Best Fitness Tracker for Dogs in 2020 (Fitbark vs Whistle vs Others)

May 11, 2021 Kar-Bay-Inc 0 Comments

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Fitness trackers aren’t just for humans anymore.

Pet technology continues to evolve, which helps dog owners to monitor their pets, take better care of them and potentially prevent health issues, or deal with them in a timely manner.

While some brands are limited in what data they provide, the best dog fitness tracker will have this and more.

If you’re considering investing in a fitness tracker for your dog, we’ve tested and did an extensive best fitness tracker for dogs review below, ranking only the brands that are worth their price tag.

Here are our favorite picks and personal recommendations.

What Is a Dog Fitness Tracker?

The concept of a fitness tracker for pets is similar to the one made for people, such as the very popular Fitbit.

Once implemented, it tracks and monitors your dog’s activity and displays all the data in your smartphone app.

There are several ways these devices can be used and how they can be helpful for dog owners.

For example, you can track how much your dog walks, runs, exercises, plays, sleeps or naps.

You also can track any other similar activities which can be extremely helpful in noticing health issues, patterns in behavior changes and so forth.

This information then can be presented to your veterinarian for a more accurate assessment.

There are several different fitness trackers for dogs (also referred to as dog activity monitors, pet trackers, etc.) and each brand comes with its own set of unique features.

Some dog trackers for fitness monitoring will also have GPS trackers in them which will help to quickly locate your dog or alert you when your pet leaves a “safe zone,” while other apps will have a “goal setting” feature to help you track your pup’s fitness goals and more.

Because each brand has different options (and a different price tag), it depends on you, your pet, the environment, and your goals as to which one is best.

So here’s our review of the eight top-rated fitness trackers for dogs as well as our three favorite picks.

The Best Fitness Trackers for Dogs

1 Fitbark 2 Pet Tracker

The second incarnation of the Fitbark fitness tracker for dogs, the Fitbark 2 is one of the most popular fitness trackers for dogs on the market today thanks to the reputation that their first version has earned them.

The updated version has expanded the database and a number of features the app offers, which are now seen as both good and bad.

Generally, the interface is very simple and easy to use, but the app might have some hiccups and some owners may be confused due to an abundance of information.

The best thing about it is the extremely long-lasting battery which outperforms all other options listed below.

This also happens to be one of the more affordable choices on the market which is perfect for pet owners on a budget.

Fitbark 2 package comes with:

Fitbark 2
Black Fitbark 2 cover
Zip ties for 4 collar changes
Charging cable
User guide

Features of the Fitbark 2 include:

Tracks activity levels
Tracks quality of sleep
Tracks distance traveled
Waterproof
Durable
Track food and water for the day
Fits dogs of any size
Compatible with Fitbit, Apple Watch, Health Kit or Google Fit
Tracks calories burned
Tracks overall health
6-month battery life
Journal feature
No monthly fees
Global compatibility
Free apps for iOS and Android

Features missing from the Fitbark 2 include:

Heart rate tracker
GPS tracking

2 Whistle Go Explore Fitness Tracker For Dogs

The Whistle Go Explore is only slightly more expensive than the FitBark 2 but it offers more features, including a GPS tracker.

It’s also just as popular as the FitBark among pet owners due to similar features.

While we have never had to make use of the GPS tracker feature on Whistle Go Explore, it’s nice to know that it’s there (just in case), especially when the price is only $10 more than Fitbark 2 while offering similar data.

The biggest downside is a “hidden cost.” Unlike the Fitbark 2, you do have to have a paid plan for the Whistle Go Explore Best Fitness Tracker For Dogs which adds in a minimum monthly expense of $6.95 a month.

We’re willing to overlook that additional expense, however, based on the fact that this monitor doesn’t just notify you once certain events have taken place; it notifies you as they take place, so you can be proactive in reacting to problems.

Whistle Go Explore package comes with:

Whistle Go Explore
Whistle Go Explore cover
User guide
Charging cable

Features of the Whistle Go Explore include:

Tracks activity levels
Tracks GPS location
Set activity goals
Compatible with Apple iOS 10+ and Android 5.0+
Affordable monthly subscription plans
Sleep tracker
7-day battery life and a 2-hour full charge time
Durable
Waterproof
Set custom safe places to get an alert when a dog steps outside of safe zone

Features missing from the Whistle Go Explore include:

Global use since the GPS feature is limited to U.S. carrier AT&T at this time
Not recommended for pets under 8lbs

3 Tractive Best Fitness Tracker For Dogs

The Tractive is not as popular among dog owners as the Fitbark 2 or Whistle 3, which likely has something to do with the price tag.

We’d expect that being newer on the market they’d be cheaper, but that’s not really the case.

When it comes to the best fitness Tracker for dogs, the Tractive, is both an activity tracker and a GPS tracker, and it does not come with a monthly fee, thus in the long run, it may end up being cheaper than the Whistle 3.

We like that the Findster is smaller and more compact, but we do feel that it’s a little flimsier and less durable than the previous two pet trackers covered above.

This tracker works for activity and GPS tracking around the world, unlike the Whistle 3, but the range of 0.5 miles in urban areas is a little disappointing.

Tractive package comes with:

One Tractive device
Charging cable
User guide

Features of the Tractive include:

Tracks activity levels
Tracks GPS location
Set milestones and achievements
The ability to connect other users with your account
The ability to set safe areas and receive alerts when your dog leaves those areas
The ability to track up to 3 pets on one account
Global use capability
iOS and Android compatible app
100% Waterproof

Features Missing from the Tractive Pet Tracker include:

Heart rate tracker
Lacking some basic health functions like temperature
Sleep tracking

4 Link AKC Fitness Tracker for Dogs

The Link AKC activity and GPS monitor comes from the American Kennel Club name.

Despite this, we as well as many other pet owners have mixed opinions about this tracker, and we’re torn whether this should be recommended over the above two options.

In short, we like the idea of incorporating the tracker in a collar, so your dog doesn’t have another tag hanging off their collar, but the collar color and style choices are limited because of this.

That said, we do like that it’s backed by the AKC brand name and that it incorporates dog training features as well as safety alerts not offered by other fitness tracker options.

Note that this collar requires a monthly subscription, too.

Link AKC package comes with:

Link AKC smart collar
A collar carrier for the Link tracker
Link AKC Base station
Charging cable
User guide

Features Missing from the Link AKC include:

Heart rate tracker
Sleep tracker
Global use since the GPS feature is limited to U.S. carrier AT&T at this time

5 WonderWoof Bowtie Activity Monitor for Dogs

We hesitated whether or not to include the WonderWoof on our list because it simply isn’t the best-rated activity tracker out there for dogs.

The price is above that of most other fitness trackers and it offers minimal features.

Out of fairness, however, we included the WonderWoof just so that you can compare features for yourself.

WonderWoof package comes with:

WonderWoof bowtie monitor
Two bowtie accessory bands
A cleaning cloth
Charging cable
User guide

Features of the WonderWoof include:

Tracks activity levels.
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
7-day battery life
Waterproof
Social network sharing of your mapped location so you can meet with friends
Access to data by multiple users at one time
Built-in reminder alert for vet appointments in the WonderWoof app
Android and iOS app compatibility
Bluetooth

Features missing from the WonderWoof include:

Heart rate tracker
GPS location tracking

6 Pawfit 2 Fitness Tracker For Dogs

The Pawfit GPS and activity tracker is affordable while also offering multiple features like GPS tracking, activity monitoring, rest quality, and a user-friendly app.

The smartphone app for this tracker has to be our favorite feature because it’s simple to use compared to the complex apps that some of the other trackers mentioned above offer.

Overall, this is a very lightweight tracker which is great if you have a small dog.

The most unusual feature of the Pawfit (something that no other canine fitness trackers do) is that it uses GPS, WiFi, cellular technology, and a Nano SIM card so that GPS function can be accessed internationally if needed.

Pawfit package comes with:

The Pawfit pet tracker
A collar retainer
A collar attachment
USB cable
User guide
Charger

Features of the Pawfit include:

Tracks activity levels.
Tracks GPS location.
Tracks calories burned
Sim card compatibility
Easy to use app
Waterproof
Sleep tracking
Breed-specific and age-specific data settings
Text-to-speech feature for pet ID broadcast if your dog gets lost
Lightweight
Dustproof
Android and iOS app compatibility.

Features missing from the Pawfit include:

Heart rate tracker
Only recommended for pets 7.75 lbs. And over
Only compatible with dog collars and harnesses up to 1.26” wide

7 PitPat 2

This is a pet fitness tracker that most resembles the Fitbit for pets.

We’re impressed with the battery life of the PitPat 2, but what we like most is that it alerts you of possible indicators of a health decline such as a reduction in dog’s activity.

We also really liked just how light this device is, meaning it can comfortably fit on any dog’s collar where you can even set it to work off breed-specific recommendations for pet profile data.

While we do like this dog activity tracker, it’s a more middle-of-the-road option; we feel that you can get more bang for your buck from other trackers in a similar price range.

It must also be mentioned that this is a UK-based product, so if you are using it outside of the United Kingdom, you may need to do a little math conversion to get a good picture of your dog’s activity data.

PitPatPet 2 package comes with:

PitPatPet 2
A Velcro collar attachment
User guide
A fitted battery

Features of the PitPatPet 2 include:

Tracks activity levels
Tracks sleep
Tracks calories burned
Allows you to set fitness goals
1-year replaceable battery life
No monthly subscription fee
Waterproof
Personalized exercised recommendations
Android and iOS app compatibility

Features missing from the PitPatPet 2 include:

Heart rate tracker
GPS locator

8 PETFON Fitness Tracker for Dogs

The PETFON is another highly rated dog activity tracker, but it does not come with a location tracking feature.

We find this a little disappointing when considering the more complex devices that are available in the same price range.

This isn’t to say that we don’t think this is a quality activity tracker, because it is, but we’re just not sold on the price tag for what you get in return.

See the features below to decide for yourself.

PETFON package comes with:

PETFON smart tag
Smart tag charger
Silicon ring
USB cable
User guide

Features of the PETFON include:

Activity monitoring
Sleep monitoring
Ability to set goals based on your dog’s age, breed, height, and weight
Calories burned
Rainproof
Android and iOS app compatibility
Bluetooth synching

Features missing from the PETFON include:

Our Picks for the Dog Fitness Tracker

The PETFON, Whistle Go Explore, and Fitbark 2 are all worthy choices for the best fitness tracker for dogs depending on what additional features you are looking for and what your budget range is.

It’s difficult to pick one among either of these three because they all offer different areas that can be useful to a dog owner depending on the dog, breed, environment, and how you plan to use your pet’s fitness tracker.

Ultimately, if we had to select just one of these three options, Whistle Go Explore would be our selection.

We prefer this simply because they have a similar price to others and offer a large number of features, but if you are easily confused by technology and want simplicity then Fitbark might just be a better choice for you.

We recommend PETFON if: you have a larger budget and are looking for a GPS and activity tracker that you can use and access globally.

We recommended Whistle Go Explore if: you’re looking for a more affordable activity and GPS tracker that has most of the necessary features.

We recommended Fitbark 2 if: you’re not interested in a GPS locator and just want an activity tracker that’s very simple to use.

Out of the eight top rated fitness trackers for dogs, these three are easily the definite winners. The other options, while cheaper, also has less features and more downsides when compared to this strong trio. However, among the Fitbark 2, Whistle 3 and Findster Duo+, it’s all up to you want you want in your fitness tracker and what you can afford.

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