Whistle Dog Tracker Reviews
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It’s bedtime and your dog is nowhere to be found. You let him out to do his business, but he didn’t come back when you called him.
Now the whole family is on a frantic search. You’ve scoured your yard, your neighbor’s yard, and even driven around the block searching for him.
But he’s nowhere in sight! It’s every dog owner’s worst nightmare. What do you do now?
With the Whistle Go Pet Tracker & Activity Monitor, the moment you realize your best buddy is missing, you can pull out your smartphone and get his exact location immediately. How’s that for peace of mind?
Whistle is an innovative 2-in-1 device for pet parents that functions not only as a GPS pet tracker but also as a daily activity monitor.
Our Whistle Dog Tracker reviews take a deep dive into how it works, plus the key features, design, pricing, and reliability of this dog tracker to help you decide if it’s a worthwhile investment for your furry family member!
How the Whistle GPS Pet Tracker Works
The Whistle Pet Tracker is a GPS tracking device for pets. The activity tracker attaches to your dog’s collar or harness and uses GPS technology to track your pet’s activity. Data from the unit is then transferred to the pet parent’s smartphone using cellular technology.
The unit also uses Wi-Fi technology to create safe zones and Bluetooth connectivity to establish a link between the pet parent’s smartphone and the Whistle tracking unit.
You’ll need to download and install the Whistle app on your smartphone to get started. During setup, the smartphone and tracking unit must be in the range of your home Wi-Fi network. Simply enable Bluetooth connectivity to pair the unit with your cell phone.
The unit will then use your Wi-Fi network’s range to set boundaries and create a primary safe zone automatically. You can add your own custom safe zones, too.
Your pet’s activity and location are not monitored when he’s within a safe zone. However, once your pet leaves the safe zone, you’ll receive an automatic notification so you can track his activity via GPS using the app.
The Whistle tracking unit comes equipped with a SIM card that operates via the AT&T cellular network, but you are not required to have AT&T as your smartphone’s service provider. As long as your phone has reception and data and the tracking unit is within AT&T cellular range, the phone and unit will be able to communicate, no matter what network your phone is on.
Shop Whistle Pet Trackers Here!Key Features of the Whistle Pet Tracker Unit
The Whistle Go Explore is the latest GPS pet tracker designed by Whistle Labs. The unit itself measures 1.45 inches wide, .61 inches thick, and 1.82 inches tall. It weighs less than one ounce, so it’s very comfortable for your dog to wear on his collar or harness at all times.
Let’s take a look at how the Whistle Go Explore stacks up in terms of battery life, impact and water resistance, range and accuracy, and a few other essential key features.
Battery Life
The Whistle unit comes with a rechargeable battery that takes about two hours to fully charge. The battery can last for up to 20 days on a single charge with good Wi-Fi and cellular coverage and minimal use. However, if your dog leaves the safe zone a lot, or your Wi-Fi and cellular coverage are limited, you may need to recharge the battery more often.
Impact Resistance
This dog tracking unit is designed to be shock and dirt resistant. It’s impact resistance rating of IP67 means that it’s suitable for dogs you enjoy just about any level or form of rough play and activity.
Water Resistance
This unit is waterproof and can withstand submersion for up to 30 minutes in three feet of water without being damaged.
Communication Range
There are no limits to Whistle’s communication range. As long as the unit is within AT&T and Wi-Fi range, it will work over any distance.
Accuracy
The accuracy of the unit depends on Wi-Fi and cellular coverage. If coverage is weak or limited, the signal may not be as precise.
App Compatibility
The Whistle app works with iOS 10.0 or later and Android 5.0 and above smartphones.
LED Light
Whistle’s tracking unit comes equipped with an LED light that indicates the device’s battery status when the unit is recharging. The light also blinks any time your dog leaves the safe zone, making it easier to find him in the dark.
Trips
The Trips feature keeps track of everywhere your pet visits in a day. It’s a 24-hour location history that is automatically deleted each day. While it is great to have 24 hours’ worth of data, there is no way to save that data in case you want to reference it in the future.
Notifications
Whistle provides notifications by email, text, or push notifications. You can choose to opt-out of certain notifications, or receive them more or less often, depending on your preference.
Custom Activity Goals and Monitoring
Whistle allows you to fully customize your dog’s activity goals and even provides recommendations based on your pet’s age, weight, and breed. The device uses an accelerometer, kind of like a Fitbit fitness tracker, to track your pet’s activity as much as 50 times per second.
It then provides you with a 24-hour graph, complete with active minutes, resting minutes, distance traveled, and calories burned. It even lets you know if the activity levels were moderate or intense.
Shop Whistle Pet Trackers Here!Using the Whistle Pet Tracker App
The app itself is available free to download on Apple iOS and Android smartphones. We found it to be extremely user friendly. You can easily adjust the setting to view your dog’s current locations, past locations, activity, and how you want to receive notifications.
To get started, you’ll create a profile for your dog with info like his breed, weight, and age. The app allows for multiple profiles; however, you will need a separate unit and subscription for each pet. Multiple caretakers can access the pet’s profile at no extra charge.
You can track your pet’s location within the app using Google maps. You can also view 24 hours’ worth of previous data, including activity intensity, time, and distance. The app also allows you to set up activity goals, create additional safe zones, and share info with other users, such as family members or your dog walker.
The app will automatically notify you when the battery is low, when your dog is on his daily walk or getting some fun exercise with a caretaker, and whenever your dog leaves the safe zone. However, you can disable any notifications you don’t want to receive. Choosing to receive fewer notifications will extend battery life.
Here’s What’s Included in the Box
The Whistle Pet Tracker is priced at around $100, and it’s well worth it for the peace of mind alone. Your purchase includes the tracking unit, starting guide, collar attachment, and USB charger cable. Two-day shipping is complimentary, and the unit comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee.
Whistle Pet Tracker Service Plans
A monthly, yearly, or 2-year subscription plan is required to use the Whistle Pet Tracker. The monthly subscription costs $9.95 per month and requires a year-long commitment. You can save a few bucks by paying the monthly fee in a lump sum, either annually at a cost of $7.95 per month, or biannually at a cost of $6.95 per month.
Pros of the Whistle Pet Tracker
- Accurate real-time GPS location and activity tracking for pets
- Lightweight and compact unit
- Impact and water-resistant
- Allows for multiple custom safe zones
- 24-hour location and activity history
- Virtually unlimited range of communication
- Works anywhere an AT&T cellular signal is available
- Long battery life
- Price is fair
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- 1-year product warranty
Cons of the Whistle Pet Tracker
- Subscription requires a minimum 12-month commitment
- Location tracking and activity history is deleted forever every 24-hours
- Only works in the United States
- Doesn’t work if there’s no AT&T signal, like rural hiking or camping locations
The Bottom Line
If your dog is an escape artist or wanderer, or you’re concerned about the rise of pet theft in the US, you need a GPS pet tracker. Whistle is highly accurate and allows you to monitor your dog’s location using Google Maps, which is a tremendous advantage due to the consistent updates and reliability of the service.
Allowing for multiple caretakers at no extra charge is a huge bonus. The rest and activity monitoring, recommendations, and daily goals are a lot of fun, too.
At the end of the day, Whistle is a fantastic pet tracker at a very reasonable price, and the peace of mind it offers is well worth the cost of a monthly subscription.