Today’s tech for keeping dogs safe outdoors

The integration of advanced technology into pet care has revolutionized how owners monitor and ensure the safety of their dogs during their activities.

More and more of them consider GPS collars essential tools, thanks to tracking, safety features and smart fencing capabilities.

Enhanced location accuracy

Recent advances in GPS and cellular technology have significantly improved the functionality of GPS dog collars.

Modern tracking collars now offer enhanced GPS accuracy, real-time location tracking and the setting up of boundaries, allowing an owner to monitor their dog’s location at all times.

Texan wireless dog collar brand Halo continually updates both the hardware and software of its devices, offering advanced technological services.

One such feature in its fourth-generation smart collar is a dual-frequency GPS dog fence, which combines data from L1 and L5 bands.

“The Halo Collar is the first and only dual-frequency dog fence, which results in unrivaled accuracy,” says Michael Ehrman, co-founder of Halo. “This provides for the most accurate location that is not impacted by obstacles, even in urban or bad signal areas.”

Remote contact

Similarly, SpotOn Fence has introduced the Universal SIM card in its Omni Edition collar, allowing access to any cell tower, regardless of carrier. This results in better connectivity and tracking reliability.

The New Hampshire-based brand also offers an ‘off-grid mode’ that allows owners to create custom fences without relying on cellular signal.

“Even in the most remote locations, hours away from service, you can still set up safe zones for your dog, giving you peace of mind no matter how far off the grid you go,” says Sung Vivathana, VP of Engineering for the SpotOn Fence brand.

The company created this mode for customers who enjoy camping or exploring in areas without signal.

Designating no-go zones

In response to customer requests and needs, manufacturers have integrated several safety features into their GPS collars.

For instance, SpotOn collars offer ‘keep out zones’, allowing owners to create no-go areas that prevent dogs from entering potentially hazardous locations like frozen ponds, gardens and construction sites.

In the event of a lost dog, SpotOn’s Escape Monitoring and Prevention feature tracks and preempts escapes using the ‘dynamic dog timeline’, which records a dog’s exact movements during an escape.

Customer data has revealed that SpotOn systems successfully keep dogs contained 99.3% of the time, with a 0.7% escape rate. “What’s even more impressive is that 92% return within 5 minutes, demonstrating the system’s effectiveness in real-world scenarios,” says Vivathana.

Collars that issue commands

Halo has seen success with its smart collars via its philosophy of not just tracking lost dogs, but preventing them from running off in the first place.

It does this with a combination of commands, ultrasonic sounds and vibrations delivered through the collar itself, using the same training techniques humans have used with dogs for centuries.

Once the boundary is set, built-in GPS keeps an eye on where the dog is, so it can respond in real time. “If your dog gets near the boundary, the collar issues the command,” Ehrman explains.

“Your dog knows what that means: ‘stop and turn around’. If for some reason it leaves the fence, the collar will automatically trigger another command that says, ‘come home’.”

Prolonging battery life

With growing pet humanization, owners are increasingly prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of their pets, leading to a surge in the adoption of GPS dog collars. All these owners are looking for durable and reliable products with long-lasting batteries.

Trends also show an increase in pet parents traveling with their dogs and seeking premium products that ensure their pet’s safety.

“These shifts have led to the growth of pet tech and companies aligning with the needs of today’s younger pet parents, who value travel and experiences with their dogs but will not sacrifice their dog’s safety,” says Ehrman. “Pet parents are willing to spend money on safety technology.”

Halo relies heavily on customer requests and collects daily diagnostics from each collar to increase product performance, ensuring devices are working properly and keeping dogs safe.

The company debuted in 2020, and the 4 versions it has produced since then show just how quickly technology can be streamlined between generations. The current version not only introduces dual-band GPS, but offers 50% more battery life, while managing to shrink its physical size by 35%.

SpotOn has introduced an extended battery life mode for using the collar with a tracking subscription. This tracks for over 35 hours on a single charge, adding an extra 10 hours of use to the standard runtime.

Even for users without a subscription, the latest app update optimizes battery life to over 40 hours, making the system adaptable for longer outdoor adventures.

Further AI possibilities

The outlook for outdoor pet products, particularly GPS dog collars, is one of continued growth. Anticipated advances include the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the technology, as well as increased cost effectiveness and ease of use for the owners.

Manufacturers such as Halo are expanding the use of AI to develop new features and functions, aligning with the evolving lifestyles of modern pet owners.

“AI is already a significant part of the Halo product, and we will continue to expand our use of AI to deploy new features and functions to our existing and future users,” says Ehrman.

Adding extra value

With enhanced features and ever-changing technology, cost is also a concern for pet owners considering purchasing a GPS collar for their dog.

Halo aims to provide substantial value to its members relative to subscription costs. The company focuses on enhancing the daily value users receive, such as adding seamless global cellular roaming without additional subscription fees.

SpotOn emphasizes customer flexibility by offering collars that function with or without a cellular subscription. “Whether or not [owners] opt for the subscription, [they’ll] still receive unlimited fences, a complimentary training session and all the support that our subscribed users enjoy,” says Karen Polcaro, VP Marketing at SpotOn.

Responding to users’ needs

To facilitate use, Halo has introduced an ‘auto-fence’ feature that enables users to create custom, safe and effective fences with just a single button press.

This innovation simplifies the process for pet owners, thus enhancing the overall user experience. The integration of advanced technology into GPS dog collars has significantly improved outdoor experiences and safety for dogs and their owners.

With continuous innovations addressing consumer demands for accuracy, safety and convenience, the future of GPS dog collars looks promising as it caters to the evolving lifestyles of modern pet parents.