UKH

After some reccomendations for a dog GPS tracker for mountian use.

One thing I've wondered is how well the apps/software can display your dog's position in a way that is useful when out on the hills.

A dot displayed on some really crap mapping is probably of limited use when you're in the mist on a craggy mountain somehwere. Do these devices give a British grid reference for location?

Essentially we're after something rugged, waterproof, compact, will last at least 2 days continuous tracking, that will be as helpful as possible if the unthinkable ever happened out on the hills.

Just to pre-empt any comments, we're not looking to replace good training and caution with technology. This will just be an insurance policy whilst we are bringing the young guy on carefully.

Thanks in advance

We use Pawfit, although admittedly not in especially remote terrain that often.

You can select an OS Map option in the app which whilst not giving grid references does at least show contour lines and smaller streams etc. It shows your devices location as well as the trackers.

It does rely on having decent phone signal ( 4g) to use the app, so I can imagine that being an issue at times.

We have tractive, and I find it pretty good. It doesn't give grid reference, but it does have most paths on it and it shows both a mark for your position and the dogs, so you can see relative to where you are. Of course, it only works where there is signal, so sometimes no use. 

I find that the mapping they use has more of my local paths on it than OS or Harvey's, so sometimes I actually just open the app to use as a map if I am looking to find a path through an area!

I know a couple of people who use them for lurchers. Garmin I believe 

We also have tractive and it's good for everyday tracking, and the mapping is good and simple to use.

However, the battery life is not that great. In normal use it would last 2 - 3 days without a charge, but that's only because it effectively uses no power when in the house and connected to the WIFI. In actual tracking mode I guess it would last around a day in periodic update mode i.e. update every few minutes, but if you switch it into "live" tracking mode this is significantly reduced. I guess max. 60 minutes (also depending on temp).

Last weekend I stayed at a mountain hut (so no connection to WIFI all day/night, but also no live tracking) and the tracker was dead by lunchtime the 2nd day.

It's a useful tool for piece of mind, but you need to know the limitations. If I thought my dog was genuinely lost, I wouldn't put it into "live" tracking mode directly, but would instead rely on the update every few minutes to make sure the battery lasted long enough.   

Thanks for the replies!

We got a pair of Vodaphone Curve dog trackers, totally useless. You think it's turned off but it's not so the battery is flat when you want it. If you want real-time location updates the battery only lasts 10 minutes or so. 

We used Dog tracker Nano, it does use live tracking. 

This has a sim card in the tracker that sends data to a server, you then link to the server through the App. The live tracking is fairly instant if you have a good phone signal. Where we used to walk was pretty spotty but it worked ok. I tended to use the satelite view rather than the map view.

We tried the tractive tracker but didnt find it very good so went back to the Dog Tracker Nano. That said I know people that use the tractive and they are fine with it.

When you say "out on the hills", where are you thinking about?

I'm asking because large areas of Scotland, for example, have no phone signal which I think means your only option in such places is something like the Garmin Atemos 100 with the K5 collar, which is serious money.

Dave 

Both our dogs have Pawfit trackers.  I've just replaced one of them after three years as it's become more erratic and finally refused to charge.  They did at least give me some money off the new one.

I can only get mine to show the tracking location overlaid onto google maps - either the satellite image or the plainer map view.  I don't see any way to convert that into an OS ref (which, now you mention it, would be a sensible add on) or indeed how to switch the background to the OS map - WillRobertson, can you tell me how you did that?

Something to mention - the older Pawfits let you put your own SIM in, and that cost about 2p per day in data.  The new ones have their own internal SIM, which Pawfit charge £3.50/month for.  Slightly annoying.  As far as I can tell all the trackers on the market have now cottoned on to this ongoing income stream.

I use FI for my naughty girl.  one smell of freedom, and she forgets all about our cuddles and yummy foods we give her.

Another vote for tractive. 
 

the only downside is the battery life is rubbish. But a battery pack would charge them when you’re away from home.
 

 our dogs legged it in rural Spain and I was able to find them with the app. They regularly like to mooch off in our local park and it’s excellent for that too. The reason we got them is because they like to take themselves for a walk- much less stressful when you can see on the app they’re close by. They’re Romanian street dogs- used to their freedom and like to stress me out!
 

I found the coverage was good- you do need signal to find them. Been pleased with them and would recommend

Nothing clever I'm afraid. When on the map page and opening the map type menu I get four options:

- Google map

- Satellite

- Ordnance Survey Map (UK only)

- OpenStreetMap

Ah - do you have a premium subscription? I've only got the basic version and that only had a toggle, not a full menu. Perhaps that's it.

In which case, OP, budget a few more pennies a month for the premium version of the SIM subscription!

It seems we do! Good spot (my partner bought it and pays for the subscription hence why I wasn't aware).

OP there's a summary of the differences on this page - https://www.pawfit.com/en-us/blog-detail/838/introducing-the-new-premium-su...

I have a lead.

I know this sounds snarky, but dogs off leads in the uplands are a real problem, and I don't really mean livestock. Ground nesting birds are really, really susceptible to disturbance, and are also really secretive. If you don't know they are there, you can't keep your exceptionally well trained dogs away. Until its too late.

And I have 2 big, affable, idiot dogs

and a tin hat and a big sofa to hide behind

No tin hat or sofa needed.

We're very mindful of this issue during the ground nesting bird season. Striving to be able to trust our dog off lead in the Mountains doesn't mean we're striving to have him permanently off lead in the Mountains.

There's so many scenarios where having the dog joined to you with a bit of rope, for me, just isn't practical, or more importantly isn't safe.

We're trying to get the pooch as good on the lead and off the lead as possible. That way we have the flexibility to try to make the best judgement call we can to avoid disturbing any wildlife, whilst also not having an accident negotiating more rocky terrain attached to an eager dog which has the advantage of four legs.

Thanks for all the replies with info on devices 

Some random thoughts:

I genuinely dont get why folk feel the need for GPS tracker for their dog. My dog is no angel, but his recall his 100%. This came through massive amounts of training, a minimum of 4 sessions a day for 12 months, then easing. This included recall exercises in the house, and I often recall him now just to keep him up to speed (sometimes every few minutes - I whistle him a certain way and he trots back to me). If folk feel that they might need a tracker then that can’t be 100% of recall. I guess people on this thread feel their recall isn’t 100%, so it does make sense to consider a tracker - each to their own I suppose. I’ve seen many a dog chase a deer (‘but he won’t catch it, he’s just having fun’….), and these dog owners reckon their dogs are well trained, which is clearly bollox.

My mate works in Borrowdale and knows farmers who have shot dogs caught chasing a sheep (and he reckons they were ‘friendly’ chasing rather than intending to kill).  

Leads: spot on about not being permanently attached. Came down Halls Fell Ridge on Blencathra last Friday, in very slippy conditions. The photo is of him after the scrambly bits as the mist started to clear. Defo needed to be off lead because I often needed five points of contact!   My dog is 100% sheep friendly. He didn’t used to be, but mega training and two electric shocks did the job (electric fence). The only time he ever walks to heel is when sheep are about. Out in the hills I strongly advise a long piece of rope as the lead. This enables the dog to navigate dog proof gates and stiles whilst the  owner still has some control (say if sheep are on the other side). Six foot, with the lead handle/loop clipped back into the carabiner on his collar when a 3 foot lead is best.  

Sadly, many upland areas are just about devoid of bird life (eg Lakes NP). Lowland areas are when a dog is most likely to disturb ground nesting birds, but is the place least likely to see dogs on leads. 

Main one I can think of is dog is in the garden, gets scared and bolts over the wall

And there is your answer; far too many dog owners simply aren't prepared to put in the effort to train their dogs, in so many ways.

Nice quiet cove spoilt today by yappy dog standing right next to owners, and simply yapping continuously. Presumably for attention the owners couldn't be bothered to give it.

Because training is a process, not an event. I use one in local woods, not the hills. Rescue dog with a chase drive, mostly after squirrels, and it has taken a couple of years to train it out of her. She is now reliable coming to a whistle. She actually learned that almost instantly, it was getting to "always" that took a while. I would not walk her off the lead where there may be sheep, which in the hills is almost everywhere.

I use a "Kippy". Works well and lower subscription charge than some. A very good after-sales service.