A lost dog is every pup parent’s nightmare. Prevent your dog from going missing altogether by utilizing a GPS ID tag or collar. 

All pricing is accurate as to the posting of this article. 

Why Dogs Go Missing More During the Summer

For humans, summer is the best time of the year. The kids are out of school, warm weather means more outdoor fun, and don’t forget the Fourth of July. But for our pups, summertime can be a little scary. 

From your dog’s point of view, summer means loud fireworks, nauseating road trips, and overheating outside. This discomfort may be why pets go missing during the summer more than any other time of year. In fact, most pets go missing over the July 4th weekend due to all the noise and chaos. 

You don’t have to lock yourself and your pup indoors all summer to know they’re safe. Instead, we suggest investing in a GPS collar, GPS ID tag, or Air Tag harness. These pet supplies provide you with peace of mind about your dog’s location at all times. 

Can I track my dog with Air Tag collars or harnesses?

Since the Apple Air Tag debuted in 2021, a few people have used it’s location-tracking features to monitor their dog. Attaching an Air Tag harness or collar to your pup might seem like a genius idea – but it’s not. 

Apple has made it clear that Air Tags are not meant to track your pets. Air Tag collars and harnesses can only track your dog within your home network. So if your pup ran away, Air Tag collars and harnesses would only alert someone near your pup of their location. 

Of course, this could mean some kind stranger may find your lost pet and return them to you. But if there are no good Samaritans nearby, an Air Tag harness won’t help you find your lost pup. 

Instead, we recommend investing in a GPS ID tag or GPS collar that is made specifically for dogs. This is the safest and most reliable way to keep an eye on your pup. 

The Best GPS Collars for Dogs

Fi Series 3 GPS Collar - $99

If you are looking for a GPS collar for your dog, Fi makes one of the best on the market. Their new Fi Series 3 includes a secure collar with a removable GPS device. With the Fi mobile app, you can track your dog's accurate location 24/7. 

The Fi Series 3 GPS collar is strong and durable. It’s water-resistant and can handle over 400 pounds of resistance to deter chewers and pullers. With a 3-month battery life, you only need to remove the GPS device for charging 3-4 times a year. 

This GPS collar isn’t just for tracking lost pets. Fi Series 3 helps you track your dog's step goals, sleep time, and walk routes. It’s a good investment in your dog’s health and safety. 

Whistle Switch Smart GPS Collar - $149 

The Switch Smart Collar by Whistle is another all-in-one GPS collar for dogs. The collar comes with a GPS tracker, changeable collar styles, and two rechargeable batteries. With this device and the Whistle app, you can track your dog’s location 24/7 along with health monitoring. 

Along with location tracking, Whistle can help you prioritize your dog’s health. You can collect awards for walks and activity streaks. If you’d like, the iOS app can even analyze your dog’s stool quality with the help of AI. 

Choose your collar color from either Shadow Black or Athleisure Yellow. The Switch Smart Collar comes in sizes XS/S, S/M, and M/L. 

GPS ID Tags & Customizable Collars

While GPS collars can be expensive, GPS ID tags are a more affordable option for dog parents. GPS ID tags are smaller attachments to your dog’s collar that still monitor their location, but may not provide you with health insights like more advance collars. 

Tractive GPS ID Tag for Dogs - $34.99

Instead of buying a GPS collar, you can purchase a tracker to attach to your dog’s normal collar. The Tractive GPS Tracker for Dogs, for example, attaches to most dog collars and is extremely light at only 1.2 ounces. Your pup won’t even notice the GPS ID tag around their neck. 

The Tractive GPS Tracker monitors your dog without any distance limit. You can choose to set up virtual fences to alert you when your pup has gone a certain distance. Tractive will also send you health alerts if they notice any sleep or activity changes in your dog’s behavior. 

The one drawback to this GPS collar attachment is that the battery life only lasts 10-30 days. You can count on the safety of the Tractive GPS Tracker since the brand is trusted by the Human Society of the United States. 

The Tractive Dog 4 GPS tracker fits dogs as small as 9 pounds and comes in brown, white, or dark blue. For dogs above 50 pounds, the Tractive Dog XL is a more durable fit and comes in sage green. 

Tracki Dog GPS ID Tag Tracker - $18.88

For less than $20, the Tracki GPS ID Tag can be the key to finding your missing pet. This ID tag attaches to your dog’s collar to monitor your pup’s location 24/7. It’s light, waterproof, and fits collars of all sizes. 

With the help of the TrackiPet app, you can activate “chase mode” to get updates on where your dog is going every 5 seconds. You can also send alerts with live locations to your friends and families to help you catch your lost pup. 

The one downside of this product is that you will have to pay for a subscription to the TrackiPet app to activate your tracker. But at the low price of $18.88, this is definitely a more affordable GPS tracking option for your dog. 

Personalized Dog Collars w/ Phone Number - $9.99

The most basic way to prevent your pup from getting lost forever is to make sure your contact info is on their ID tag or collar. We suggest purchasing a collar with your dog’s name and your phone number embroidered into the material. This is the easiest way for someone to contact you if they find your missing dog.