Best Dog Trackers UK 2023

Does your dog have poor recall or high prey drive?

As an owner of Alaskan Klee Kai, I’m cautious about allowing my dogs off leash because they’ve got high prey drive which makes them a flight risk.

Fortunately, there are a number of companies that offer pet trackers that can also double up as training devices, activity monitors and identity tags.

In this article, we’ll take a look at three of the leading options within the dog tracker market to help British dog owners find the right GPS device for them.

We’ll take a close look at Weenect Dogs 2, Tractive GPS Dog 4 and Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker, examining the functionality of the devices, customers reviews and provide our verdict.

What We Looked For In A Dog GPS Tracker

In my search for the right GPS tracker for my Alaskan Klee Kai, I took into account a number of factors. These included:

• Coverage – There’s no point having a GPS tracker for your dogs if the coverage is poor. I selected three companies that have a proven track record in this field, ensuring that you’ll be covered throughout most of the UK.

• Live Tracking – I wanted to have the ability to see where my dogs are in real time in the event they run off after some small prey and their recall training fails. It’s important that I can track my Klee Kai using the device’s app on my smartphone.

• Training – As someone with a breed that is known for having poor recall, I wanted a device that could double as a training device, whether it be through noise, vibration or voice.

• Activity – I love to run with my Alaskan Klee Kai so I wanted to be able to monitor their activity. I was also wanted the ability to learn which of my dogs is more active on a daily basis.

• Subscription – While I was aware that GPS tracker for dogs would require a subscription plan, I didn’t want to pay high fees every month just to track my dogs.

1) Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker

Where To Buy: www.pawfit.com

Who Are Pawfit?

Latsen Technology are the brains behind Pawfit, a smarting pet tracking solution. Their website explains that Pawfit is their first pet care product that the company has taken to market.

They want to provide dog owners with the comfort of knowing that their dog is healthy and safe. Therefore they’ve created Pawfit to help all pet parents to track the location of their pet as well as their wellbeing and mood.

Main Points

• Real-time Location – Pawfit 3 is always tracking your pet with regular location updates, so you know where your pet is just by checking the app. If your pet gets lost, find them FAST with Find mode, which updates their location every 5 seconds. Pawfit 3’s built-in LED light and alarm feature can help find your pet in the dark or help you hear them even when you can’t see them.

• Activity Monitoring – You can set personalised daily activity goals in the Pawfit app and easily monitor how many steps they’ve done, calories burnt, distance travelled, and how active/inactive they are each day. Plus stay motivated with fun fitness badges and more.

• Alerts – You can create up to 10 virtual fences around your home or anywhere else they spend a lot of time and get alerted whenever your dog crosses the boundary and so you can find them faster.

• Pawfit Voices – With Pawfit voices you can record 5 personal voice commands that can be played out of Pawfit’s speaker so you can speak to your pet even when they’re out of ear shot.

• Audio ID Tag – Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker provide an audio ID tag so people can hear your pet’s name as well as desired information. So if you lose your pet or pet tracker, you have a better chance of recovering them.

• Subscription – Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker offer a range of subscription options. You can get a one month at £4.79 a month, 6 months at £3.99 a month and a 12 month plan at £3.59 per month.

What Else Is New About The Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker?

The Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker has some new features that have upgraded this tracker compared to the non defunct Pawfit 2. Let’s quickly run through some of the key differences:

• The Pawfit 3 uses 4g technology unlike the Pawfit 2 that relied on 2g.

• The new Pawfit is slightly lighter than previous models despite having a lock attachment included.

• The Pawfit 3 has a separate tracking light, while dog owners can do a remote shutdown.

• Pawfit 3 has a waterproof rating of IP68 (the highest there is) and can be safely used in both fresh and salt water.

There are even more features that you can check out by visiting Pawfit’s website.

Price

Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker is priced at £54.99 on Pawfit’s website. Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker offer a range of subscription options. You can get a one month at £5.79 a month, 6 months at £3.99 a month and a 12 month plan at £3.59 per month.

Any Negatives?

While Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker have text-to-speech technology, it does lack the vibration element that some other pet trackers have.

However, the reviews on Amazon were effusive in their praise of Pawfit’s text-to-speech technology, especially for dog owners who have pups that are prone to wandering off or have a high prey drive.

Conclusion

Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker appears to be a good option in the pet tracker market.

If you’re a British dog owner looking to get a pet tracker that can provide live tracking so you can monitor your canine companion at all times, you won’t go wrong with this device.

The Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker allows pet parents to monitor their dog’s daily activity as well as set daily goals for your furry friend (and by default, you!). It’s also waterproof!

I liked the additional inclusion of alerts surrounding your dog’s temperature should it become abnormal.

2) Tractive GPS Dog 4

Where To Buy: www.amazon.com

Who Are Tractive?

Tractive are an Austrian company that have also been operating since 2012.

They look to develop easy-to-use apps to allow dog owners to keep tabs on their pets, providing the most intuitive and reliable application experience.

Tractive can ship their products around the world so they can take care of British dogs and their owners. They provide worldwide tracking and activity monitoring.

Main Points

• Live GPS Tracking – Tractive offer live GPS tracking that allows dog parents to get updates every 2-3 seconds.

• Virtual Fence – You can set up a safe space and get notifications every time your canine companion leaves or gets back into an area you’ve marked as safe.

• Activity Monitoring – Tractive offer the added bonus of allowing pet parents to keep track of their dog’s fitness and activity levels. You can also compare how they’re doing compared to other dogs in the neighbourhood.

• Dog-Friendly Design – Their website describes their GPS tracker as comfortable and flexible, fitting onto collars and harnesses. They’ve also got a dog-safe power button so your pup won’t accidentally switch it off.

• Subscription – Tractive offer two different subscription models with different pricing. Their basic subscription plan can be purchased monthly (£6.99), yearly (£54.99 or £4.58 a month) and two years (£3.75 a month). This comes with GPS tracking, unlimited LIVE tracking and activity monitoring. Their premium subscription plan can be purchased yearly (£64.99 or £5.42 a month), two years (£4.17 a month) and five years (£3.33 a month). Premium includes the same as Basic as well as public and family sharing, worldwide coverage, 365 days location history, GPS Data Export and premium customer service.

Our Verdict

I was sent a Tractive Dog to test and I opted to use it on my younger Alaskan Klee Kai, who is very active.

The Tractive GPS tracker was easy to set up and sync with the app, you just follow the simple steps provided.

The tracking was detailed and accurate despite living in the British countryside where the coverage can be suspect at times.

Price

Tractive’s website explains that new Brexit-related regulations means Tractive can’t sell their products directly to customers in the UK. However, you can order Tractive GPS Dog 4 on Amazon, where it costs £49.99.

Bear in mind that you’ll need to purchase a subscription plan in addition to the initial cost of the Tractive device.

Their basic subscription plan can be purchased monthly (£6.99), yearly (£54.99 / £4.58 a month) and two years (£3.75 a month). This comes with GPS tracking, unlimited LIVE tracking and activity monitoring. Their premium subscription plan can be purchased yearly (£64.99 / £5.42 a month), two years (£4.17 a month) and five years (£3.33 a month). Premium includes the same as Basic as well as public and family sharing, worldwide coverage, 365 days location history, GPS Data Export and premium customer service.

Any Negatives?

Tractive GPS Dog 4 isn’t available to purchase directly from their website due to Brexit rules. Therefore, you’ll have to open an Amazon account if you want to purchase their tracker.

I did notice a lot of reviews on Trustpilot that mentioned the battery life. However, the long-lasting battery is supposed to last for up to five days. I find I need to charge my trackers every 3 days.

Conclusion

Tractive GPS Dog 4 is one of the leading pet trackers on the market given the company’s experience in the market.

They’ve got worldwide location tracking and activity monitoring, including a LIVE mode that updates every 2-3 seconds.

If you do decide to go with Tractive GPS Dog 4, your device will be delivered in plastic-free packaging.

3) Weenect Dogs 2 GPS Tracker

Where To Buy: www.amazon.com

Who Are Weenect?

Weenect are a French company founded in 2012, bringing eight years of experience to the GPS tracker market. Their website describes Weenect as “experts” in their field and outlines their mission to make your dog’s life safer.

They understand the importance of pets to your family so they’ve designed a series of GPS trackers to ensure pet parents are never separated from their canine companions.

It’s worth noting that Weenect work with professionals within the animal world, such as vets, to ensure to their GPS tracker meet the needs of dogs and cats all over the world.

Main Points

• World’s Smallest GPS Dog Tracker – The biggest selling point of the Weenect Dogs 2 is arguably the fact that it’s the world’s smallest GPS dog tracker. If you like to take photos of your dog on your walks in countryside, forest or mountains, you can do so while having peace of mind you’ve got a GPS tracker that won’t be an eyesore in your photos.

• Safe Zone – Weenect allow dog owners to create a geofence. This is a safe zone that can be used to prevent your dog escaping. For example, you can set your address as a geofence and if your pup leaves the safe zone, a notification will be sent directly to your phone.

• 99% Coverage Of Europe – Weenect say on their website that their dog tracker works even in most remote areas. They claim their product’s integrated SIM card works all over Europe and covers 99 per cent of the territory. Using a 2g network, their sim cards are multi-country should you take your dog on a road trip through Europe with you.

• Ring & Vibrate Features – Weenect offer a ring and vibrate feature that can be used to help train your dog to return to you when they feel the vibration or hear the ring. Their website says this feature makes the Weenect Dogs 2 a dog training collar as well as a GPS tracker.

.• Multi-pet – If you’ve got more than one dog and you want to use multiple Weenect dog trackers, you can do so using just one account.

• Subscription – Weenect offer monthly (£7.90 per month), one-year prepaid (£5 per month)and two-year prepaid (£3.75 per month) subscriptions.

Our Verdict

I was sent a Weenect Dogs 2 tracker to try on one of my Alaskan Klee Kai. My female Klee Kai is particularly sensitive so I liked the compact size of this GPS pet tracker.

Once I charged it fully, it was easy to use. I downloaded Weenect’s app, created an account and paired the device with the app without any complications.

I followed the simple instructions to activate Weenect Dog 2 and I set up a geofence in my home. It was as simple as entering my postcode and the safe zone was created.

The silicone case was easy to fit onto my dog’s collar and Weenect Dog 2 was indeed waterproof, withstanding the winter weather in the British countryside when we put it to the test.

The app is simple to use but it could do with a more appealing interface.

Price

Weenect Dogs 2 is available to purchase for £49.90 on Amazon plus the subscription fee. Weenect offer a range of subscription options, ranging from monthly (£7.90 per month), one-year prepaid (£5 per month) and two-year prepaid (£3.75 per month) subscriptions.

Any Negatives?

It’s important to note there are some white zones, which are places where the 2G network is particularly weak. Weenect say on their website that their dog tracker won’t work properly in these white zones, which could potentially include some remote countryside or forests.

However, you can check your phone network before you decide to allow your dog to roam off leash with the Weenect tracker to ensure you have coverage.

Weenect say on their website that their 2G network means it works without any distance limits and GPS is monitored in real time.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a small GPS tracker for dogs that will provide you with peace of mind when you take your dogs out for a walk or even allow them to go up the garden, Weenect represents a good option.

By setting a safe zone, you will be alerted with a notification if your dog leaves the geofence established within the app.

As mentioned above, Weenect Dog 2 can also be used as a dog training collar thanks to their ring and vibrate options. My Alaskan Klee Kai quickly associated the vibration with the command to return to me.

Reasonably priced at £49.90 (on Amazon), the Weenect Dog 2 represents good value for dog owners in the UK looking for a GPS dog tracker that can provide coverage in the UK and in Europe.

Anything Else To Consider?

While all the pet trackers in this article promise comprehensive coverage, it’s worth noting that there may be white areas where they struggle to get reception. In some remote forests or hikes, it’s worth checking the reception in the area before you decide to allow your dog to roam off leash.

As you’ll have noticed above, the dog GPS trackers reviewed in this article all require a subscription plan. Prices start from as little as £3.59 per month and range up to £6.99 per month.

Wrapping Up

We’ve reached the end of our review of the best dog trackers in the UK.

There’s little to choose between the three leading options in the UK at the moment: Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker, Tractive GPS Dog 4 and Weenect Dogs 2.

Pawfit 3 Pet Tracker has great text-to-voice technology that allows dog owners to program their dog’s name, their address and telephone number in the event your dog goes missing and is found by a stranger.

Tractive GPS Dog 4 have an easy-to-use app that makes monitoring your dog enjoyable and effortless. If you’re competitive like me, you’ll enjoy Tractive’s platform of dog users so you can share your activity with the rest of the community.

I like that Weenect Dogs 2 GPS tracker is the smallest GPS tracker for dogs on the market, especially given my Alaskan Klee Kai are small canines. I found the ring and vibrate buttons useful in terms of recall.

The three trackers have largely the same features with a couple of unique selling points to each device. Your preference will depend on your specific needs.