Does your dog have a tendency to wander off?
If your canine companion is prone to getting lost or escaping from your garden, you may need a GPS tracker for dogs to keep tabs on your furry friend.
I own two Alaskan Klee Kai who are expert escape artists so I find that a dog tracker can provide invaluable peace of mind if they’re left unsupervised for a couple of minutes.
Most GPS dog trackers will provide realtime tracking so you’ll know exactly where your dog is at all times once you’ve logged into the device’s app.
In this comparison article, we’re going to take a look at two of the leading dog trackers in the market at the moment.
We’ll examine the Weenect Dogs 2 GPS and the Tractive GPS Dogs 4, looking at the features available to dog owners, what customers are saying about the products as well as provide our verdict.
You can check out our updated guide to the best dog trackers in the UK here.
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Weenect Dog 2 GPS – The Basics
Website: www.weenect.com
Alaskan Klee Kai wearing the Weenect GPS tracker for dogs (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
Weenect are a French company that produce GPS trackers for dogs (as well as children and OAPs). Their mission is to make your dog’s life safe and provide pet parents with peace of mind that their pup isn’t in danger.
They’ve created the world’s smallest GPS dog tracker to ensure your canine companion can wear the tracker without feeling uncomfortable having it on their collar around their neck.
Weenect provide the ability to create a safe zone so you’ll receive a notification if your four-legged friends decides to wander off, allowing you to swiftly take action.
The dog tracker has 99% coverage of Europe thanks to their 2G network so you can bring your pup abroad and keep track of your dogs movements wherever you are.
Weenect Dog 2 GPS doubles up as a training collar thanks to the ring and vibrate features. Using their app, you can either ring or vibrate the collar, which your dog may associate with a command if you decide to use this feature to your advantage.
The French company offer a multi-pet option within the same account so you can monitor and use both trackers within the same account.
It’s important to remember that you’ll need a subscription to avail of the service provided by Weenect Dog 2 GPS.
Tractive GPS Dog 4 – The Basics
Where To Buy: www.amazon.com
Alaskan Klee Kai wearing the Tractive GPS tracker for dogs (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
Tractive GPS Dog 4 are an Austrian company have established themselves as one of the leading dog tracker brands available on the market.
They’re probably the biggest name in the dog tracker market, partly thanks to the recent hit Amazon show, The Pack.
Tractive, who provide worldwide coverage, have been operating for eight years in the dog tracker market, using technology to strengthen the bond between pet parents and canines.
Their website explains that their tracker is designed to be robust and easy to use so it can withstand all the adventures you’ve got planned with your pup.
Tractive GPS Dog 4 has live tracking so you can keep an eye on your dog at all times. They’ve got the ability to create a virtual fence so you’ll be notified if your dog leaves a designated area.
Unlike some other dog trackers, Tractive GPS Dog 4 has activity monitoring so you can see your dog’s key stats such as active minutes, resting minutes and calories burned.
Tractive have a strong social element having built a community of dog owners who compete against each other to climb the leaderboard (global, regional and breed).
Weenect v Tractive – Our Recommendation
We really rate Weenect Dogs GPS 2 and Tractive GPS Dog 4 highly.
You can’t really go wrong with either device and your preference will depend on your specific needs.
Tractive GPS Dog 4 does have it’s advantages over Weenect’s device.
For instance, it can track your dog’s activity, something which I really enjoyed doing given I’ve got two dogs and could see which of my Klee Kai was more active.
Their social element is a big plus if you like to interact with a community of dog owners.
For example, I did find Weenect to be more useful given the training element that comes with their device.
I was able to use the ring and vibrate features to train my Alaskan Klee Kai to return to me when she heard the ringing sound or felt the vibration.
While this wasn’t foolproof and there were a couple of occasions when she ignored me, she did largely respond to the ring or vibration.
Having read Weenect’s reviews on Trustpilot, it seems like a lot of dog owners have used this feature to train their dogs.
While I personally preferred Tractive, I feel like there’s very little to choose between these two trackers.
They’ve got the same key features and whichever dog tracker you opt to buy ultimately rests with the features you consider most important to you.
What Are Customers Saying About Weenect and Tractive?
Weenect, as a company, have an average rating of 4.1 stars out of 5 based upon nearly 3,000 reviews on independent review website Trustpilot. The French company get over 82 per cent positive reviews on Trustpilot.
Philippe gave the product a glowing five-star review based upon his experience.
The product works well. I am letting my dog run free and always know where she is. The tracker does not bother the dog. If she does not listen to me, I use the music option effect is that she stops and search for me.
John didn’t hesitate to recommend this product to other dog owners.
At first I was dubious ordering an expensive item from a foreign website but I read previous reviews which were all positive. Hugo my dog had it on now and it’s marvelous. I have six acres of garden and now I know where he is at any time. I would thoroughly recommend Weenect and the tracker to any dog owner.
Tractive get 4.4 stars out of 5 based upon over 5,449 reviews on independent review website Trustpilot.
Alaskan Klee Kai wearing the Tractive GPS tracker for dogs (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
Alice was impressed with how effective the Tractive device is.
I was skeptical at first at how reliable the gps would be but Tractive has amazed me. The live tracking is super accurate it has already helped me locate my dog on several occasions. Plus the tracking of minutes / sleep and leader boards are great fun. Tractive allows me to feel so much safer out hiking or in the forest. Best thing I’ve bought in a long time.
Amy explained why she considers Tractive the best tracker on the market.
Thumbs and paws up for the Tractive. My dog normally will stay close to me, but when that prey drive kicks in, wow, she can run. We live on 25 wooded acres, and with the Tractive, I can locate her and call her back. The device fits nicely on her collar and the ergonomic design is comfortable for her… Oh yeah, they have a replacement program too. I feel that the Tractive is the best activity and tracker device on the market as well as the best value.
Anything Else To Consider?
Most dog trackers rely on cellular service to operate successfully. While they promise near perfect coverage, there can be some white zones where the tracker doesn’t get coverage. These are likely to be in really remote areas.
It’s a good idea to check your phone coverage and the device through the app before you decide to allow your dog to roam free in an unfamiliar area where cell phone reception could be patchy.
Wrapping Things Up – Final Thoughts
We’ve reached the end of our comparison article looking at Weenect Dogs 2 GPS and Tractive GPS Dogs 4.
These two devices are both good options for pet parents looking for GPS trackers for their canine companion to provide peace of mind and security.
My top pick would be Tractive GPS Dogs 4 seeing as they provide worldwide coverage so they’ve got your completely covered (something which was highlighted in The Pack on Amazon Prime).
Their activity monitoring provides detailed stats on your dog’s day-to-day life, whether they’re burning calories or just enjoying a cat nap.
You can pit your dog against other dogs in the world, locally and members of their breed thanks to the community element at Tractive.
Weenect have coverage throughout Europe and provide live tracking. Their ring and vibrate feature was a big hit with me as well as other reviewers online.
This feature allows the tracker to double up as a training collar so you can train your dog to recognise the sound or vibration and perform a desired act.
While I felt Tractive had a slight edge based upon my needs, you won’t go wrong with either of these trackers.
