Opportunities for keeping pets have increased significantly. Little friends create a special atmosphere in the house, quickly become full members of the family and enjoy great love of the household. One of the small possible disadvantages is the danger of losing a four-legged comrade in case of his hyperactivity on a free walk. In the old days, in the event of a loss of an animal, one could say goodbye to him, however, in the age of new technologies, GPS collars come to the rescue. The best models, their characteristics and properties are discussed in this article.
The device determines the location of cats and dogs, their movement and minimizes the risk of losing a pet. You can place the gadget on any animals, cargo, any objects that require trajectory tracking. The use of such a device is considered especially relevant for young pets that do not have sufficient education and behavior skills in a free environment, for animals prone to picking up food outside the home and for walking in an urban environment, where there is a place for non-standard situations with a risk of fright.
Restrictions of pets in walks without a collar harm their well-being, change their character, and can cause ailments.
For an ordinary dog owner, trackers with work through a mobile application of a smartphone or iPhone are popular. Budget smart collars are sold at prices up to 5,000 rubles. For tracking hunting dogs, we are talking about expensive models used in the military industry.
The GPS locator is attached to the collar, and the owner, who has connected the mobile application through a cellular operator, has the ability to control the walk.
The permissible error of the device should not exceed 70 meters, otherwise the search for the runaway dog is very difficult.
The capacity of the battery device determines the duration of the device without recharging. A common mistake dog owners make is the problem of disconnecting the gadget from the active mode, which leads to its rapid discharge. Therefore, an important point in the application is the function of tracking the battery level.
Moisture protection plays an important role, since the device operates in open space, and the pet can run through puddles, fall into water bodies, frolic in the snow, and be in the rain. A good barrier protects not only from wet dirt, but also provides dust tightness. You should pay close attention to the moisture-proof properties of the device, because most of the devices are designed only for splashing, but not for immersion under water.
The moderate dimensions of the tracker are, first of all, a convenience for a four-legged friend, besides, it should not be conspicuous. The collar cannot restrict the free rotation of the head and constrain the cervical region. Massive models will significantly burden representatives of small breeds. With an animal weighing 12 kg, the size of a device with a matchbox is suitable. For cats and puppies, models need to be selected small and light.
Universal models are freely attached, both on the collar and on the harness. Therefore, when choosing, you should determine the possibility of attaching to existing ammunition.
Many modern devices come with a collar, plus or minus - it's up to the owners of pets, but some tracker models cannot be put on any collar other than what is included in the kit.
When putting the device on the harness, the load is much reduced and it passes from the cervical to the chest sector.
There are 2 types of alerts:
For dog walking, hunting, continuous real-time mode is used. Even with the minimum alert period, the pet can move significantly away from the checkpoint.
Despite the fact that the weight of gadgets goes per gram, for an animal this is a tangible mass, with the appearance of which the wards feel discomfort on the neck.For example, with a device weighing 65 grams, it will be optimal for placement on a dog weighing 17 kg or more. For large breeds of Rottweilers, Shepherd Dogs, Great Danes, weight with a body up to 90 grams is allowed.
The entire range of existing devices is divided into 2 types:
The first option is somewhat more expensive, however, it will not require additional worries of contacting the operator. When the tracker operates in the 2G range, not any operator can support such a communication format. You will also need to decide on an economical tariff and monitor the replenishment of the account on it. The difficulty is that the application itself does not notify about the end of service due to lack of funds. You can learn about this event directly, being on a walk with a dog.
Different device applications work with different maps. Detailing is important, especially when searching for an object in the forest or in nature, where landmarks are of the same type. Small map detail is a significant drawback of the application.
Geopositioning in the modern world is implemented through 3 technologies.
A popular option is the mixed system GLONASS, GPS, which is complemented and replaced mutually, which explains its high accuracy.
With a weak GPS signal, which most often occurs in underground parking lots, in tunnels, under bridges, LBS navigation is activated, which transmits the approximate coordinates of the location of the object.
A-GPS technology speeds up the reception of the starting satellite signal at times, and, accordingly, the determination of the location.
If all three technologies are implemented in a tracker, then it is considered highly reliable.
Depending on the region of habitation, it is necessary to check the permissible temperature limits for the operating mode. Dog walks are sometimes delayed, which can lead to the failure of beacons at critical temperatures.
Depending on the version of the mobile application, the following functions are present:
It should be remembered that applications and collars work only if there are communication towers, in a remote area where there is no Internet, such devices do not function.
You should pay attention to the declared frequency of updating information, locations, it is desirable to check in action.
One of the best multifunctional smart collars that helps you keep track of your pet's movements, and also works in a fitness diary mode, reflecting the readings of calories burned, the number of steps taken, and the quality of sleep.
The device from AliExpress allows you to use several positioning modes (GPS, AGPS, BDS).
The gadget from the Russian manufacturer is positioned as a device with firmware updated in 2021. The stated error is 10 meters, taking into account the quality of the connection.
Lightweight and compact tracker with a motion sensor has a battery life of up to 72 hours.
The GPS accessory allows free walking with tracking of the dog's movements.
The gadget is presented in a convenient case with the possibility of simplified attachment to ammunition.
The frost-resistant model can withstand temperatures of -30 ° C.
The portable tracking system is designed for hunting dogs and has advanced functionality.
Comparison Chart of the Best GPS Collars for Dogs | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Mid-price segment | ||||
Model | Operating temperature range, ˚С | Dimensions, cm | Collar, length, cm | Average cost, rub. | |
Hadog | -20÷+50 | 5,33*2,3*2,9 | 65 | 3500 | |
petsee | −”− | 3,45*6,4*1,55 | - | 4200 | |
JET Doggy | −”− | 4,8*4*1,5 | 60 | 4000 | |
Tractive | −”− | 7,2*2,9*1,6 | - | 3000 | |
2. | Models worth over 5000 rubles | ||||
Monkey Deest 69 | -20÷+50 | 5,6*3,8*1,7 | 60 | 5500 | |
TKStar TK909 | -30÷+50 | 20*17*5 | 24÷55 | 5700 | |
MiniFinder VG30 GPS | -20÷+85 | 6,1*4,4*1,6 | - | 6500 | |
3. | Premium class | ||||
Garmin TT15 | -20÷+50 | - | - | 86800 |
The loss of a pet can cause great psychological trauma to the owner. Sometimes a person after suffering such an event, even in the case of a favorable outcome and the return of the dog, becomes suspicious, fearful and stops letting the animal off the leash. This attitude harms the four-legged friend, and the best way out at the moment is the GPS collar. The availability and versatility of the gadget with its harmless use is an excellent way out. It will take a little knowledge and skills to set up a mobile application, but the result will exceed all expectations and protect you from nervous troubles. Convenient functions for limiting the movement area, the presence of feedback, that is, addressing the pet through the built-in microphone, as well as tracking several pets at once in one application, make it much easier to control pets.Separate applications also allow you to record indicators of the distance traveled by the dog and the calories burned.