While fences can typically keep your dog contained within your yard, if you have a pup who’s a talented escape artist, you might want to consider a dog GPS tracker. These devices can help you keep tabs on your beloved pet, providing you with additional peace of mind. The best GPS dog trackers, including our top pick, the Tractive Smart Dog GPS Tracker use Bluetooth and cellular technology to quickly pinpoint your dog’s location so you can easily find them—no calling their name or shaking the treat bag necessary.
The best GPS dog trackers help you keep tabs on your furry friend and locate them quickly.
Illustration: Forbes / Photo: Retailers
But there’s more to a dog tracker than the type of connectivity it uses. It’s also important to consider the range it covers, its size (you want to make sure it can fit comfortably onto your dog’s collar) and potential ongoing subscription costs. You’ll find no shortage of options, from a basic Apple AirTag to the Invoxia Minitailz GPS Tracker that can also monitor your dog’s vital signs. Ultimately, it all comes down to what you find best suits your needs and budget. After hours of research as well as incorporating our team’s firsthand experience trackers on our own pups, here are the best GPS dog trackers to help you keep tabs on your dog even when he roams.
Best Overall GPS Dog Tracker
Get Updates Every 2 To 3 Seconds
Amazon
Tractive Smart Dog GPS Tracker
GPS: Yes | Yearly fee: $108 or $120, depending on plan | Waterproof: Yes | Battery life: 14 days
Pros:
Frequent location updates to quickly locate your dog
Health tracking and barking activity detection included
Immediate alerts if your dog leaves the virtual fence area
Cons:
Occasional false alarms
Battery life could be longer
Subscription plan is required
The Tractive Smart Dog GPS Tracker updates your dog’s location every 2-3 seconds, so it’s easy to find your dog in real time should he turn into an escape artist. Set up a virtual fence via the app, and if your dog leaves this geolocation, you’ll instantly receive what the company calls an Escape Alert. But this tracker does more than just monitor your dog’s location via GPS. It also tracks their wellbeing, monitoring your dog’s heartbeats and breathing, and sending you an alert if it notices any issues with either. Keep in mind that you’ll need to invest in the subscription plan ($108 or $120 per year, depending on what plan you choose) alongside this GPS tracker, but it’s well worth the investment, since you get access to family sharing and 365-day location history data.
Tractive also detects sudden changes in barking activity, such as when a dog might detect a would-be intruder (AKA the mailman), and again it will alert the owner via app. While overall this is a well-rated and well-reviewed piece of hardware, some users report false alarms, such as getting a notice that a pet has moved beyond the virtual fence despite being right beside their owner. There’s also the issue of battery life: The device only lasts up to 14 days. Still, for a blend of price and performance, this is a great choice for most pet owners. For cat owners, Tractive offers the Tractive Smart Cat GPS Tracker.
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Best Bluetooth Dog Tracker For iPhone Users
A Budget-Friendly Choice Ideal For Urban Areas
MOST POPULAR
Amazon
Apple AirTag
GPS: No (Bluetooth only) | Monthly fee: $0 | Waterproof: Yes | Battery life: Up to one year
Pros:
Budget-friendly
Works with Find My app
One-year battery life for stress-free tracking
Cons:
Find My app needs to be close to an iPhone to work properly
Not recommended for rural areas
Doesn’t support real-time data tracking
Many of the top dog trackers offer a subscription, but if you don’t want to deal with this extra expense, the Apple AirTag costs around $30 before a discount and doesn’t require a monthly or annual fee. It sends out a signal that any iPhone in the world can register: Mark the AirTag as lost, and any iPhone that comes close will anonymously report the AirTag’s location to your device thanks to the Find My network.
It’s handy, but there’s a catch. The AirTag truly works best in urban or densely populated areas. Lose your dog in the middle of a hike or in a rural area, you’re not going to get a signal and won’t be able to track your dog. More importantly: Even if an iPhone is nearby, there’s no real-time tracking, so you can see snippets of your pup’s location, such as where the AirTag last pinged off an iPhone. And one more thing to note: You need to pick up a separate, third-party attachment accessory, like the AirTag Dog Collar Holder ($8), the Caisateq Silicone AirTag Pet Collar Holder ($8) or the Cityway AirTag Dog Collar Holder ($8) to properly secure it to your pet.
Best GPS Dog Tracker With Health Monitoring
Track Your Dog And Get Detailed Health Insights
Amazon
Invoxia Minitailz Dog Tracker
GPS: Yes | Yearly fee: $129.95 | Waterproof: IP67 | Battery life: Up to two weeks
Pros:
Can easily slide it onto any dog collar
Accurate location tracking
Useful AI health integrations
Cons:
It’s pretty big if you have a smaller dog
Only annual subscription plans offered
Invoxia’s Minitailz GPS Tracker uses a combination of Wi-Fi and cellular signals to keep spot-on tabs on your dog. Thanks to a no-frills ring attachment, it works with just about any collar you secure it to. Geofencing alerts will immediately let you know when your dog steps out of your virtual boundaries, too. That said, don’t plan on it lasting longer than two weeks before it requires recharging.
Its real claim to fame is the on-board AI, which is used to generate daily reports of your dog’s health metrics. It monitors cardio and respiratory health, but it goes further, giving you detailed summaries to help provide a comprehensive picture of not only your dog’s day but also their overall health. It’s a very useful feature to have, but you have to be within Bluetooth range to view results.
For up to 30 days between charges, Petcube’s GPS Tracker for Dogs can help you keep constant tabs on your dog, with alerts when the pooch exits a predetermined safe area and regular location updates thereafter thanks to GPS tracking. The case glows in the dark, which can help you spot a dog at a distance, and you can also compel it to light up and make noise via the Petcube app. The tracker also counts those canine steps and estimates calories burned, so you get some health tracking features, too.
And all that for less than you’ll pay for most GPS dog trackers, both in terms of the purchase price and the subscription fees. Some users of Petcube’s trackers have reported slow updates at times, and that they get false alarms showing the dogs much farther away than they really are. And the battery life is rarely a full 30 days as the company states, but the device charges fully in about an hour.
Best Bluetooth Dog Tracker for Android
Also Works With iOS
Amazon
Life360Pro Tile Pro
GPS: No (Bluetooth only) | Monthly fee: $0 | Waterproof: IP68 | Battery life: Up to one year
Pros:
Works with Android and iOS
Affordable, without a subscription fee
Battery life lasts up to one year
Cons:
App requires shared location
Pretty limited range
Like the Apple Air Tag, the Tile by Life360 Pro is not a true GPS device, but rather a long-range Bluetooth tracker. Unlike the Apple AirTag, however, the Tile works well with both iOS and Android devices. Because it has an approximate 500-foot range, don’t expect to track your dog down in the middle of a vast forest. Rather, this is a device that let’s you keep tabs on them while they play in a large yard or to keep close on their heels after they get out the door. There is no subscription fee and the purchase price is modest, too.
Some people don’t like that they are compelled to share their locations on their phones at all times if they want to use the Tile Pro, so that may be a tradeoff if you want a device that’s built for Android users. A small loop can help you connect it to your pet’s collar, and the battery is swappable and should last up to a year. As a plus, it’s also IP68 waterproofed, too.
Subscription recommended for homes and spaces with at least 0.5 acres
The SpotOn GPS Dog Fence can track your dog in real time, and to an accuracy of about three feet when there’s a clean line of sight to the sky or about 10 feet when there are trees, buildings and more that are somewhat blocking the direct connection to a satellite. The IP67 waterproofed collar uses geofenced areas you create via the app, and you can do so any time, anywhere. It’s pretty easy to draw boundaries, be it the ends of your property or a swatch of forest around your campsite, and you instantly create a “fenced” space for your dog.
SpotOn creates a border with two zones, an alert zone and a no-go zone. When a dog enters the alert zone, the collar plays a happy tone that gets their attention—once they are trained, that will be enough to have them stop and turn around. After that comes a warning tone, meaning they are getting closer to the no-go boundary. This time, a harsher tone is played and vibrations ensue if they continue. And if the dog crosses the boundary, they receive a static shock. You can set the intensity of this charge at 30 different stops, so you can find just the right amount of power to catch your dog’s attention without hurting them at all. If you need some extra help training you dog, the brand offers a complimentary 30-minute one-on-one training session with a certified trainer.
That said, there are some drawbacks. Firstly, this is a very expensive system at around $1,000. Opting for the annual subscription can cost up to another $176, depending on the plan you choose. That’s a lot, and it’s per dog. Because it can cover so much ground, it’s also recommended for expansive spaces of at least 0.5 acres and can go up to over 100 acres. Still, if you plan to go camping or hiking, that large area of coverage may be worth that sky-high price tag.
This story was first written by consumer tech and electronics editor Rebecca Isaacs, who has over five years of experience testing and writing about consumer technology. Isaacs grew up with a menagerie of Old English sheepdogs and mutts (some of whom were professional escape artists), and currently lives with three cats. As a proud pet owner, she knows what to look for in the best GPS dog trackers to keep your pets happy, healthy and safely monitored in your yard.
Forbes Vetted staff writer Steven John contributed to a late update of this article. He has been covering tech hardware, including hardware made for pets, for over a dozen years.
We interviewed unbiased experts to get their insight on how to choose the best GPS dog tracker. In particualr, we spoke to Alex Sarellas, managing partner and CEO at PAJ GPS, a company that specializes in GPS technology.
This story was originally edited by Emmy Favilla, Forbes Vetted’s managing editor and pet parent to two large dogs and three cats. She regularly writes and edits pet content (including of our monthly Pet Peeves column) and is an animal rescue advocate and shelter volunteer. Isaacs edited the updated and revised article.
The tech world moves fast, and we make every effort to keep up. This story was last updated in July 2025 to refresh products and add new FAQs to help you make an informed buying decision.
How We Chose The Best GPS Dog Trackers
Because many pets are not just furry friends, they’re truly family, we took extra care to consider a variety of needs for both dogs and fur parents alike. To find the best GPS dog trackers, we considered many different factors.
We asked many of the dog parents on the Forbes Vetted team about what brands of dog trackers they used and asked about their experiences with the hardware.
We did extensive research on multiple companies that offer purpose-built dog trackers and also looked into some tracking devices that just happen to work for pets, like the Apple AirTag.
We read through scores of customer reviews and noted all the praise heaped on certain brands of dog tracker. Additionally, we reviewed negative reviews for things to note before making any decisions. We also considered how often and how positively each dog tracker we considered had been rated by verified buyers.
We took the advice of Sarellas, a bonafide GPS technology expert, who had plenty of thoughts to share about GPS dog trackers.
What To Look For In The Best GPS Dog Trackers
All good dog trackers will make it easier to find you canine companion. These are the factors that have to be in place for a tracker to be a potential best pick.
Real Time Tracking
Real-time tracking is critically important. The best GPS dog trackers will instantly alert you if your dog leaves its safe zone, so you can quickly find your pup, and they will update the dog’s location information every few seconds, not every few minutes.
Range
Sarellas says: “Bluetooth-based trackers like the Apple AirTag are great for finding items within about 30 meters—perfect for keys or a wallet,” he says. But dogs and pets are a different story, since 30 meters isn’t very far, and odds are your pet has gone a much farther distance from your home. Some Bluetooth trackers like the Apple AirTag can ping off iPhones in the area, but still a GPS dog tracker can work over much longer distances to help you safely and accurately locate your pet. “As long as the device is charged and has a signal, you can track your dog almost anywhere, whether they’re across the neighborhood or miles away in the woods,” says Sarellas.
Battery Life
You need to make sure your dog tracker has a long battery life. Most of the picks on our list last a minimum of two weeks, so you don’t have to worry about recharging every other day; if you choose one with a shorter battery life, like SpotOn, make it part of your nightly routine to charge the tracker.
Comfort
Comfort is key with dog trackers. “A bulky tracker will make your dog uncomfortable, and if it bugs them enough, they'll find a way to remove it,” Sarellas says. He recommends keeping the GPS dog tracker under 50 grams.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Is The Most Accurate GPS Tracker For Dogs?
Based on our testing and research, the best GPS dog tracker in terms of accuracy is the Tractive Smart Dog GPS Tracker. That’s because it’s not only accurate in terms of knowing your dog’s location, but also because it updates every two or three seconds, so you can easily locate your dog.
What Is The Best GPS Dog Tracker Without A Subscription?
The Apple AirTag is our choice for the best dog tracker without a subscription needed, because while the Tile works well out to a certain distance, the AirTag can work from anywhere with iPhones in proximity. Just keep in mind that it works best in urban areas.
Are GPS Dog Trackers Worth It?
It depends. If you have an escape artist or a dog that you consider a severe flight risk, a GPS dog tracker is worth every penny and then some. It can mean the difference of finding your dog in two minutes versus two hours. However, if your dog is a glorified couch potato, that may be overkill to spend on a hefty sum on a tracker that never leaves the backyard. Ultimately, weigh your dog’s as well as your needs before adding a tracker to their collar.
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