With GPS widely available and easy to use, dog owners are looking for the best option to prevent their dogs from becoming lost. Is the Fi a good choice, and why? Read on.
History of GPS
GPS has been available to the public for a while, starting with units like Garmin used for driving or navigating in the backcountry to the mapping apps from Google, Siri, and other platforms which come preinstalled in every new phone and vehicle today. With GPS more affordable and widely available, dog owners are looking for the best way to use this tool prevent their dogs from becoming lost.
How do GPS collars work?
GPS dog collars work very much like the GPS on your mobile phone. The hardware is inside a casing that is affixed to the dog. To activate and use the unit, you charge the battery, download the app that controls the device, adjust the settings, and away you go.
One of the really cool features of GPS dog trackers is the ability to create a perimeter around your property or other location using an online map – no need for wires or other physical property markers – and set the app to notify you if your dog crosses that perimeter. Of course, a physical fence is still needed to contain your dog safely, but no system is perfect and dogs can escape through open gates or breaks in the fence.
At any time you can see where your dog is by looking at the live view on the map.
If your dog goes missing, you can activate Lost Dog Mode which will pinpoint their exact location and help you find and bring them home quickly.
About Fi
The Fi company was founded in 2017 by CEO Jonathan Bensamoun and CTO Loren Kirkby. Bensamoun was looking for a way to keep his German Shepherd Thor safe while out with a dog walker or loose in the yard. When researching GPS collars, he was frustrated because most have a short battery life and must be recharged frequently, like a mobile phone. This just didn’t seem practical, so he and Kirby gathered investors and created the Fi collar, the first of its kind with a battery life of up to three months.
In 2019 the collar was released for sale to great reception. Its sleek design looks good and holds up on the most active dogs. Users (including myself) report excellent customer service and quick response to any issues including first generation app glitches and collar flaws. Fi continues to make improvements and updates to both collar and app. The current unit is called Series 3.
Fi gives back to the animal welfare community by supporting a number of shelters and rescues around the country.
Battery life
One of the Fi collar’s biggest pluses is its long battery life. First-gen dog GPS units often had to be charged daily like your phone. This was impractical, and left the dog vulnerable during the hours the collar is off.
I find that the battery lasts for at least several weeks if I am near home. The reason is that it connects with your home wifi through a base unit. The base plugs in to any outlet and acts as a beacon as well as a battery charger. No need to take the collar apart or remove the battery cell – just set it on top of the base and you’ll get a notification when it’s fully charged.
When away from home the collar switches to GPS on a cellular network, so it will drain the battery much faster. In my travels I have found it to last about a week in this mode. For best results, be sure to charge it fully before traveling, especially if you will be camping. Just bring the base station with you and charge in a hotel or wherever you are staying if your travels are in town.
Service area
The Fi tracker does require a cell signal to work. This can be a bummer if you are camping in the wilderness or live in an area with spotty service. I think this is logically true for any of these devices as they must connect with GPS as well as with the server for the app. Stay tuned for future articles and videos on GPS devices as I continue my research. I am considering buying a Garmin-type wilderness unit and learning how they work without such a connection.
I have heard that there are some GPS dog trackers that work without cell service, but I am skeptical. Initial research shows that if there isn’t a cell signal, the device will rely on wifi or Bluetooth, so there needs to be some sort of connection. Bluetooth works over a very short distance and is therefore not a good tool for finding lost pets. See my article on the subject Which air tag is best for dogs?
Subscription
Most GPS collars require a subscription for active tracking. The Fi service costs $19 a month or less if you pick a longer plan from 6 months to two years. There are often specials where you can get 1-3 months free or other discounts with your new plan.
The cost is well worth it for my peace of mind. “Free” trackers typically only work with Bluetooth which must be very near your phone or another user’s phone and has a very minited range. Subscription based GPS trackers like Fi provide 24 hour protection wherever there is a cell signal.
App features
As mentioned, you can see where your dog is in real time on a map. Usually they will be at home, but you will also see if they go on a walk or to the park with a sitter.
The app has many notifications you can select including when your dog leaves a safe zone or goes on a walk. This can help you recover your lost dog quickly should he escape from home while you are at work.
You can add additional users like your pet sitter or other family members. This gives me peace of mind when I travel as I can see where my dog is, and so can anyone else given access to the account. I may be far from home and not reachable, so the sitter can quickly recover my lost dog.
Some fun features of the app show your dog’s rest, sleep, and how many steps they take. I like the walk tracker which shows the route on the map as it tracks my exercise as well!
Fi has its own social media feed where you can post pics and videos to share with other Fi users. You can enter your dog’s breed and connect with other owners of the same kind of dog or in your geographical area.
Size and appearance
The Fi unit is quite small and light compared to other trackers. It has a sleek design that blends in with the collar so that it’s not even noticeable. It is only slightly bigger than an air tag and much more effective – see my video and article on air tags as pet trackers. It is suitable for stocky small dogs like Jack Russell Terriers, but may be a bit much for a tiny dog like a Chihuahua or a Pomeranian.
Accessories
The Fi comes with a standard issue collar from the manufacturer. They are pretty basic and available in a few different colors. However, there are many companies producing collars and harnesses compatible with Fi. These include Stunt Puppy, Mimi Green, and High Tail Hikes. I just ordered a biothane collar from Seaflower and an Atlas Fi Snap (turns any collar into a GPS collar), so stay tuned for a review on some of these aftermarket accessories.
Conclusion
I have been using the Fi Series 3 tracker for more than two years now. I originally purchased it to track dogs I was pet sitting in case they got lost. When I stopped providing that kind of service I started using it on my new puppy Maya and like it a lot.
In my opinion it’s well worth the cost for peace of mind whether I’m at home or away from home with or without my dog. It is very accurate and does go a long time between battery charges. The app has many features and is easy to use. The unit is low profile and there are a wide variety of compatible collars to suit my preference and lifestyle.
Use the links in this article to purchase your Fi and save $20 plus get a free month of service!
