Pet Trackers
If only it were this easy!
I have an energetic golden doodle who is an enthusiastic escape artist and avid explorer. Unfortunately, some of his past adventures have lead him far from home and caused me an unexplainable about of panic and stress. In our remote location on SFTR, there are wild animals, traffic (especially near I-25) and extreme weather conditions that can spell disaster for a lost pet.
For piece of mind I opted to invest in a pet tracking device. There are two basic types; the rather outdated radio trackers common with hunting dogs (no monthly subscription required) or the newer GSM trackers that utilize cutting-edge technology and cell towers to pin point your pet's location in real time (requires a monthly subscription). I chose the GSM option. There are numerous brands on the market with a variety of unique features, but basically all of the devices notify you when your pet has left home and allows you to track your pet in real time via GPS. Many of them will also log your pet's daily activity, much like our human FitBits, and some brands include ambient temperature sensors and LED illuminated collars.
I chose the Whistle.
The Whistle was one of the smallest units, had consistent four to five star reviews, long battery life and could be used with your pet's own collar. The small, grey, waterproof, rugged unit is programmed to recognize your home WiFi. If your pet strays out of range of the WiFi, you will receive an email or text (or both) to notify you that your pet has left home (the "safe area"). At this point you can call your spouse to see if he/she took your dog for an impromptu car ride or safari. If not, using the Whistle app on your phone, you can initiate the tracking feature. This allows you to follow your pet as he embarks on his forbidden adventure, and locate him quickly. If your pet decides to return home on his own, you will receive an email/text confirmation that your pet has returned home (i.e. is back in range of the WiFi base ). It is important to note that there is a short delay between the time your pet leaves the "safe area" and the time that you receive the alert. In my experience it has been less than five minutes. Also, if your pet passes through an area with no cell service the unit may have trouble tracking him.
The Tracking Feature The tracking feature is really neat because it allows you to map your route when you go for walk or hike with your dog. I tried this out, walking along Alpine Meadows, and it seems to be fairly accurate, although I know I walked on the road the entire time and did not wander into the woods as the unit indicated. You can change the map view to satellite, terrain or street, depending what is most appropriate for your area. It is important to note that while the unit is in tracking mode, it will burn through the battery more quickly.
Activity Monitor
The unit also tracks your pet's activity and provides a daily and weekly activity report. Whistle will let you know how active your dog is compared to other
dogs of the same age and breed, and will let you know if they reached their recommended daily activity goals. This feature was less important to me, although it pretty much confirmed my suspicion that Murphy was way more energetic ("crazy") than other dogs his age and breed. I think he racks up a lot of steps just chasing his tail and running figure eights.
The device needs to be charged approximately once a week- a little more often if you are frequently activating the tracking feature. You will get an email/text notification when the battery is low. To charge the device, just twist it off the collar and place it in the charger. The product shipped quickly and the set up was easy. When I had a question, I found the customer service to be excellent! They were very helpful and followed through with a personal text to make sure everything was working. When I purchased the device it was on sale for $49 and the monthly plans range from $6.95 to $9.95. Yes, its an additional monthly expense, but for me the peace of mind is priceless.
https://www.whistle.com/
