It’s twilight and you and your pup are enjoying all that our mountain can offer during your vacation, or at your home. You are sitting in your fenced in back yard as an elk walks past the fence causing your dog to do something you never imagined he would do; he climbs the fence and takes off at a dead run into the darkness choosing not to hear you as you as you listen to his howls melt away in the distance.

Talk about panic! Even in daylight hours anyone who hikes knows that it is super easy to get turned around when you diverge from a trail. Imagine your dog, hyped on adrenaline, coursing up the trail in darkness! Even with their enhanced senses, he may not make it home.

This scenario plays out literally hundreds of times a season as full timers and Airbnb aficionados come up to enjoy the woods, never thinking that their dog or cat could become a sad statistic. Even those of us who live here year around can have a Houdini in their midst. That dog that disappears quietly when a gate is left open by accident. 

This is why I invested in a tracking collar for my dog. The nice thing about a tracker is that it is a real time look at where your dog is. My dog also has a microchip which gives him another layer of safety, the problem with chips being that they are not a proactive way of finding your dog. Chips work only when the animal is found and taken to a vet, shelter, or police station to be scanned. Often that can take days or longer.

 It has been my experience here in our subdivision, that every time we find a loose animal it’s on a weekend or holiday, or the animal is to skittish to be approached, rendering the chip if there is one, a viable solution only if you can catch the dog and get it to a vet or shelter. That’s why I consider a microchips a useful second layer of defense, as they are an excellent way to prove ownership.

 Trackers are a safe and smart way to track not only your dog’s whereabouts, but also their activity levels and habits. For me, it is also fun to open the app and see where I rank in my neighborhood in terms of steps taken, and miles logged. I have the Fi Dog collar as my primary system because it is well made and rugged enough for my forest crashing dog, plus it has a built-in collar light which I use when my dog plays with the neighbors’ dog in the evenings. I don’t use the subscription, so I have limited access to long term data, but can still share on their pages as well as record my miles and find him if he escapes by accident.

I also purchased the Pawscout model which is a non-subscription system. 

I must say for $14 and change, it gives you some great features along with an easy app to navigate, plus the tag is smaller than the size of a half dollar that is light weight, which makes it a good choice for smaller dogs and cats. If your pet is lost, anyone with the Pawscout app who is within 300 feet of your pet will get your lost pet’s information. Great at a campground or in a neighborhood setting.

I wanted to compare the two and since I compete in AKC’s Fit Dog program. (A program open to any pure or mixed breed dog, which I highly recommend! My trackers makes it easy for me to log my dogs steps.) Plus it’s fun to challenge your neighbors to see who put in the miles for the week. 

As I stated above, the two types of trackers are trackers with and trackers without monthly fees. Prices for trackers range from around $15 dollars to upwards of $250, with monthly subscription plans ranging from $5-10 dollars per month. 

There are model specific features that you may want, so spend a little time on the internet and research the features you might need, such as tracking range, monthly fees, battery life, and weight of the unit, as some of these collars can be bulky, while others are a tag style but might not have a large enough range. There are also trackers that can give you a temperature alert if your pet is left in a hot car, a great feature if you are in a family setting, and your visitors might want fluffy come for a ride to the store. 

Most trackers come with apps that will link to either social media, or to a similar platform in their own network. Lost dogs can be posted, and last seen locations shared easily on local social media sites such as Nextdoor, Facebook, and others, which is often the best way to reunite owner and pet. Most also have a page for your dog’s profile which includes things like medications they might take, and even behavior traits such as on leash aggression, and others. Helpful stuff if someone finds your pet. 

If you are an avid hiker, and are out in the boonies often, subscription-based pet trackers work over any distance within cellular coverage. Thus, they allow you to find out your pet’s location even if you are many miles apart. This is a significant benefit to subscription-based trackers. Of the subscription-based trackers, if they are your choice, be sure to pick a tracker that uses precision GPS or cellular tracking technology, so that you have the ability to see your dog on your cell phone from a distance overlayed in Google maps or similar satellite imagery. Check the unit’s range as well. If you have a large dog who is apt to run a long distance, range will mean everything as well as how well and long the unit holds a charge. 

 No fee trackers don’t work so well over distance, their communication range is 150- 300 feet. So please consider what your pet is like. A smaller dog or cat that would only roam the confines of a neighborhood might be fine with a no fee tracker, as you would get an alert on your phone the moment the animal leaves your ‘safe zone.’ No fee trackers also have greater coverage as they are not dictated by cellular coverage, something to consider if you will be in a remote area. These units also have a greater battery life, some having disposable batteries, while others can hold a charge for as long as 45 days. 

With either type of tracker, make sure that the app offered with the tag or collar is compatible with your phone. There is nothing so frustrating as trying to get your new piece of tech up and running, only to find out that it won’t run on your platform. Been there, done that!

Here are a few in both categories for you to research. Have fun and keep your pets safe!

No fee Trackers Subscription Based Trackers

Findster Dou+ Fi Dog

Garmin Astro Pro Whistle

Felcana         Fitbark

Marco Polo Tractive

Pawscout

Bio

Jen Rinaldi is a self-proclaimed color addict who enjoys painting, and writing. She is on the board at both Pet Allies and The Arizona White Mountain Kennel Club, where she works hard to enhance the lives of animals in the white mountains. She just finished book “One day Closer to Death.” The first in a new Paranormal romance fiction series she is working on. She considers herself blessed to be able to brandish brush, paper, and pen for a living. She lives with her husband Jon who is also an artist. They share their home in the White Mountains of Arizona with two cats who ‘see’ strange things on the ceiling, and a Canaan Dog named Sully who keeps them all in line. www.rinaldiarts.com

Binx and Starfire Pet of the Month Pet Allies

Our staff, volunteers & foster parents do so much for the animals at Pet Allies. One of our volunteers, Marsi V., recently took home 2 of the 120+ cats that were rescued last year. She said: "I volunteer at the shelter and am currently fostering Binx and Starfire for another 2 weeks. (Binx was looking really sad in his cage, so I let him choose a “bestie” and brought them both home for a bit ). I hope these lovelies get adopted soon!! They are so sweet….and get along so well!!" We are lucky to have folks like this help take such good care of the animals. We have many wonderful cats that need their "furever" homes, so come visit them today at Pet Allies and see if one adopts you!