they’re out without you.
Health Insights: Tracks and monitors your dog’s sleeping pattern, weight, behavior, and other health parameters.
Activity Monitoring: Monitors your dog’s daily, weekly, and monthly activity regarding steps, miles, or points.
Social Community: This feature ranks your dog’s activity levels against those of other dogs with the same device. It usually works based on their age, breed, and location. Some models even let you connect your fitness tracking device so you can be workout partners with your pet.
Benefits of Using GPS Collars for Dogs
With the overall design and various benefits of GPS collars, you and your dog can enjoy the following benefits:
More Reliable Than Dog Tags
GPS collars have sturdier and more reliable builds than your regular dog tag. They’re usually designed to be waterproof. They are designed to be comfortable for your dog to wear and do not easily fall off. This means that even how much your dog jumps around, even in wet and muddy conditions, the collars will work just fine. This ensures that you can track your dog at all times.
Offers Worldwide Coverage
The GPS technology has worldwide coverage. This means that with the collar on your dog, the technology will allow you to pinpoint its location wherever they are. Some collars can even provide traced locations accurately in ranges within the feet or a meter. GPS dollars can even save these locations so you can monitor how far your dog has been wandering around.
Provides Peace of Mind
This is the most valuable benefit of GPS collars. With their trackers, pet owners can enjoy some peace of mind knowing that they can easily check where their pet is exactly. If, for any reason, they aren’t, the tracker in the collar will let you know where they are. You don’t have to stress about where to find them, and they’ll be able to explore outdoors safely.
Easy and Safe to Use
Aside from the GPS capabilities, these collars are easy and safe to use for dogs. There are no complex steps to follow, so you can simply put it on your pet’s neck. You don’t need any veterinarian or expert help. Plus, they’re made pet-friendly as they have no side effects on your pet’s health. You don’t need to implant or stick it to your dog, which usually hurts them.
Can Be Used With Multiple Pets
GPS collar manufacturers use different GPS tracking systems. This means that when you use the same brand of collars for your dogs, you’ll be able to monitor them using the same system. This will make it easier to watch and locate them.
Allows You to Set Up Boundaries
With the smart features of GPS dog collars, you can also use them like an invisible fence. With most collars, pet owners can program their collars with specified boundaries or areas. If your dog reaches or goes over those boundaries, the collar will vibrate, beep, or light up to warn your pet that they’re on the boundary. You may even receive notifications on your app once they do.
Helps You Better Understand Your Pet
A GPS collar will help you monitor your dog’s activity and health. This will make it easier for you to understand better what your pet does all day. You may know their favorite spots and where in the neighborhood they like to explore. At the same time, the collar will help you understand how active your dog is and determine whether they need more exercise or physical activity.
Makes It Easy to Find Your Dog
One major reason why pet owners chip their pets is so that they’re easy to find when lost or stolen. However, this can be painful to your dog and can irritate their body. Also, you would need to wait for someone to find your pet and have their chip checked. This can be a cruciating time of waiting and worrying. Fortunately, finding a lost dog is one of the key features of a GPS collar.
Since the tracker and the system can record the previous and real-time location of your dog, it would be easier to locate your dog. You’ll have their location fast so that you can head right there. This is useful when they’re lost or even stolen. Some smart GPS collars can even store your name, address, and personal information about your dog. These details will make it easier to get and retrieve your pet.
Can Save a Pet’s Life
Pet owners usually assume that their pets being out of the house for a long time means they either escaped or stolen. Although there’s indeed a high probability of that being true, it’s not always the case. Remember that it’s also possible that your fur baby is too injured, sick, or stuck to return to your house.
Unfortunate accidents can happen outdoors, making it difficult for them to return. In such situations, you can use the collar to locate and monitor your dog's health in real time. This will allow you to save your dog’s life as quickly as possible.
Save You From Any Possible Legalities
Rules and regulations around pets in many countries are very strict. This means that your dog escaping and wandering around can create legal trouble for you as a pet owner. In some countries and regions, dogs may be restricted from accessing public places. They can also be charged if they attack other pets or people.
The chances of these happening are higher when you can’t monitor where your dog is. But if your dog is wearing a GPS collar, you can prevent them from doing something that would lead to legal troubles.
Potential Drawbacks of Using GPS Collars for Your Dog
Despite the numerous advantages of GPS collars, there are also some potential drawbacks that you should be aware of before investing in one. These include:
They Can Be Expensive
Compared to your regular collars or tags, GPS collars can be pretty expensive. This makes it understandable that getting one isn’t within every pet owner’s budget. They usually cost at least $100 and can cost up to $200 and over for devices with more features. In most cases, the trackers will also need you to subscribe to a system.
Powered By Batteries
GPS collars rely on batteries for power, and these batteries have a limited lifespan. As a result, there is a possibility that your dog's collar could lose power while they are outdoors, rendering the GPS function inoperative. To prevent this from happening, it’s important to regularly monitor the battery level to ensure that it does not become critically low. This will help to safeguard your pet from getting lost in the event of a low battery.
GPS Signal Difficulties
There are instances where GPS can be interfered with. They aren’t perfectly clear everywhere. It usually happens indoors or in places where the GPS tracker in the collar fails to connect with the system successfully. This means that depending on where you live and where your dog usually wanders, there might be instances where the collar will not have a strong signal. This can make it harder for you to track your pet using GPS.
Conclusion
GPS collars for dogs offer a wide range of benefits for both pets and pet owners. With the ability to keep track of your dog’s activity and location, you can enjoy some peace of mind when you’re not with them. Ultimately, these benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks of using this type of dog collar. Plus, it’s easy to deal with the cons as long as you understand them.
If you’re still unsure whether to get one, this is your sign. Look at some of your best options in our pet collar collection. We offer high-quality supplies and products for a wide variety of pet needs.