When it comes to keeping Freya safe and secure, I’m always on the lookout for products that give me peace of mind. I recently got my hands on the latest
The Tractive GPS Dog Tracker is a lightweight collar attachment that lets you track your dog’s location in real time, set virtual safe zones, and monitor activity levels. It’s a solid pick for escape artists, hikers, or anyone who just wants extra peace of mind if their dog decides to follow their nose a little too far.
What Exactly Is the Tractive GPS Dog Tracker?
Tractive is one of the leading GPS pet trackers on the market, designed to help dog owners keep tabs on their furry friends in real-time. This compact, lightweight device attaches easily to your dog’s collar and syncs with a smartphone app to give you constant updates on your dog’s whereabouts.
It’s especially handy if your dog is adventurous like my Pharaoh Hound, Freya. While I’m SUPER careful about making sure she never gets out of our fenced-in yard, I’m not naive enough to believe it could never happen. Hence my obsession with GPS dog trackers.
A few years ago, I did a Tractive XL review and really loved it. I still think it’s an amazing tracker, especially for bigger dogs. A few months ago,
Let’s check out what’s new first. Then we’ll go over the top features and pros as well as the few drawbacks.
What’s New in the Latest Tractive GPS Dog Tracker?
Bark Monitoring: The tracker keeps tabs on your dog’s barking habits, letting you know if there’s an increase or decrease from their usual patterns, thanks to a built-in sensor that measures sound levels.
Stronger Light: Find your tracker easier with bright LED lights that make it easier to spot your tracker (and pet) during night walks.
Enhanced Sound: The louder sound makes it easier to hear even in busy areas.
Up to 14 Days Battery Life: The Dog 6 GPS Tracker uses cutting-edge technology to the extend battery life longer than ever.
Improved USB-C Charging Mechanism & Sturdier Attachment: The tracker can be charged with any standard USB-C cable, and its port has a dirt protection cover. I am SO thrilled about this because the charger was one of my “could be betters” on my XL review.
Sleek and Modern Design: The new model is smaller, sleeker, and (in my opinion) just plain prettier.
Top Features:
- Real-time GPS tracking
- Virtual fences (geofencing)
- Health and Activity monitoring
- Compact, waterproof design
- Long-lasting battery life
- Worldwide coverage
- Family sharing features
What I Love About the Tractive GPS Dog Tracker
- Still fits almost any collar
- Reliable real-time tracking
- Easy-to-use mobile app
- Robust activity monitoring
- Super easy activation
- NEW Bark Monitoring
- Geofencing alerts*
Fits Any Collar
Like the original and the XL
As much as I love the GPS collars that I’ve tried out, Freya’s “giraffe” neck makes it challenging to get them to sit just right, especially since most of them double as training collars with vibration and whatnot. Since
Reliable Real-Time Tracking:
The real-time GPS feature gives me instant peace of mind, knowing that if Freya manages to escape the leash while chasing a squirrel, I’ll be able to find her again.
The updates are quick and accurate, so I always know exactly where she is, down to a few feet (I’ve tested this out by having my son walk her while I track them).
User-Friendly Mobile App with Insightful Activity Monitoring:
Not only does the tracker show me Freya’s location, but it also gives valuable insights into her daily activity levels. This helps me ensure she’s getting enough exercise, which is vital for her energetic breed.
Quick note: I used
SUPER Easy Activation
If you’d rather not deal with setting up your new account through the app,
Just sign up or login in on the
NEW Bark Monitoring:
Monitor how often your dog barks and get alerts if
Geofencing alerts
First, it’s important to remember that
It’s handy for people like me who have fenced-in yards but want that backup option in case their dog manages to escape the fence. Knock on wood, so far that hasn’t happened with Freya, but my dogs before her were expert escape artists. One would climb over the fence and the other would dig under.
What Could Be Improved
- Subscription required
- Slightly bulky for very small dogs
Subscription Required:
You’ll need a subscription to use
Keep in mind, though, that pretty much every GPS tracking collar right now also requires a subscription right off the bat. When you factor in
Size for Very Small Dogs:
The tracker is compact and lightweight, but it may still be bulky on very small dogs. While I haven’t tried it on a small pup (I’m a big dog person), Freya has a Shih Tzu friend that we see on our walks every day. Looking at her compared to the
So, when I say, “very small dogs,” I mean VERY small. That makes sense, though, since
Final Thoughts: Is Tractive Worth It?
If you have an adventurous dog or simply want that extra reassurance, the
The Tractive GPS Dog Tracker is a lightweight collar attachment that lets you track your dog’s location in real time, set virtual safe zones, and monitor activity levels. It’s a solid pick for escape artists, hikers, or anyone who just wants extra peace of mind if their dog decides to follow their nose a little too far.
I use Tractive GPS for 2 years. Everything was OK, until after annoying messages the mobile app installed Power Saving Zones.
The tracker stopped working, only one message: “you are in power saving zone”, even though the tracker is 1000 yards from the home and WIFI is off. Network and GPS are unable. No light and sound.
And in addition to that, the tracker stopped work in internet mode (in internet browser).
No option to remove Power Saving Zones.
I reinstalled app, reset tracker – no effect.
What idiot made the Power Saving Zones?
The old tracker works OK.
Customer service works bad, no phone, no fast responds to emails.
Please help to remove Power Saving Zones from mobile app.
Hello Alexander, I emailed Tractive product managers regarding your issue and hopefully they reply soon to your comment.
I own 2 Tractive GPS units and I cannot stress enough how inadequate the batteries are. Also, the tracker is not adequate for rural applications unless you have very little tree cover and excellent internet/Bluetooth.. The interface is okay but not as intuitive as you would hope. When I really need it, I find myself fumbling to find the right interface. I wanted to send an email directly to them, but of course they make that a challenge as well. Great idea, limited applications. I’m now looking for a more reliable system.
Actually…neither Tractive nor Whistle can solve your problems if you live in rural area, the carriers do NOT want to improve 4G coverage…
There is absolutely zero customer service. Only automated messages. They send you a 1 foot cord that you have to set in a perfect setup if you hope to charge it. All cellular providers are excellent in my rural area yet tractive obviously doesn’t have the relationship they sell you on with them. It’s basically like a phone from 1990. Plus it takes close to a minute to start live tracking when it does have signal. Which I’ll strongly reiterate that it rarely has. Not in big cities, small or rural. If you’re goal is to find your pet dead after it’s dead it probably works great. This certainly sounds like a paid advertisement by tractive and if so I’d love to let whomever isn’t doing any customer service that I will be challenging the subscription charge . It is clearly fraudulent and the is ZERO customer service. They will not respond. Only automated messages.
Make sure to type “need an agent” to avoid automated messages. In this case, the system would connect you with the Tractive agent. It’s the reality of today’s customer support
I’m wondering if there are corrections (sound, vibration or shock) for leaving the safe-zone fenced areas? I don’t see anything about that in the review or on their webpage.
I was unable to install the virtual fence due to the fact that I am not the owner who is presently out of town
This morning at 3am I became aware that poochi had fled the coop i immediately turned on the tractive tracker and located the escape about a mile away and drove to the location indicated which was a dark commercial area with no lights poochi is a all black Labrador mix and had a difficult time seeing him so to make sure it was him I turned on that one great feature light and was able to recognize him immediately and apprehended him saved the day
Should I have been able to install the virtual fence when I tried to in the first place this would not have happened to begin with
Be well and keep in touch
Tractive has a lot of shortcomings, but it should be the most balanced product in the overall rating of the pet GPS tracker that requires a monthly fee. Could you please write a recommendation for a pet GPS tracker that does not require a monthly fee?
Hi Eric! We actually have an article on that already: https://technobark.com/best-no-monthly-fee-dog-trackers/ I hope that helps!