In the same way, you would monitor your health and activity, either just to keep track of your health or to measure your food intake and exercise if you are on a diet, you should do the same for your dog. They are man’s best friends after all. Of course, there are devices that were created for that purpose, and those are dog activity trackers with GPS.
This article will provide you with information about dog activity trackers, also known as dog fitness trackers, how they work, where you can get them, and some reviews of products considered best based on their performance and features.
The Basics About Dog Activity Trackers
What Are They?
The name of the device is self-explanatory. They are devices made for you to keep track of your pet’s daily activities such as food and water intake, time spent outdoors running or walking, health data, medication intake, etc.
Why Does My Dog Need One?
As it is with all creatures we care about, we want to know that our dogs are happy and healthy. And what better way to ensure that than by investing in a device carefully created to keep track of everything, and you do not even have to memorize it all – the device does it for you.
Commonly Included Features
Besides the fitness tracking, the most device often features GPS tracking, progress trackers, to-do lists, and goal-setting so your dog would live a fulfilled life. Some include calories burned monitor, behavior, and sleep quality.
Why You Should Get One
Besides the obvious reason of keeping your pet happy and healthy, these devices can help you stay on top of any problems your dog may encounter regarding their health, and you can react at the right time and possibly prevent any serious illness by going to the vet early.
Things To Keep In Mind
People often believe that because something is expensive that it is of good quality. That does not have to be true, as most people have come to believe. That is why when picking out the fitness monitor that would best suit your dog, look at the included features, price, but most importantly user reviews because those actually tell you if it is worth buying a product or not.
5 Best Dog Activity Trackers
Best Small Dog Activity Tracker
FitBark 2 Dog Activity Monitor
Basic Product Info
This device is so small your dog will not even notice it is on them. It weighs only 8 grams, it is rugged and waterproof. Your dog can even go swimming and you will not have to worry about the device being damaged or destroyed.
Battery Life And Linking
The battery can last for up to 6 months, which proves it is long-lasting. You can link the device to your Fitbit, Apple Watch, Health Kit or Google Fit so you and your pet can create healthy habits and maintain them together.
Included Features
You can keep an eye on sleep quality, distance traveled, calories burned, overall health, and behavior. You can compare your dog’s stats to other dogs of the same age or breed. You can monitor your dog’s mobility, and you can even share those stats with your vet to catch early signs of diseases.
More Features
Besides the above mentioned, you can monitor your dog’s stress and anxiety levels. That can come in handy when you have to leave your dog for a long period of time so you can see how they react to that, or when you have to leave them in the care of someone else to see how they react to other people.
You Can Even Monitor Skin Conditions
The Fitbark dog activity tracker even allows you to keep track of the possible development of skin conditions via the nightly Sleep Score. Such conditions include all kinds of dermatitis, hot spots, and flea allergies.
- Lightweight and waterproof
- Monitor sleep, activity, stress, anxiety
- Link to your fitness monitor
Best Activity Monitor With GPS
Whistle Go/Health; Location Tracker
Product Information
The 27 g device comes in a range of colors: magenta, blue, gray, taupe, light pink, and green. It is also very small, measuring 4.5 x 3.5 x 1.5 cm. The dimensions make it clear that it is applicable to both puppies and grown dogs.
How It Works
The tracker uses GPS and cellular technology to determine your pet’s position accurately. There is an app you download to your phone through which you monitor your pet’s movements. You can also monitor your pet’s health and activity, all through the app.
Battery Life And Important Features
The battery can last for up to 7 days, depending on the usage and the strength of the Wi-Fi. The Whistle activity monitor for dogs is waterproof and can be underwater for about 30 minutes at almost 1 m depth. You can attach it to any collar wide up to 2.5 cm, so you do not have to worry about it falling off.
Health Insights
Besides the tracking, the Whistle fit activity monitor also offers proactive alert option. When your pet leaves home, you can get an e-mail, app, or text notification that they have left the premises. Another feature is health monitoring, through which you can monitor their weight, food intake, distance traveled, rest, etc.
- GPS for tracking
- Waterproof
- Monitor weight, food intake, distance…
- Lightweight
Best Bluetooth Dog Activity Tracker
WonderWoof Bowtie Activity Monitor
Technical Specifications
Thie WonderWoof dog activity monitor is also lightweight, weighing only 20 grams. It measures 2 x 3.2 x 5.9 cm, and it is bow-tie shaped so your dog can look like a little gentleman wearing it. It is waterproof and shockproof and features Bluetooth 4.0 technology.
Features And The App
There is an app you have to download to keep track of your dog’s health and activity – WonderWoof. You can ensure your dog gets the right amount of exercise by collecting in-app bones which stand for 10% of your dog’s recommended daily exercise.
Connecting With Other Users
The app allows you to connect with other users that own dogs so your dog can socialize with other dogs and make friends. You can track your walks and let other users know when you are in a certain area so they can come and join you.
Multiple Users
When you have to leave your dog alone or in the care of someone else, you can add those users so you can keep track of your dog’s activity and behavior when you’re away. Or simply if you want peace of mind when they’re alone, you can get real-time updates.
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Free app
- Monitor exercise and health
Best Dog Activity Tracker Tag
PETBLE SmartTag
Product Information
This device is one of the smallest and lightest on the list, measuring 4.7 x 2.4 x 1.2 cm and weighing 10 grams. It is dust resistant, uses Bluetooth technology, and it is available in yellow or purple. Besides, it is waterproof and includes low energy-saving technologies.
Activity Monitor
The tag monitors your dog’s activity, which in turn connects to the PETBLE App that then gives you advice on how to keep your pet healthy. The advice is based on your dog’s breed, age, height, and weight. The app can support multiple smart devices.
Other Features
Besides activity, you can monitor your dog’s daily calorie intake and set up daily activity goals to keep your dog healthy and to track their progress. You can even track trends over a period of days, weeks, or months.
Veterinarians Help
The advice offered comes from a team of experienced veterinarians who work with the creators of the device and the app. That means that you do not have to worry about the advice being illegitimate.
- Bluetooth
- Advice for your dog’s health
- Track calorie intake
Best Dog Activity Monitor Collar
Link AKC Smart Dog Collar
General Product Info
This collar is appropriate for dogs all sizes because it comes in a range of sizes – from extra small, to medium and large, to extra-large. You can even choose between 2 available styles – the classic leather collar or the sports collar which can be stretched. The collar is also waterproof.
Activity Monitoring
The collar gives you the option to track your dog’s activity and give customized advice based on the insight of the American Kennel Club. You can record your adventures and import medical data as well as set health reminders. There are also temperature alerts that let you know if the environment is too hot or too cold for your dog.
GPS Tracking
Another useful feature the collar provides is GPS tracking. That means that the collar communicates with around 30 satellites orbiting the Earth to provide you with accurate and fast information about your pet’s whereabouts. You can even set up safe zones and if your dog leaves them, you get notified.
Service Plan And Battery Life
You can link the collar to your phone and that requires mobile data so the information can be transmitted. The collar works with both iOS and Android devices. The battery can last for up to 3 days, depending on the signal strength, frequency of GPS use and the GPS signal. Beware that GPS signals can be weakened by environmental factors.
- GPS tracking
- Waterproof
- Health and activity monitoring
- Requires mobile data to work
Conclusion: Which Dog Activity Trackers Is The Best For You?
This certainly is not an easy choice to make, but if you have decided that you want to get a dog activity tracker, here are my recommendations. I would recommend the FitBark 2 dog activity tracker because it gives you the most features with which you can record any significant information about your dog’s fitness and activity. Next device I like is the Link AKC collar because it is suitable for dogs all size, but more importantly, you can use it for both keeping an eye on your dog’s activity and health and tracking your dog’s whereabouts.
To expand your knowledge on dog security, read this article on pet GPS trackers. If you liked the collar, read the article about GPS dog collars to find out more about what and how they work. In case you have a cat and a dog, you should read this article about cat GPS trackers, so you can keep all your pets safe and happy.