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Link AKC Dog Collar Review 2021: Pros and Cons

Link AKC Smart Dog Collar Review
Written by Mark Braeden

Your dog’s safety is always at risk because genetically, they are built to wander. According to veterinarian Sharon Crowell-Davis of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia, the majority of our four-legged friends are “curious and want to be active and explore and discover.” Besides their genetics, other factors can prompt your dog to run away from home. Every dog parent’s biggest fear is losing their beloved pooch. This is the reason why you should invest in a GPS tracking device for your fur baby. Because of the product’s current popularity among dog owners, I decided to do a Link AKC collar review. I’m so excited to share my experience so far!

PROS

  • Accurate location tracking
  • Fitness tracker
  • Fits all dog’s sizes

CONS

  • Battery life

Do you need a Link AKC Dog Collar GPS tracker?

A GPS tracking unit can save your pet’s life. The main reason of most dog owners from purchasing a dog GPS tracking device is preventing runaway dogs. A research has shown that 7.6 million animals enter shelters each year where 2.7 million are euthanized, which 1.2 million of them are dogs. In addition to that, another benefit of using GPS tracking units is they are less painful than implanted microchips.

Microchips cause minor pain to your beloved pup, but some wounds can be infected that may cause major complications. Even if microchips come in handy, this would be the last thing we want to happen. A GPS tracker may be more difficult to maintain, however, it is just worn around your dog. This way, it wouldn’t cause infections or even tumours due to mislocation of implanted microchips.

The Link AKC is an advanced GPS dog collar designed for your dog’s comfort and fashion. Whether you are at home, away or on vacation, the Link AKC app ensures that you are aware of your dog’s well-being. It’s one of the best smart dog collars and it is used together with the app to keep you connected with your dog and to ensure that his needs are right at your fingertips.

The Link AKC Dog Collar Features

The Link AKC makes owning a dog easier since it has the following features:

Locating your Dog

It uses advanced GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular technologies to track and monitor the location of your dog fast and accurate. The app notifies you if the dog goes out of the designated range. You place your base station on your smartphone to create the designated range. It’s possible to track your dog anywhere in the United States as long as he/she has a stable AT & T cellular connection.

Link AKC is a dog gadget for activities and adventures

Link AKC is a dog sports activity tracker. It ensures that you are familiar with your dog’s activity and even offers you customized recommendations for the dog. Record, save and share those special walks and other adventures with your dog. There is a map on the app that allows you to record the distance, time and photos taken during the adventure. To get started, you just need to touch the adventures button. You can also easily edit the photos taken along the way and store them in the digital album. It has a sensor that sends you alerts if your dog is in an environment that is either too hot or too cold.

Your dog’s tracking records

The Link AKC dog collar has a remote turn on LED light to help locate your dog at night and a sound to help during training. Sound training is a good way to get rid of unwanted behaviours. Sound and light are accessed from the app’s main home screen. Store vet records for easy access and set important health reminders. This is why we included this collar to our list of the best fitness trackers for dogs.

The Link AKC Dog Collar is Ideal for All Dogs of All Breeds and Sizes

Another best feature of the product is you can choose between two styles of the Link AKC collar; Classic Leather and Sport Collar. The Sport collar with a reflective fabric stretch sleeve is perfect for active dogs, allowing them to show off their athletic style. The Classic Italian Leather is the best option if your pup prefers sophistication.

The most common problem among purchasing dog collars online is getting the wrong size. Don’t stress yourself about which size to order because the Link AKC collar comes with a size guarantee! If you purchased the wrong size, you could call the manufacturer to exchange your collar for free.

Link AKC Dog Collar specifications

  • Battery: It is non-removable and takes up to 4 hours to get fully charged. With normal use, it takes up to 2 days.
  • Sizes: The ergonomic curves of the collars are made to fit large and small dogs. Link AKC is available in five sizes (extra small, small, medium, large and extra-large.) you can exchange your collar for a different size.
  • Operating system: You download the app from App store and Google play store. It is compatible with OS 4.4 and above and IOS 9.0 and above.

The Link AKC Dog Collar’s service plan allows transmission of data to a cellular network and will enable you to view what you need to know about your dog. Plans are as low as $6.95 per month and are selected at activation. Subscription is renewed at the end of the chosen plan period either monthly, annually or biennially. The benefits of service plans include:

    • 24/7 access to a veterinary in case of dog poisoning
    • Getting a collar exchange for your growing dog
    • A three-year warranty on the collar. For a defective collar, they can replace it for you only if it was damaged under normal use.

Included in the Link AKC’s dog collar purchase is a tracking device, base station, leather collar in the signature shade of Hask Brown (in your choice of size), collar carrier and a USB cable. The base station is used for charging the dog tracker while the USB cable is used to make it convenient for you to charge both the tracking unit and your cell phone simultaneously

Link AKC Dog Collar is only available in the United States. It is not intended for use or sale outside the States. It is also not recommended for dogs under 10 pounds.

By the way, it was featured on Amazon livestream!

Using the Link AKC Smart Dog Collar

Unexpectedly, setting the GPS tracking unit and connecting it to the application was easy! The tracking unit should be charged on the base station before pairing it with the Link AKC app on your phone. I downloaded the Link AKC app on my phone, which can be both available for Android and Apple, and logged in. Even though the collar’s service plan adds to the cost, I registered to the plan because cellular and WiFi connections are necessary to use the tracker.

After connecting the tracking unit to my phone, I made a profile for my dog. The profile needs you to input your dog’s picture, age, gender, breed, weight, and a few questions about his/her activity. After choosing the base station, setting up the collar, and connecting the tracking unit to the application, you’ll already get notifications regarding on your dog’s activity and location.

If you are away from home or your dog, do not worry about not getting updates. Link offers a Temporary Safe Zone Setting, which allows you to set for a specified period and extend the safe zone outside of your phone’s Bluetooth range.

If you and your dog are outside and your pup immediately went missing, you can activate the Lost mode. This mode will update the map quickly, unlike in a normal setting, and will get the GPS on the collar activated. You will be continually updated where your dog is.

One client shared his experience with the Link AKC dog collar. He was able to immediately find his dog in the lake when it ran away from home! When the client arrived at the lake, the collar was wet, yet the GPS is still working perfectly. The collar is waterproof and can be covered for up to 30 minutes in 3 ft of water!

Every user’s experience with the LINK AKC dog collar may be a bit different. Your experience could depend on your cell phone coverage, connectivity, and home or yard obstacles. This is why I recommend purchasing the plan together with the collar. You may encounter problems using the GPS due to the said factors. Nevertheless, when used correctly, the product is a great tool.

Cons of Link AKC Smart Dog Collar

What prevents me from giving the Link AKC dog collar five stars is the battery life and this is the common reason why most of the people prefer Garmin collars over Link AKC. According to the product’s description, the collar can last up to three days of regular use within four hours of charge. However, when the GPS is in Lost Mode, it will use more battery than usual.

I had some experiences when the collar only lasts a day for whole day use. I still need to worry about charging the GPS every night and put it back on in the morning. Thus, if I’m away when he gets out, I’m concerned about the drained batteries before I get back to find him.

Link AKC vs. Competitors

If you are into this collar, make sure to compare Link AKC to its competitors on the market:

Honestly, there are better options available.

Link AKC Collar Review: Summary

The Link AKC is a smart choice for tracking your dog’s activity and location, but it can be bulky, big, and pricey compared to other dog GPS tracking options. The leather collar might be a bit stiff, but it has a smooth feel. Do not worry about the collar because the tracking unit can be removed to the leather collar so that you can slide it onto your dog’s collar. It can be used with any collar widths between 0.5″ to 1.5″. This way, your dog can still have a choice on what collar he/she will use!

When compared to similar options, the Link AKC dog collar is leading. Some of its features, such as the temperature alerts, light and sound features, adventure sharing and vet storage are unique. I wasn’t able to find the same features to other dog tracking units! The richest feature of the collar is it’s GPS tracking system, which is praised by clients because it works thoroughly and accurately as expected.

Overall the Link AKC dog collar is suitable for helping you track how much activity your dog is getting every day and tracking him/her down. It is a fast, reliable and accurate dog collar with everything you need to keep your dog happy, safe and healthy. In case you have any questions, support or collar issues, contact Link AKC customer service. To learn more about Link AKC smart dog collar, visit the Link AKC page.

Be a better friend to your best friend!

Author

  • Mark Braeden

    Mark is a Boston University graduate and former electrical engineer. In 2017, he decided to combine his tech knowledge with his love for dogs. He spent a year familiarizing himself with the latest GPS tracking collars, invisible fences, and other hot pet gadgets before he wrote his first product review. After selling Technobark, Mark remained a writer and consultant but spends more time on his other passion now: raising and training his growing family of dogs.

Link AKC Dog Collar Review
  • Link AKC Dog Collar Score By Mark Braeden
3.7
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1 Comment

  • I’d love to try this collar for 30 days free. I have coon dogs and this would be very beneficial

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