Best dog trackers 2024: Keep tabs on your pooch from £45

Walking your dog should be a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone, but if your pooch struggles with recall or has a particularly high prey drive, you can quickly pivot from having a lovely Sunday stroll to a drawn-out and stressful search mission.

This is where dog trackers come in useful. These little wireless devices can be the key to freedom from the leash for your pet, allowing them to roam where they please while you can relax – always knowing where they are.

Most dog trackers have convenience features such as buzzers, geofencing (so you can see when they wander outside a preset area) and detailed activity monitoring. This can help you ensure that your four-legged friend is getting all the exercise they need, a really useful bonus – especially if you’re trying to help a pet lose weight.

We’ve done all the legwork (pun intended) for you to find the best-priced dog trackers in the UK to suit your needs.

Best dog tracker: At a glance

How to choose the best dog tracker for you

What is a dog tracker?

A dog tracker is a small, lightweight device designed to be attached to your pet’s collar or harness that allows you to keep track of their movements via an app on your phone (all the models we tested have apps available on iOS and Android).

Dog trackers usually use a combination of Wi-Fi, GPS and cellular technology (via embedded SIM cards) to provide a fast and accurate fix on your pet’s whereabouts.

Small enough to attach to a collar, trackers help put your mind at ease and enable you to monitor your dog’s location in real time.

Why do I need one?

Plenty of dogs have high prey drives and can be prone to sprinting after birds, rabbits, squirrels or deer. If your dog has this trait, a GPS tracker can offer a sense of freedom for them and peace of mind for you, as you’ll always be able to tell where they are.

GPS trackers are also particularly useful for nervous dogs – if your pooch is easily spooked and might flee a stressful situation, you’ll be able to find them afterwards without too much hassle.

Being able to easily keep track of your dog’s whereabouts definitely lowers the anxiety felt when going for walks, but trackers are also handy for understanding how much exercise your pooch has had when a friend or professional walker is looking after them.

Do I need to pay a subscription?

Many trackers charge a monthly or annual subscription as they use mobile networks to send you doggie location data. This gives you an unlimited range of coverage wherever you are. These tend to cost around £10/mth if you pay as you go, but are cheaper if you pay up to a year or more in advance, dropping to as little as £3/mth.

There are subscription-free trackers, but unfortunately these can’t guarantee regular real-time tracking data. They also can’t be used to track your pet over unlimited distances.

However, if your dog plays hide and seek and you know they usually stay nearby, a subscription-free option could work for you. That said, a subscription allows peace of mind and security for your dog, however far they wander and wherever you are in the world.

How long will a dog tracker’s battery last?

Most dog trackers are rechargeable via a micro-USB port and their batteries can last for as little as two days or up to six weeks before they need charging. Some dog trackers have so-called “power saving zones”, which help to maximise battery life by saving a significant amount of power when your tracker is connected to a Wi-Fi source in a “safe area” – such as your home.

How we test dog trackers

Our expert tested all of these trackers on her Manchester Terrier, Arty – a dog prone to chasing after squirrels and birds through woodland and across fields. The trackers were used for up to a week at a time on two walks per day to examine their durability, reliability with GPS location and battery life. They were tested in rain, sunshine and often muddy conditions.

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The best dog trackers you can buy in 2024

1. Pawfit 3: Best all-round dog tracker

Price when reviewed: £55 | Check price at Amazon

The third generation of the Pawfit dog tracker continues to keep this brand the best on the market for tracking your animal’s movements. It’s incredibly simple to set up – you simply download the app, add your pet’s profile with a picture, name, age and weight, and then switch on the device and pair it through the app. The app interface is easy to use, and when you open it you’re immediately shown a map with your dog’s location on it. No fumbling around necessary.

In the app you can control various features, such as the light (which illuminates for ten minutes), or an alarm which sounds a beep at regular intervals to make it easier to find your dog. You can also record your own voice through the app and have the audio play out at the press of a button. This is especially useful for recalling your dog without shouting.

The most useful aspect of this tracker, though, is the sound ID. If someone finds your dog, they can press the button on the bottom of the Pawfit 3 to hear the dog’s name, owner’s name and phone number, making returning lost dogs much easier.

The tracker is around two inches by one inch in size, making it a little bulky for extremely small breeds, but it’s fine for most breeds. There’s a black rubber attachment that clips onto the tracker, and it’s a doddle to charge via the bundled charging station. As for battery life, the Pawfit 3 can last up to six days in regular use.

Using the GPS, however, requires a monthly subscription: it’s £3/mth for two years for the most basic package. The premium package is £4/mth for two years and includes Ordnance Survey Maps for better location tracking in rural areas.

Key specs – Dimensions: 33 x 48 x 14mm (HWD); Weight: 27g; Activity monitoring: Yes; Waterproof: IP68 (submerged up to 3m for 30 mins); Battery life: Up to 6 days

2. Pitpat: Best subscription-free dog tracker

Price when reviewed: £149 | Check price at Amazon

Pitpat began life as a simple activity monitor for dogs – think Fitbit for pets. But the latest version also incorporates GPS tracking, though not as thoroughly as other devices on this list.

The Pitpat comes in five colours – black, blue, green, pink or red – as a sleek buckle-style sensor that attaches to any collar or harness. Simply download the app, add your dog and pair with the tracker and you’re ready to go.

Even though there aren’t a ton of features on this tracker, its simplicity is rewarding. There’s a dashboard in the app where you can see how much running, playing and resting your dog has done, and you can set a target number of minutes for exercise each day – great for if your pet needs to be a bit more active in order to stay healthy. This feature is also useful for enthusiastic young dogs to help them avoid exhaustion through overexertion.

The GPS tracker in this device isn’t as sophisticated as some – only pinging its location once every two minutes at most (it’s set to a default of every four minutes when you get it). This isn’t ideal for dogs that can run fast and are likely to travel long distances, but if you’re less worried about always knowing exactly where they are, this is a great device.

The Pitpat comes with no monthly subscription, though at £149 it does cost significantly more than the others. The device fixes onto your dog’s collar or harness with strong velcro straps, which can be doubled up to create a wider strap should your dog wear a broader collar.

This tracker comes with a wireless charger for ease of use which also works with mobile phones, doubling up as a charger for your personal devices too.

Key specs – Dimensions: 34 x 60 x 18mm (HWD); Weight: 30g; Activity monitoring: Yes; Waterproof: IP67 (submerged up to 1m deep for 30 mins); Battery life: Up to 6 weeks

3. Weenect Dogs 2: Best tracker for small dogs

Price when reviewed: £50 | Check price at Amazon

Billed as the world’s smallest GPS dog tracker, Weenect ensures you keep in contact with your dog however far away it runs. With integrated SIM coverage in 35 European countries, you can even be on holiday and still be able to keep an eye on your pooch, whether they’re actually with you or chasing pigeons back at home.

Supplied with a silicone cover (which has to be removed for charging), the Weenect pet tracker can be easily attached to any collar. It also has a really useful built-in ringtone and vibration feature that, over time, could be used to train your dog to return to you.

The tracker includes geofencing and can also be used to monitor a pet’s daily activity levels. You can also view the route of your walks, average speed, daily distance travelled and time spent playing or sleeping. Please note that you’ll need a monthly subscription to access some features: it’s £10/mth, but you have to sign up for a minimum of 3 months at a time. So if you want access to all features, you’ll need to front £30 on top of the £50 price tag.

Like other trackers, the Weenect is waterproof up to one metre, but the IP67 rating means it also has a good level of dustproofing, which should make it more durable. If you really must have the latest model, a new 5G version – the Weenect XS – is also now available for the same price.

Key specs – Dimensions: 23 x 58 x 1mm (HWD); Weight: 25g; Activity monitoring: Yes; Waterproof: IP67 (submerged up to 1m deep for 30 mins); Battery life: Up to 7 days

4. Kippy Evo: Best dog tracker for features

Price when reviewed: £60 | Check price at Amazon

Designed and manufactured in Italy, the Kippy Evo comes in a variety of attractive colours including pink, green and bright yellow, as well as brown and grey, so you’ll definitely find something to suit your personal taste.

What’s more, there’s a good range of accessories available, including a silicone cover, an adjustable collar and a harness with built-in pocket for the tracker. At 38g it isn’t the lightest of devices, though it’s claimed to be small enough to be used on cats (as long as they weigh more than 4kg).

One of the stand-out features with this model is the built-in LED torch, something that can be activated via the app. It’s good to know that as the nights draw in, your dog can easily be made visible in the dark, making it much easier to find it if it escapes or wanders off.

Thanks to a proprietary algorithm, developed in association with veterinary exercise experts at the Universities of Milan and Bologna, Kippy also analyses your pet’s physical activity and shows you a personalised level of ideal exercise to strive towards – helpful if your pooch could do with shedding a bit of weight. Like many others on this list, you will need to sign up for a monthly subscription, with 4 options ranging from £3 to £11.

Key specs – Dimensions: 37 x 55 x 22mm (HWD); Weight: 38g; Activity monitoring: Yes; Waterproof: IP67 (submerged up to 1m deep for 30 mins); Battery life: Up to 7 days

5. Tractive GPS Dog 4: Best dog tracker for frequent travellers

Price when reviewed: £45 | Check price at Amazon

The Tractive GPS Dog 4 is a particularly sleek and streamlined model, available in white, dark blue or brown finishes. It’s 100% waterproof, light and shock-resistant, and the rubber fitting is quick and easy to attach to a dog’s collar. It is very robust and almost unbreakable so is a perfect option if you have a high energy dog.

Along with activity monitoring and app-activated LED/buzzers, virtual geofences can also be set, the app then alerting you if your dog leaves its “safe space”. This is a great facility for when walking “off lead”. It’s also worth noting that the Tractive GPS Dog 4 has unlimited live location tracking – making it perfect for dogs that like an adventure.

One of the major pluses is this device can be used in over 175 countries (if you opt for one of the Premium subscription options) so is ideal if you like to travel with your dog. Subscriptions start from £12/mth, or £6/mth if you sign up for a year. Another nice touch is the heatmap on the app, a great feature that lets you see how long your pet stayed in one place. You can then use this information to work out where your furry friend most enjoys spending their time and go there more often.

Key specs – Dimensions: 28 x 71 x 17mm (HWD); Weight: 35g; Activity monitoring: Yes; Waterproof: IPX7 (submerged up to 1m deep for 30 mins); Battery life: Up to 10 days (with power saving zones)