Last Updated on February, 2025
My dog, Baxter, BADLY needed a decent amount of exercise. He was on the verge of getting sick.
Although I knew my wife was trying, I couldn’t know whether Baxter’s exercise levels were enough or more than I wanted.
The problem had come to an unsolvable point.
That’s when I realized I could fix it if I had the best dog fitness & activity tracker with me.
If you’re here for the best activity tracker, you’re in the right place, and all you need to do is trust me. But why so?
Table of Contents
- Why Trust Me?
- Our Top Picks for the Best Dog Activity Trackers
- 1. Fi Smart Collar Series 3 (Editor’s Choice)
- 2. Whistle Health & GPS+ (#2nd Best Choice)
- 3. Tractive GPS Dog Activity Tracker (#3rd Best Choice)
- 4. Fitbark 2 Dog Fitness Tracker
- 5. Link AKC Smart Dog Collar
- 6. Petfon Dog GPS Tracker With Dog Activity Monitor
- 7. Petkit ‘FIT’ Dog Activity Tracker
- 8. Sureflap Animo Dog Fitness Tracker
- 9. Garmin Delta Smart Dog Tracker
- Top Factors to Consider in Buying a Dog Fitness Tracker
- What are Dog Activity Trackers?
- Benefits of Fitness and Activity Trackers for Dogs
- In Conclusion
- FAQs
Why Trust Me?
I bought all of these trackers and tested them on my own. Some of them are still with me because of their long battery lives.
All you need to do is, read about each tracker and make a choice at the end. To make it easier for you, I even picked the top three.
But most importantly, I discovered what companies are hiding from you. That way, you will know what you’re paying for.
Let’s get into it, then!
Our Top Picks for the Best Dog Activity Trackers
1. Fi Smart Collar Series 3 (Editor’s Choice)
Fi Series 2 is a famous GPS and activity tracking tracker loaded with features.
But Fi wanted to go even further. That’s why they have introduced the brand new Fi Series 3.
Let’s see why Fi Series 3 makes it such an excellent fitness and activity tracker.
The Fi Series 3 comes with both the tracker and the collar. The collar size is either ¾” or 1″.
This one is half the size of the Fi series 2 with five fit types with a range of 9.75’’ to 30.5’’ of neck size.
The tracker comes in four colors; yellow, gray, blue, and purple, with a plain collar or a patterned collar. I chose a medium gray tracker with no pattern on the collar.
On top of that, the built synthetic material of the collar is not too rough or smooth. Fi series 3 can withstand a massive pull force of over 400lbs.
Be sure to install the designated Fi free App on your mobile to manage and view all the operations.
It has a maximum battery life of three months, similar to the Fi series 2.
Activity and sleep tracking of Fi collars have always been superior.
Activity tracking lets you set goals in terms of the number of steps. The user-friendly interface shows you the number of steps and the distance covered in miles.
Since you can view activity history in hours, daily, weekly, and even monthly segments, you can track fitness data much better.
Fi series 3 lets you view and store sleeping data in hours, daily, weekly, and monthly segments. The tracker intelligently differentiates between the night’s sleep and short naps. It can also identify interruptions to sleep.
The app allows you to share these features with your family and friends.
The Fi Series 2 was only IP68 waterproof rated. Fi has gone several levels up in the criteria by making the Series 3 both IP68 AND IP66K rated; the highest EVER achieved in the category.
It also has GPS tracking.
GPS location tracking comes 24/7 with a maximum location updating rate every minute. But there are 40% more GPS satellites in the Fi series 3 compared to the series 2, with twice as much LTE network distance covered.
In addition, you get geofencing features too. That’s why it’s one of the finest dog fitness trackers. Geofence is a virtual fence you can create on the app. You get alerts when your dog crosses the boundary/fence.
Finally, you can access the Fi user community and join the ranking system via the app. I loved how it constantly motivated me to take Baxter for walks. Seeing other pet owners do the work, gives you motivation to fulfill your responsibility as a pet parent.
You can also view several valuable related content via Fi Discover mode.
Since it’s a GPS collar, it is subscription-based.
Key specs:
You can learn more about Fi Smart Collar here.
Pros
Cons
2. Whistle Health & GPS+ (#2nd Best Choice)
Whistle is a popular brand amongst dog parents. Their Whistle Health & GPS+ is the next dog fitness and activity tracker we will discuss.
This tracker comes in three sizes with a range of neck sizes from 8’’ to 24’’.
Coming in yellow and black colors, this activity tracker too has GPS tracking features similar to the Fi series 3.
The battery life is around 24 hours, as mine ran for about 22 hours with one full charge.
The tracker is based on a free app, where all the features are centralized.
Activity and fitness tracking features are superior in Whistle Health & GPS+.
You can check activity based on these parameters:
You will receive your dog’s daily activity comparison reports compared to the day before, recorded in average minutes per day for each parameter.
You do not see this much diversity in most dog fitness trackers.
Whistle Health & GPS+ also lets you see the daily wellness score out of 100. The indication meter indicates whether it’s low, okay, or excellent.
You also can set activity goals based on breed, weight, and age.
Activity tracking can also be done regarding calories, distance, and resting hours.
These features have a 24-hour timeline with more activity aspects, such as time spent running, playing, walking, napping, and more.
The tracker is IPX8 waterproof rated. But the maximum recommended depth is up to 6 feet.
AT&T’s 4G LTE-M powers the GPS capabilities, and that’s why you get a fantastic location update speed of 15 seconds, accurately revealing your dog’s whereabouts.
But that requires a subscription plan.
You get geofencing too. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it’s a feature where you can draw a boundary or a safe zone, typically on the map on the app. Whenever your dog crosses the boundary, your phone gets alerts.
Key specs:
Pros
Cons
3. Tractive GPS Dog Activity Tracker (#3rd Best Choice)
Tractive is a very popular brand amongst pet parents.
Their dog tracker can track both activity and location of your dog — that’s why it’s our next tracker to review.
This location and activity tracker is recommended for both cats and dogs weighing 8.8 lbs (4kg) and above.
That’s simply due to its compactness — 2.81″ long, 1.1″ tall, and 0.68″ thick, weighing 1.24 ounces.
The Tractive tracker for dogs comes in five colors; dark blue, light blue, light pink, coffee, and snow.
I chose dark blue since I know lighter colors can get untidy quicker.
This GPS & activity tracker has an excellent battery life of up to 7 days. With intense use, mine ran for about 4 days.
Tractive’s free mobile app operates all the features swiftly letting you store and export UNLIMITED data. It is available in both Playstore and the app store.
When it comes to fitness tracking capabilities, Tractive delivers amazingly.
Activity and fitness monitoring of Tractive lets you see the number of calories burned, how long the dog spends at a specific location and the sleeping data.
You get the answers to questions like how much quality sleep your dog got last night. When were they woken up? How many naps during the day? And how much time do they spend awake? And the list goes on.
Since you can set customized fitness goals, you are in control of what your dog achieves. You can compare these stats with your dog’s history or with other dogs with worldwide ranking.
While the Whistle Health & GPS+ brings location updates every 15 seconds, Tractive has changed the game. You get location updates every 2-3 seconds with worldwide coverage.
The reason is integrated high-quality GPS signals.
Tractive also has superior circular geofencing capacities with a minimum of 160 ft as the radius.
Finally, you get features like a dog-safe power button to prevent accidental turning off.
An LED light integrated into the tracker to find the dog at close distances, especially at night.
Learn more about Tractive Dog Tracker Here.
Key specs:
Pros
Cons
4. Fitbark 2 Dog Fitness Tracker
Fitbark has two main dog collars. But we’re talking about the Fitbark 2; this is their activity tracker that DOES NOT have location tracking.
This tracker weighs only 0.35 oz and has dimensions of 1.6 x 1.1 x 0.5 inches.
Fitbark recommends their fitness tracker to any breed, size, and weight; it’s okay even if your dog is 3lbs or 200lbs.
But the collar should not be wider than 1.5″.
The battery life of this activity tracker is up to six months at a stretch. My tracker is still up and running just fine.
But you need a Fitbark charging cable to charge the tracker.
The tracker is IP67 waterproof rated.
Since there is no GPS location tracker, let’s discuss its activity-tracking features.
You get to track resting time, active time, and playtime. The tracker intelligently differentiates the difference between these types of time.
In addition, you also can track the distance covered along with the number of calories burnt for the distance.
Did I tell you how you can set activity goals based on the dog’s age, weight, and breed? You totally can!
Activity points are measured by BarkPoints specific to the Fitbark community.
This fitness tracker also lets you monitor your dog’s sleeping patterns against your pup’s health index unique to Fitbark.
The tracker works anywhere in the world. All of its operations are centralized on a free mobile app.
This is where you get up to 100 days of the minute-by-minute history of data. With this app, you can add multiple people to share the data with and also track multiple dogs with one app.
The cherry on top is how you receive a weekly health report.
In addition, you can monitor your dog’s anxiety levels, itchiness and skin diseases, and much more.
On top of everything, you can link the tracker to a Fitbit, Apple Watch, HealthKit, or Google Fit device (worked excellently with Fitbit for me).
All of these features come with no subscriptions.
Key specs:
If you want to learn more about Fitbark 2, CLICK HERE!
Pros
Cons
5. Link AKC Smart Dog Collar
The winner of the CES 2017 best of innovation is the LINK AKC smart dog collar. We’re about to talk about this activity and the GPS tracking collar.
This curved tracker is 1.5 x 3.9 x 0.5 inches (Height x Width x Depth), weighing 4.8 oz with two styles of collars; a classic Italian leather collar or a sport collar made from reflective fabric.
You can use a separate collar with widths between 0.5″ to 1.5″.
But I recommend choosing the AKC branded collar for the best fit, which comes in five sizes
LINK AKC is recommended for dogs weighing 10lbs and above.
The tracker runs for up to about three days from one full charge.
The designated mobile app has a battery life indicator, so you don’t have to wait until the tracker shuts down to recharge it.
AT&T cell service aids GPS location positioning. That’s why it’s one of the dog activity trackers that work only in the USA.
But don’t worry, you get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
All the features are operated from a designated free mobile app with a user-friendly interface.
The activity tracking features of this tracker are pretty unique.
LINK AKC RECOMMENDS you the ideal goals based on the dog’s age, size, and gender; you don’t have to set them by yourself.
The tracker tells you the time and the traveled distance while dividing the information into moderate and intense activity.
Taking a hike is moderate and going for an evening run with the dog is an intense activity.
The adventures feature is impressive since it lets you take snapshots of the journey, and you can keep, rename, share, or even delete them. But you should stay within the Bluetooth range for this to work.
The other notable feature which almost qualifies as a safety precaution is temperature alerts. You can set ranges of temperatures, and if the tracker picks up a higher temperature, you get alerts.
The tracker also has a light integrated to find it easier at nighttime.
But remember, you need to have a monthly subscription plan.
Key specs:
Click here to learn more about Link AKC Smart Tracker.
Pros
Cons
6. Petfon Dog GPS Tracker With Dog Activity Monitor
Petfon is another famous dog tracker brand. Their pet activity tracker is what we’re going to discuss.
So, the tracker comes with the dimensions of 1.7 x 0.6 x 1.7 inches (W x D x H) weighing 5.28 ounces.
As per Petfon’s recommendation, the Petfon pet GPS tracker is suitable for all dog sizes.
The maximum battery life is around 16 hours. But with average active tracking, my tracker ran for almost 10 hours.
It works anywhere in the world with no problems. However, the GPS range varies.
The GPS tracking mode depends on the surroundings. In open space, the range is 3.5 miles, and 0.65 miles in congested areas. But according to what I expected, the dog’s location updating speed is almost real-time, with up to 5 seconds delay.
The tracker is IP65-rated, but dog owners should remember to avoid making the happy dog wear it for swimming.
The fundamental aspects of monitoring activity are the distance covered and the time taken for that, the resting time, and the number of steps (or paws). The Petfon tracker covers them quickly.
Remember to install and log into the Petfon mobile app to access all these features.
You’ll see the map of all this clearly on the designated Petfon mobile app. But unlike some activity trackers in this list, the Petfon tracker doesn’t let you set goals.
Apart from that, you get geofencing like other dog fitness trackers
Interestingly, you can record messages in the dog’s collar to play when it crosses a boundary while you receive the alert. So, it’s a tracker that balances location tracking, dog training, and activity tracking.
You end up potentially saving a little fortune since it requires no monthly subscription fee.
Key specs:
Here’s the complete review of Petfon Dog GPS Tracker.
Pros
Cons
7. Petkit ‘FIT’ Dog Activity Tracker
Petkit’s FIT is another excellent smart activity tracker based in the US.
This was actually a recommendation, and because of that, I was extra careful when evaluating it.
Weighing just 0.48 ounces, the tracker’s dimensions are 1.18 x 1.18 x 0.2 inches (LxWxD) and made from durable aluminum.
The tracker has six months of battery life.
Since there is no location tracking, the FIT tracker is loaded with activity tracking features.
All of the features are managed from the mobile app.
Its activity tracking features are pretty diverse as it lets you see information about walking, jumping, sleeping, and more. You can see the number of steps, the distance covered, hours of sleep, and the interruptions.
All of the info is stored in Petkit’s cloud.
That’s not all; once you add details of your dog’s weight and breed, the app determines the following fitness tracking elements:
Pet parents can also receive daily Petkit reports, including notifications in case abnormal behavior is detected.
There is the Petkit community to share your journey with as well. How cool!
On top of all this, it requires no monthly subscription.
Key specs:
Pros
Cons
8. Sureflap Animo Dog Fitness Tracker
SureFlap Animo dog activity monitor is somewhat similar to the Whistle Go tracker. I’ll explain to you why in a moment.
This tracker weighs 0.92 ounces with 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.46 inches of dimensions.
You can attach it to any 1 ¼ inches wide collar, which means it doesn’t come with a collar.
This fitness tracker comes with a six months of long-lasting battery
It is also waterproof.
The Animo tracker doesn’t track location, and because of that, features are concentrated on the activity tracker. For example, you will be notified if there is increased barking, scratching, or even shaking.
It also lets you track the total active time in hours and minutes and the number of calories burnt. You can also set activity goals.
In addition, you can monitor hour-by-hour sleep quality with overnight reports and medical insights. The recording history can go up to one year.
These features are managed in a free smartphone app compatible with iOS and Android, with no monthly subscription.
Key specs:
Pros
Cons
9. Garmin Delta Smart Dog Tracker
Garmin is a brand known for real-time location tracking, but its Delta Smart dog training system works only for activity tracking.
The tracker’s dimensions are WxHxD: 2.5″ x 1.4″ x 1.3″ weighing just 1.6 ounces.
With a maximum battery life of up to 3 weeks, the Delta Smart tracker comes with the 1 ATM waterproof rating.
Garmin recommends the tracker for all sizes and breeds of dogs.
There are ten stimulation levels with vibration and tone modes.
These features are mainly used for training, whereas you can train an unlimited number of dogs.
Integrated activity monitoring enables the following features:
All these features are viewed and neatly managed by the free Garmin canine app.
In addition, you can create a 1-to-3 feet alert zone or geofence with keep-away tags that are sold separately.
The cherry on top is how this tracker requires no monthly subscription.
Replace Heading:
We’ve reviewed the best Garmin dog tracking & training collars on our website. Click here to check them out.
Pros
Cons
Top Factors to Consider in Buying a Dog Fitness Tracker
Build Quality and Durability
You should check for the design and how well it has been built, both the tracker and the collar. In addition, you also should check whether it has an IP rating for waterproof status.
Types of Activity Tracking
What can you really check? The number of steps? The distance traveled? You need to check how various the tracking features are.
You should also look if you can set goals and if the goals intelligently generate when you enter your dog’s details.
Ability and Conditions to Store and Export Data
It would help you if you could store the tracking data. But why stop there if you can export them too? You need to check the availability of these features, the extent of availability, and whether you can export the data.
Presence of a Free Mobile App
Having a mobile app to operate the device is a massive convenience, always.
Battery Life
You must check the maximum battery life and the runtime of all the operation modes. You can verify it by comparing it with user comments.
Presence of GPS Tracking and Other Features
It doesn’t hurt to have GPS tracking as an extra feature; check it depending on the need. In addition, look for special features such as geofencing, alerts, and even built-in night light in the tracker.
Checkout out the best pet tracking devices.
Subscription Plans Prices and Variations
Some trackers come with subscription plans. It’s better to know how much you’re spending and the variation of each package.
What are Dog Activity Trackers?
Dog activity trackers are used to monitor the activity of your dog. Typically, the activity is measured in terms of the number of steps, distance walked, the active and resting duration, and even sleeping duration.
Benefits of Fitness and Activity Trackers for Dogs
In Conclusion
Investing in a dog activity tracker is a wise decision. It enables you to take care of your furry friend best.
Based on all the fantastic features, it’s clear how Fi Series 3 wins the game.
After all, we just want the best for our dogs as pet parents, and the best dog activity trackers, like Fi Series 3, enable it better.
FAQs
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