Filip Brož Parents have a dog at home. A large breed of Rhodesian Ridgeback - Hugo. Although the dog is usually obedient, it cannot be prevented that during longer walks through the forest it catches the trail of a deer or a hare and disappears for a while. At such a moment, all summons and treats are completely useless. In short, Hugo takes the corner and runs really hard. The hosts then have nothing else to do but wait for Hugo to return.
For that reason, I bought a Tractive XL GPS locator for my parents. It's a box that we attached to Hugo's collar and tracked his every move using an iPhone app. I deliberately chose the XL model, which is intended for large breeds. However, manufacturers also offer smaller smart boxes, for example for cats or smaller dogs.
The joke is that there is an integrated SIM card inside, which in combination with a GPS locator monitors your pet's every step, so you are not dependent on Bluetooth and limited range, for example. On the other hand, because of this, the operation of Tractive is not completely free.
Before every walk, the parents just put a white box on Hugo, which is quite large and heavy. Fortunately, the manufacturers included a clip in the package, with which you can put the Tractive on any collar. However, I personally recommend keeping it smooth. If you have any thorns or other protrusions on it, it will be more difficult for you to put on the device. Also, don't forget to tighten the collar well, even if the device has not fallen off the collar during any walk. It holds everything like nails.
With a dog here and abroad
You then launch the application Tractive GPS Pet Finder and during the first launch you will create a user account, which you cannot do without. The user account is associated with a fee for the mentioned connection to the mobile data network. You can choose from two options: Basic or Premium tariff. You choose the payment method (monthly, annually, biannually) and then pay at least €3,75 (101 crowns) per month for the basic tariff, and €4,16 (112 crowns) for the premium one.
The biggest difference in the two tariffs is in coverage. While Basic will only work for you in the Czech Republic, with Premium you can also go abroad, Tractive works in 80 countries and you don't have to worry about your dog running away on vacation. In addition, the more expensive tariff has several additional functions, but more on them later.
The mentioned amounts must be paid in order to provide a problem-free service 24 hours a day in the GSM network, and most of the costs associated with the operation of the service are borne by the manufacturer. This is not a classic contract with a telephone operator, so there are no activation fees, SMS, data transfer or various hidden fees, you pay Tractive once and that's it. However, the locator does not work for free.
Almost like on a string
The Tractive GPS Pet Finder can not only capture where your dog is, but also visualize its current speed. It was interesting to watch Hugo's speed when he caught a trail to run after. Many will also appreciate the Live Tracking function, which tracks your pet in real time.
In practice, it looks like you see a red line on the map in the Tractive app, which is drawn live by an icon with a photo of your dog. That way we easily found out where Hugo was, even if we couldn't see him with our eyes. In the event that he runs somewhere far and does not manage to return, you can easily track him down using Live Tracking.
You can also remotely activate the Tractive GPS's built-in light from the app, which will help you find a lost animal even in low-light conditions. Alternatively, you can activate a sound signal, which will make finding a lost animal even easier. I also like that the internal battery lasts up to 6 weeks of continuous use. You can easily use Tractive not only when breeding dogs, but also horses or large farm animals with free movement.
Charging then takes place using the attached cable, which is magnetically attached to the box and starts charging. It is also important to mention that as a user you do not have access to the SIM card. Everything is safely stored and sealed.
Virtual fence
People who have dogs in the garden will certainly appreciate the function of the virtual fence, the so-called Safe zone. If your pet jumps over the fence, you will be notified immediately. At the beginning, you can define an arbitrarily large circle in the application where the dog can move without any supervision. In the application, you can constantly see how far the dog is. You will get a notification if it runs away. The safe zone can have any shape on the map and you can also add various icons there for easy identification.
If for some reason it is not possible to display the current location of your pet, its last known location and movement history will remain marked on the map. In practice, it happened a few times that the signal dropped out for a few seconds. However, as soon as he jumped back in, Hugo immediately appeared on the map.
All mentioned features apply to both the basic and premium packages. What the more expensive plan has in addition (aside from working abroad) is unlimited history of your pet's location. The Basic tariff records only the last 24 hours. With the Premium plan, you can also share your locator with other users, export your records in GPS or KML, and Tractive also automatically searches for the best available network for perfect reception. When you pay extra, you won't even see any ads in the app. In addition to the mobile application Tractive also has a web app, where you can also view the records.
Tractive GPS XL Tracker XL you can can be purchased at EasyStore.cz for 2 crowns. If the smaller version is enough for you, you will save almost a thousand crowns - it costs 1 crowns. If necessary, you can also find Tractive collars in the same store, to which you can then attach the locators.
From my own experience, I can only recommend solutions from Tractive to all dog owners, because you really have a perfect overview of your pet and you don't have to worry about losing each other.
The dog must be manageable under all circumstances. Especially in the woods. It is even mentioned somewhere that you must not chase the animal while hunting, it must be manageable, etc. As a hunting breed, you cannot shoot it, unlike a non-hunting breed, and there is only a fine. But I bet that most hunters will not look for the dog's breed and will claim that they made a mistake and shot him. Then the pipe will be of no use to you...
All right, but explain that to IŤák ;-)))
It is not entirely true…. it is written in the Hunting Act 419/2001 that the hunting guard can shoot a dog that annoys game. However, it must only be a hunting guard! i.e. not just any hunter, and moreover, it must not be a hunting, rescue or blind dog... So if it just runs around and doesn't bother anything, no one can shoot it! If that were to happen, the person should be brought to court! Otherwise, not to explain, I personally really like the product and from a veterinary point of view it can be used in many ways :)
Yes it is true. But I know of cases where it was handled this way in the past, or at least threatened to do so, as I described above. by "hunter" I meant hunting guard. the fact that the dog can be controlled with an electronic collar or with this beeper is nonsense, I stand by that. it's a funny IT gadget, but it defeats the purpose. if I don't trust the dog, a clothesline will do.
I understand that you know ;) I rather clarified for other readers. Of course, you can find idiots everywhere, including among the hunting guard. But it really shouldn't happen normally. And agree that the rope will not replace anything. Rather, it is a good gadget, for someone who suspects that their dog is a bit of a runaway and often the fence is a small barrier.
I don't think that anyone solves the controllability of the dog - it's just to be sure - you go out with your dog, it suddenly gets scared of something and starts to run away, or it catches a track in the meadow and follows it - whether you have a trained dog or not, it happens from time to time - it's an animal
Or you have a dog outside at the barracks, no one is home, and you can check from work to see if it really is at the barracks - or it will alert you that it has escaped over the fence.
Or when the children take the dog for a walk.
Or just to see how much your pet ran today.
And this little thing is perfect for that.
I have personally met with the words that the dog is an animal even when he was only looking for a trail within a few meters.
The hunting law is something incredible, it is a state within a state, basically they can enter anywhere they declare as hunting, a person should be afraid to move on their own property. Sorry for the OT.
Otherwise, I like the feature.
Quite a good thing even for use with children.
I really like this and would buy it right away - but I don't have a dog anymore :(