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Technology nowadays is so advanced that you can monitor your dog’s activity, health, and location just like the way you use a smartphone. With the many benefits of a smart dog collar, why wouldn’t you want one for your dog?
What’s a Smart Dog Collar?
But first things first, what is a smart dog collar?
Smart dog collars are used by dog owners in monitoring their dog’s location or activity. Some smart dog collars are only equipped with GPS technology for location tracking, others work like FitBits but for dogs and there are those that can do both.
Depending on your needs and your pet, you might want to have all these features or just one.
Let’s discuss these features further.
Fitness Trackers
Smart dog collars that work as fitness trackers can help you keep an eye on your dog’s daily activities and monitor his health. It can keep a log of your dog’s steps which you can then show to your vet.
With more and more pets getting obese, a fitness tracker might just be the perfect investment for you if you find your pup getting fatter.
GPS Dog Collars
Just like our phones, some smart dog collars have a GPS device, cellular radios and even wi-fi. This transmits data about your dog’s location over large distances so you can track the location of your dog in case he gets lost.
Related: 7 Best Dog GPS Collar: 2020 Buyer’s Guide
The Best Smart Dog Collar
If you’re in a hurry, here’s a summary of the best smart dog collars:
- Best overall – Fi Smart Dog Collar
- Best fitness tracker – Whistle Fit Smart Dog Collar
- Best GPS tracker – Whistle GO Explore Smart Dog Collar
- Most stylish tracker – Link AKC Smart Collar
- Best on a budget – PitPat 2 Dog Activity Monitor
- Best subscription-free – FitBark 2 Dog Activity Monitor
Fi Smart Dog Collar
With a sleek design, long battery life, and modern connectivity, you can’t go wrong with the Fi Smart Dog Collar. This collar is so high-tech that it can send notifications to your phone, as well as set up a geofence around your house. In cases where you can’t find your pup, you can easily use an app to track down your missing pet. It’s also great at tracking your pooch’s daily activities.
Special Features
- IP68 waterproof rating
- Armored aluminium faceplate and reinforced internal metal armor
- Fi Collar LED
- Wireless connectivity
- GPS and activity tracker
- Lets you set up a geofence
- Tracks your dog’s daily activity
What to Love
- Waterproof
- Night visibility with the Fi collar LED
- Stylish and available in several colors
- Long battery life
- Easily tracks your dog’s location
Link AKC Smart Collar
The Link AKC Smart Collar is perfect if you love bringing your dog along with your adventures. You can use it to record those special moments with your pup. As a smart collar, you can use this to track your dog at any time of the day via real-time GPS. It automatically sets up a “safe zone” and will alert your phone if your dog leaves the zone.
This smart collar has the option to record your dog’s size, breed, age and vet’s information. Plus, you can turn on the sound option and talk to your dog through the collar. Aside from all this, it even has a LED light that you can remotely turn on.
Special Features
- GPS and activity tracker
- Activity monitoring and sound training
- Adventure recording and sharing
- Temperature alerts
- Store vet records
- Light & Sound Features
- IP67 Waterproof
What to Love
- Location tracking
- Daily activity monitoring
- Waterproof and fashionable
- Free collar exchange
- Amazon Alexa integration
Whistle Fit Smart Dog Collar
Want a dog smart collar dedicated to tracking your dog’s activity? The Whistle Fit Smart Dog Collar might just be what you’re looking for. You can use this collar to create fitness goals for your pooch based on his size, age, weight, breed and health goals.
Unlike other smart collars, you can use this to collect data on their habits such as their licking and scratching habits. It even has a food calculator so you know just how much food you should be giving your dog.
Special Features
- Unlimited access to on-demand veterinary help through chat, phone or email via the Whistle app (for a limited time)
- Weekly wellness reports
- Nutrition calculator
- Smart activity detection
- IPX7 Waterproof
What to Love
- Health monitoring
- Set reminders
- Activity tracking
- Lightweight and waterproof
- Long battery life
- Get custom food recommendations
Whistle GO Explore Smart Dog Collar
Compared to the Whistle Fit that lacks GPS, the Whistle GO Explore Smart Dog Collar offers the best GPS tracker among smart collars. It offers real-time GPS tracking so you can find your pup ASAP. This smart collar can set up a geofence around your property and alert you if your dog leaves.
What makes this a high-end device is its ability to record the last 24 hours of where your dog has been including the people they’ve been with and for how long. Aside from that, it also contains your dog’s daily activity information and delivered to you via email, text, or app.
Special Features
- Uses AT&T’s cellular network to send you data
- Proactive pet alerts
- Notifications and weekly wellness reports
- Unlimited access to on-demand veterinary help through chat, phone or email via the Whistle app (for a limited time)
- Nutrition calculator
What to Love
- Waterproof
- Real-time location tracking
- Health monitoring
- Activity tracking
- Get custom food recommendations
- Long battery life
Findster Duo+ Pet Tracker
In case you’re in an area where the cell service isn’t that great, the Findster Duo+ Pet Tracker can be your best friend! Plus, it’s perfect if you have several dogs. This smart collar can track 3 dogs at a time.
It can track your pup up to a radius of 3 miles and comes in multi-packs so you can save more money. Since it does not rely on cell service, you can use it even if you’re outside the US.
Special Features
- MAZE technology (no need for a cellular connection)
- Tracks up to 3 pets at once
- Real-time GPS tracking
- Pet activity monitoring
What to Love
- No monthly fees
- Works in all countries and off-grid areas
- Real-time pet tracker and instant alerts
- Tracks your pet’s fitness and activity levels
- Waterproof and shock-resistant
FitBark 2 Dog Activity Monitor
Most smart dog collars require monthly subscriptions. If you’re looking for a subscription-free smart dog collar, the FitBark 2 Dog Activity Monitor is a great option. This can track your dog’s sleep, activity, calories burned, distance traveled, and overall health.
It has a very long battery life of up to 6 months and is waterproof, too. With the FitBark Health Index and Sleep Score, you can monitor your dog’s skin conditions, anxiety, and mobility.
Special Features
- Up to 6 months of battery life
- Pet activity monitoring
What to Love
- Trusted brand (featured on Animal Planet)
- Monitor activity and sleep 24/7
- Link your human health tracker (Fitbit, Apple Watch, HealthKit, Google Fit or Jawbone device)
- Long battery life
- Monitor changes in mobility, osteoarthritis, or orthopedic rehabilitation
- Monitor stress and anxiety
- Lightweight and waterproof
- Works in all countries
PitPat 2 Dog Activity Monitor
On a budget? Try the PitPat 2 Dog Activity Monitor. It helps you keep tabs on your dog’s activity levels and has no monthly fee!
Special Features
- Pet activity monitoring
- Can store up to a week’s worth of data
- Set and track fitness goals
What to Love
- No monthly fee
- Trusted brand
- Lightweight
- Waterproof
- Long battery life
Things to Consider Before Buying a Smart Dog Collar
Before buying a smart dog collar, here are a few things you have to consider.
Battery Life
Smart dog collars can either have rechargeable batteries or disposable ones. Depending on your pet’s needs, you can opt to buy one or the other. But make sure you buy one that doesn’t need to be charged every few hours or so. You wouldn’t want to bring your dog hiking then have your smart dog collar run out of batteries!
Style
When it comes to style, you can either have a smart dog collar that you can just clip on to your dog’s existing collar or have one that’s a separate collar.
Subscriptions
When buying a smart dog collar, be prepared to pay an extra monthly subscription fee especially when it comes to GPS collars. Depending on your budget, you can also find other smart dog collars that don’t require subscription fees.
