GREAT REVIEW!! THANK YOU for taking the time to do this! Was leaning towards the Tractive primarily due to price of the unit and the service plans, but like you, the "refresh rate" is super important to me. Battery life is kind of a concern, but I plan on charging it every night along with my dog's e-collar.
Great informative review! I don’t need to know how many sit-ups and push-ups my dog can do! I just want to be able to find my dog ASAP if she runs off or gets stolen. Every second counts
Thanks for the Review, it’s nice to hear about the other options that are available. We’ve been using the Whistle 3 for years on two of our Roamers. The Tab broke on one of ours today, so I just ordered the new Whistle Go Explore version. One thing about the Whistle, it does have a Real-time Mode. When it is out of your Safe Place, select Track and you get an Overlay on the map of where they are and continues until you stop it. You can manually update it every few seconds if the three minutes are to long to wait (it is when you’re out chasing down one or Two of your Puppers), I update Location every few seconds during the Searches.
That's great information, because I was about to get the Whistle until I watched this review (a great review by the way). Now that I know I can manually update it every few seconds, I think I'll move forward with the Whistle. Thanks!
Thank you for a really good comprehensive review of these 3 trackers, all of which I was wondering about. Your review made my choice feel more validated. I ended up choosing the Tractive as well, for the same reason you did. Real Time Tracking. That’s the main reason I want a tracker on my dog!! I don’t care about many of the other bells and whistles on the other trackers. I wish the Tractive had a longer battery life, too, but charging the tracker every other night has been just fine. If I needed to do it more often, the battery life indicator in the app would let me know if I needed to increase the charging to every night. It’s a great gizmo, letting me know if my dog is reaching his activity goals, and the app is easy to use. I’m really glad we got it!
Thanks for your review. I owned the Whistle for 2 years. LIke yours, it broke on the back that holds it onto the collar, so had to buy a second Whistle (which also broke on the back). If you want to see where your dog is at any time, it takes about 2 minutes to refresh. by that time, my dog could be to the next county... So I decided to try the Fi, which I've owned for 2 months now. Both these devices are heavily based on using the nearest WiFi. I can be walking my dog in the park, she will be just in front of me, and the Fi will tell me my dog is walking without an owner, and give me a nearby address. My dog can be lying on the bed in my home, and the Whistle tells me my dog is next door... If your dog is truly lost, it will only give you an idea of where you can find her, within I'd say about 75 yards. Still, if you really don't know where she is, I'd take 75 yards. The Fi will also give you GPS coordinates of where your lost dog is, but when I looked up the where the GPS coordinates were, it gave me the address of where the wifi was that it was picking up on. So again, not accurate, but better than nothing if your dog is truly lost.
Great review. I decided to go with the Tractiv. I was leaning towards Fi, however, I need the LTE to update more frequently than 1-3 minutes. If tractiv updates in 1-3 seconds then I am on board with that. I don't mind recharding the collar every couple days knowing that I can track my dog more closely.
Excellent unbiased review! I recently had to replace our 3 dogs' trackers. I initially tried JioBit, then Tracki and lastly PETFON trackers. None of them could quickly & accurately show the tracker's location on command, which is the sole purpose for its use! After watching your review, I immediately ordered tractive & it works just as well as you highlight in your video! I don't know how Tractive utilizes the same LTE & GPS tech so much more effectively vs the competition but tractive straight up works! All of tractive's key features you detailed are spot on! 👍👍
I like the review, and what you are saying as well, but the tractive is so big and bulky, and I’m concerned for it being pulled off the collar when the dog is in brush.
Great video. Thank you for the info. Almost bought the FI but was scared off by some reddit reviews. Tractive looks like the way I will definitely be going for certain
I use an e collar called the educator. It has multiple functions. I use a tone, a light shock (I tried it on my bare leg and it was less intense than the TENs type unit used in human physical therapy) and a third setting that is the emergency stop. I have never had to set the emergency very high. There are some good youtube videos on using and setting them to the lowest effective settings. My dog runs to where I charge it in the morning because she relates it to being able to run free and play ball.
Thanks so much for this review! Very thorough! All the information I need. I really wanted to go with the Fi series 2 but Tractive seems to be the winner!
Hi! This was very helpful and I really appreciate your review. I just purchased the tractive for my cat but was questioning if I got the best device. Your review has given me peace of mind :)
Thank you so much for making this video. My 6 lb yokels loves to escape. I got the air tag and it don’t work like I hoped it would. I’m ordering the Tractive now 🙂
Thanks for the thorough review! I decided to buy both the tractive and the whistle switch. I have a Waggit, but they sadly went out of business due to covid and it no longer works. It had a GPS tracker and health monitor (with alerts for possible health concerns, even had a heart rate monitor). I really miss having the health monitor, but absolutely need on point tracking as well as my dude has escaped the yard twice. So I figure I might switch them up and maybe use the tractive at home and the whistle while we are out and about.
Nice review, thank you! So difficult to find a good comparison between these devices. I would take the quick refresh and recharge every day any time. Slow refresh and an incorrect position is a really bad idea. An incorrect position with quicker refresh will hopefully adjust pretty quickly.
Thank you. I have been looking for some honest feedback to help me choose. This is the first review I found so far that didn't feel like a sponsored sales pitch.
Thanks so much!! We just adopted a runner. Her owner passed away so she’s still searching in hopes of finding her. 😢 She’s finally settling in but we had a scare so doing research was a must for us. We’ve ordered our Fi but after watching your video, I think we’ll be returning it to go with your suggestion. Don’t need all the bells and whistles, just need to know where to find her and do it FAST!! Thanks for your video!!
A recent comment on the Fi sounds like they may have updated their refresh frequency, but I have no personal experience. A feature on the Tractive I like is the sound feature. If she takes off after a deer, I can turn on the sound and she comes home.
THANK YOU for this VERY HELPFUL review. I was on the fence about the FI and now jumped ship. BUT you have SOLD me on the Tractive. Dogs are so quick. I want something that can give me up to the second location. I have a Rottweiler that likes to explore and our 13 acres doesn't seem to be enough for him. One of my neighbors has guns and I would hate for him to shot my dog. If I have up to the second on his location I can save his life as well as my neighbors. I don't look good in orange nor stripes. So it would be saving me from a prison jumpsuit (for when said neighbor shots my dog and I seek revenge).
Based on your review and research I have decided to get both the new Fi series 3 and the tractiv collar. I was impressed by the speed of shipping for the tractiv. I have been using the Fi 2 for around 9 months and overall have been satisfied with its performance. The Fi series 3 is supposed to have many improvements. So we will see. My experience with Fi is that they are really slow shipping and have relatively poor customer service. It has been 1 week since I ordered, and they can't even tell me when it might ship. Anyway I'm anticipating a good experience with the tractiv. Thank you for your very good reviews. These are some of the new improvements on the Fi; Smallest smart device ever designed for dogs (0.4 in.) Stronger - Stainless steel structure to withstand over 400lbs of pull force. More styles - Scribble design inside or outside of the band, and 100s of Fi Makers models available. More waterproof - IP68 and IP66K rated. The highest ever achieved in the category. Better signal - New antennas to keep your dog safe everywhere. All of your favorite Fi features will still be available - up to three months battery charge, activity & sleep tracking, Fi’s Strain Score, and social network. We will see. I know it's quite a bit smaller. Thanks Mark
Fi is the worst company you could have gone with. They will literally charge you, rob you, and then tell you to handle it with your bank. I was with them since series 1…never again.
@@djanthaz I understand and agree. Once I tried to leave Fi they went ahead and charged my card about $120. They finally refunded the charge but they are definitely shysters.
I don't know about the Tractive or Fi company BUT I can tell you as a subscriber for my second year now with the whistle go-go it's the best connectivity in summer or winter, we live in New England so I can vouch for cold Winters! With the subscription to the AT&T network that it runs on I pay less than $7 a month for the peace of mind to know that no matter where I go in the United States & Canada I can find my dog with no issues at all. My cousin was in a car accident unfortunately & lost his dog for 3 days, for those 3 days he had wished that he had taken my advice& got a whistle go go tracker so that he would not have felt the way that he did for those 72 hours. You do need a wireless router & internet at your home to make the battery life last more than 24 hours so when we are on the road each night as he sleeps I charge his whistle& the next day it is ready to rock but when we are at home I only have to charge it every week. I've never had such peace of mind😌🙏
Thank you for the comparisons. I like the light on the Fi but refresh time is more important to me. Tractive seems appealing but poor battery life is concern. I am also considering the Jiobit for its 7 to 20 day battery life and 10 second refresh. More expensive but less charging since it will likely be left on. Various options to attach to collar so collar can be left on while charging. Several subscription plans and all are charged monthly rather than lump paument. I will look for reviews.
The Whistle does have a “Real Time Tracking” feature. It doesn’t work inside your “Safe Place” though. Once they stray outside the Geofence you can Track them, it’s call “Find My Pet” now, used to be “Track”.
Awesome review! Thank you for your time. I'm considering the tractive for my pocket/mini beagle. But it looks possibly a little large for her. Her neck is 12 inches. What do you think? Thanks in advance. 🐶 ❤
I've tried fi and Tractive and tested it by putting both on the same dog and going hiking. No comparison. Tractive was much much faster and far more accurate. No dropped sections of our hike and instant info on exactly where the dog was. The only thing I don't like is the proprietary cable but small price to pay for a better product.
I agree. I have considered getting a second one. I asked them and they said this cable ensured the waterproof quality since it does not penetrate the case.
Hi Todd, I did not have the Fi very long. I quickly realized it did not have the functionality I needed and once I realized that I began the return process. I did have to pay for the return shipping, so it was not a totally risk free trial period.
Great review im looking at eithe fi or the tractive right now but i have 1 dog that like grabbing my other dog by thw collar and i use to use an active bark collar for my beagle and it was kinda bulky so my other dog saw it as a chew toy and would want to bite at it. The fi seams very slim and doesnt stick out so its seems like it not a big target to get chewed up i wish there was a collar with a pocket that would hide instead
I have seen tractive models where the battery is removable and you can buy spare ones or bigger longer lasting ones, thank you for your reviews, the Whistle doesn’t seem built for the job, the Fi seems big, the Tractive does what you want.
@@marksapollo The newest model should be better. I only had my hands on the first one and the one with the changeable battery. The latter was way worse. The newest model has no removable batteries no more.
Excellent review! This is extremely helpful. I was just looking at the fi as AKC sent a $70 off coupon, but decided to check out and compare to other brands. Your situation sounds very close to mine. I live in a rural, wooded area too and although my boy is generally pretty good, he is also extremely fast and can disappear in a heartbeat! I’m also visually impaired so it can be difficult sometimes to spot him in the distance, even out in the open. After seeing this video, the Tractive is looking like it might be my best choice too. Being as I too use an e-collar in addition to his regular collar, I didn’t really want to put a third collar on him!! Thank you for all the great info. I see that you put this video out a year ago. Are you still happy with the Tractive? Or have you found something better? While the battery life on the Tractive isn’t great, it’s not too far behind the e-collar, so not a big deal. Going to head over to their website and check out their cellular network as cell service can sometimes be a bit spotty right around my place. Thanks again. I’ve subscribed to help out your channel.
@@mellsc766 I did purchase the Trackster and am generally quite happy with it. I live in a rural area and the cell signal around my house and property is somewhat weak and spotty at times so the updating on the map on my phone is sometimes delayed which can be frustrating. However, that is not the fault of the device, it’s the fault of our poor cell service. When the signal is adequate, which in my case is 1 bar, it updates very frequently and I’ve found it to be very accurate. On very cloudy overcast days, it sometimes struggles to acquire/keep agps signal but again, not the fault of the device, a problem with gps itself. This is fairly uncommon though and not due to my living in a sunny climate LOL, I live in NE VT, close to the Canadian border so lots of cloudy days. I guess it is more the degree of cloudy/overcast. It also has a feature whereas you can draw a “virtual fence around your yard or property on the app and it will alert you if/when the dog leaves that area, which is helpful. However, in my case, with my cell service, this is sometimes delayed. Since we usually don’t leave him outdoors unattended, I usually know that he’s taken off before I get the alert. The helpful part is knowing where and what direction he’s headed in, provided it updates in a timely manner. Sometimes I have to walk around to get a better cell signal. Again, not the device’s fault. I find the battery life to be about a day, which I think is adequate. I usually put it on the charger overnight. It only takes a few hours to charge though and sometimes I forget to take it off at night and have to charge it in the morning and we’re still good for the day. The company updates the firmware fairly frequently and it is easy to update, I usually do it while he’s sleeping next to my chair, no need to remove the device. So I would say that living in the city, you shouldn’t have any problem with weak cell service and as long as you have adequate cell service where you hike, it should be fine. GPS does have limitations in heavily wooded areas though (heavily being the key word) and more so when the trees are leafed out, so this is also a consideration. I purchased mine in the fall after the leaves had fallen so I am curious to see how well it will work in warmer weather. Overall, I do recommend it and think it provides a good value for a very fair price and an extra level of security.
Such a great video! The video is 3 years old though. Has anything changed since then and does FI/Whistle has any faster refresh rate or does Tractive has longer battery life?
Tractive has a model with a longer battery life. I have not reviewed the others. I use the tractive every day. It also has a new walk feature where you can track your walks. It is fun and it helps me find my car in parks.
I just got it today i like it ill just charge it everyday no big deal its not to expensive it was raining out it still work great 🙃 🙂 😅 very happy with it recommending for my dad i have a little yorkipoo and shes a runner
I am not sure. I think they all have good coverage. Tractive says “global” coverage. My decision was based on the refresh rate. There are more options every day, so it is always wise to do research at the end of subscriptions.
My biggest issue with the Fi is that even in lost dog mode it takes minutes to update. That could be the matter between a great outcome for your pet, and a terrible outcome. That is a dealbreaker for me and the reason why I will be going back to the whistle which refresh’s every 15 seconds in lost dog mode. On the Fi, when I can cancel Lost dog mode it says “ still trying to locate your dog, are you sure you want to cancel”. This makes me wonder!! Also, the whistle app so amazing, not to mention all the health monitoring option. The Fi has no health options, and the app is pretty bad. I love the battery life on the Fi, I don’t charge it for weeks. For the whistle I had to charge it every day. I wish I could buy the two battery version without the integrated collar, that would make the whistle THE one.
My wife and I foster with a lab rescue and I always like to place a GPS tracker on our new foster dogs because some of them can be escape artists and one of them managed to pull the leash out of my hand a couple of years ago and he just took off like a shot. We had a Whistle tracker on his collar but because the dog took off at a full run and was covering a lot of ground, receiving position updates every 1 to 3 minutes was simply not helping. We would go to the location reported by the tracker and by the time we arrived at the location the dog was long gone and when the next GPS position update came in a couple of minutes later the dog was half a mile away in another direction. We did eventually locate and recover the dog but it took about 90 minutes and it was only because the dog finally stopped running and stayed at the last reported GPS position. I think that the Whistle is a good product and we did eventually locate and recover the dog, but it is probably better suited to tracking your own dog that may have just wondered off as opposed to trying to locate a dog that actively trying to escape. We're going to purchase the Tractive GPS device because the live tracking feature is a better fit for our needs.
Is it possible to slow refresh rate on the Tractive to preserve battery and then speed it up when you want to find your dog? We have 41 acres so we want to let our dogs roam and I'm trying to decide between Fi and Tractive.
When it is not in live mode the refresh rate is slower. I think it is every 3 minutes, but when you click it to live mode is is every 2-3 seconds. There is a battery saver mode that even slows it down more. Here is what they say about it:”By enabling the battery saving mode, the battery of your tracker will last longer. However, location updates in default tracking mode will be sent less frequently and Virtual Fence outbreaks may be delayed. The battery saving mode will however not affect LIVE Tracking mode; when LIVE mode is enabled you can still expect a position report ever 2-4 seconds.”
Hello! Are you still satisfied with the Tractive currently? I am looking for a GPS device just in case I get separated from my pup during hiking/camping trips. My pup does not have the best recall, but we're working on having a stronger recall. Do you think this device will meet my needs?
Also great review! I commented early on, still debating but leaning towards reactive. I just got a German short haired pointer pup and these options are much more affordable than say a true garmin sporting dog collar at $700 haha yikes. I like the idea of tractive with the e collar combo
The Whistle does have a “Real Time Tracking” feature. It doesn’t work inside your “Safe Place” though. One they stray outside the Geofence you can Track them, it’s call “Find My Pet” now, used to be “Track”.
Landed here because I'm looking to replace my FI collar. It has become detached again and this is the second unit that was replaced, both times while I was walking him. The GPS unit is plastic with a metal clasp on the collar that hooks into the hard plastic. Once it detaches you can re attach the device to the collar. Here is the problem. I have a Husky who pulls when he sees a rabbit, squirrel or any other furry animal. Now before everyone gets all worked up about how I should walk my dog properly, he's a rescue and I'm working with him. All that being said the purpose of buying a GPS collar for us is that he is a rescue and if he gets off leach he's going to bolt. Every time he pulls and the device gets detached from the collar the plastic gets worn out, making it easier to become detached again. The first unit I had detached so many times that after the 10th time the plastic was so worn out it no longer stayed locked in. FI sent me a second collar free of charge but there is a design flaw in the plastic gps unit. What good is GPS tracker if your dog pulls the unit out of the collar and takes off. Also FI does not offer a Martingale collar with a lock clip. In order to take off the martingale collar you have to loosen the collar to its biggest setting and pull it over your dogs head. Yes I spoil my dog and take his collar off before bed. I'm not even going to send this second unit back to FI. I'm just going to purchase from a different company. FI technology good, very piss poor hardware design.
Mark I understand pulling and wanderers. The tractive is not a collar but attaches to any collar or harness. My dog has given it a real workout and even though I was first concerned about the attachment, it has stayed on and never even has loosened. She bolted from me at a 4th of July parade and the quick refresh rate helped us find her in a couple of minutes. Some of the other devices take minutes before the live modes activate. We also spent most of yesterday in a lake and it worked well. I do take her collar off every night so she has some collar free time. I charge it then. I forgot to charge it last night and it is still 70% charged.
Part of the issue is the design of the Fi collar. When the endlinks are in line with the collar itself and the dog lunges or pulls, it puts stress on the links and Fi unit. I make custom waterproof dog gear, and on my Fi collars, the Fi unit sits on top so there isn't any stress applied to the unit or endlinks. www.oliverandashdesigns.com/shop/p/the-fi-compatible-collection
The other collar I use is an e collar called “The educator”. With the training I have done, I do not need it much. It has settings so that I can set it to make a noise, vibrate and then if needed shock. My goal is to avoid the shock, so I use it more as a communication tool when she is out of voice range. I do still like the tractive. It is not perfect but my goal was to have a device with the fastest refresh rate and so far it is. I turned off the power saving mode because it seemed to delay the “live mode” which I wanted immediately. I remove the collar every night and charge it. The battery will last longer than that, but since I give her some “naked” time it is not an inconvenience. I do have a virtual fence set up and do get false alarms at times. I live near an airport and I wonder if air traffic interferes with the satellite. Based on the three devices I tried, I would still choose the Tractive. They do periodic firmware upgrades and I suspect the product will continue to improve. Thank you for your comments.
Thank you. We have Fi but the customer support is terrible. I was wondering if anyone could comment on Tractive customer support. Our dog lost the collar in a very dense area and we can’t find it. Now the batt is dead so we will ever find it. I think due to this review we will go with Tractive. Just hope customer support is good.
Thank you, I wish I had seen your video earlier. I just got a Whistle and I am not impressed about the time it takes to refresh/track the dog. I also ordered a Fi, and it is back-ordered, I may just cancel the order and try the Tractive instead. Note: the Tractive has a proprietary charging cable but the Fi has a charging base!
@@mellsc766 Yes. I got both a Tractive and a Whistle Go Explore. If/when the Whistle Go Explore does not work anymore, I will get another Tractive. I created a webpage to compare all 3 trackers: louisianacontrasandsquares.com/trackers_comparison.html
We've had the FI for a couple of years for my YorkiPoo. The larger unit is not a problem for her. If she leaves 'home' zone, I get a text message and an email. When I look at the app then, it shows me where she is and the address! Long battery life. I've never had to use the Lost Dog Mode, but if you do do it increases the refresh rate so it can find her quicker. We also have a zone set up at our rural 32 acres and she does like to investigate! I know pretty quickly if she has left the camping area and which way to find her!
Guess we are doing something wrong but we cannot get our Tractive to work properly. It takes a few minutes to locate our dog and then shuts down and we have to start over. When tracking a dog the response has to be almost immediate, but after several tries we have not been able to get the tractive to work properly which means the dog we are tracking is off on his own.
I would contact the company for direction, but I do know there is a setting for how long you want to track in live mode. I think I set mine for a longer time than the default and it seemed to work for my needs. I do know that for constant tracking there are some devices the search and rescue teams use. They are bulkier but might be what you are looking for. I have no experience with it but I know Garmin makes one.
I never actually heard you talk about how this "tractiv" attaches to the collar. It does not look like it would be very secure. I have the Fi and like many people have been thrilled with it. The refresh rate for the Fi is very good and GPS is excellent.
It attaches with a rubbery attachment. Has 4 points of attachment. It has not come off and she has tested it. I have not checked the whistle or Fi refresh rates since I made this video. At the time I made this video the others did not have an immediate live mode. I think if they addressed that they would be much more competitive.
@@angelariley271 Well, the attachment must be pretty reliable. The refresh rate is about 60 seconds on the Fi. I have watched people find their lost dog on a video and 1 minute refresh seemed to be adequate. Thanks for your reviews.
I've had both Fi and Tractive over the past two years, and I would say hands down, Tractive is the much better pet tracker. I waited to post a review to see how it would work in Canada, and it works flawlessly there. Fi, doesn't work at all there. Tractive is better in nearly every way over Fi, and not only is it superior, it's much cheaper to boot: from the device to the service plans. The only advantage Fi has is maybe the battery life. Anyone reading this, GO WITH TRACTIVE!
Tractive added a new wifi battery saving feature where the unit connects to wifi when near your house saving battery life. Battery life has doubled or tripled from 3-5 days to 7-10 days.
It says it updates every 15 seconds on whistles website. You are telling me it is every 5-6 minutes? We have the Fi and it’s crap every 5-6 minutes update which is way to slow for us
The battery is supposed to last 5 days or more. Since I remove her collar at night, I just go ahead and charge it. I have never tested the true duration, but it is longer than a day.
I picked the Tractive for the same reason. The shorter battery life, however, is a pain. If a company comes out with a device that works the way Tractive does but with a solid 30 day battery life I will switch for sure.
I believe all of these require cell service. Garmin makes one that the search and rescue people use that relies on satellite only I believe. It is bulkier, has an antenna, and you have to carry the receiver. They are always improving the products and making them smaller.
I should add that there is a bluetooth option on the tractive ( I am not sure of the others). It works when the dog is within bluetooth range without cell service.
So fi and whistle use the same lte m at&t service only thing different is the gps satellites and how many they use which is important! Tractive uses us cellular or Verizon both use alot of battery but might be better in Your area. Spoton is the best but overpriced! Hola is trash same with invoxia they're bulky but hola is just bad invoxia works but not worth it.
I love the idea of the Fi Device but hate the fact that nobody talks about having to remove the entire collar from the dog in order to charge the device. Am I suppose to wait till bedtime to charge the collar? I guess when they need out in middle of night if they are sick I have to put the collar and device back together then take them out......Stupid .... Needs a easier way to remove the device to charge it, wish I never had bought this thing
I loathe my Fi collar. It takes too long to update when he disconnects from my wifi. I want live tracking with my dog. He could easily out run me if he wanted and could get taken or hit by a car. Their customer service is 100/10 AWFUL. I am deleting the app as soon as I figure out which new collar to get him and in doing so, throwing away 2 more years on the overpriced collar. " He was sitting 10 feet away from me the other day and because I didn't have my phone on me the gps was telling me he was miles away. the gps pings don't reflect any sort of accuracy. If he had been missing, there's NO way to find him. the charging doc has to be set up EVERY SINGLE TIME I take him to a new house and back to mine. AVOID!
@@vanessatorres225 like everything is low volume that I watch and I did not suspect my phone. phone works well...this guide is not at a good volume. of the 1000s I have watched. thanks for the smart ass response.
OMG after watching like 7+ videos THIS video is fantastic! Thank you so much for this video!
GREAT REVIEW!! THANK YOU for taking the time to do this! Was leaning towards the Tractive primarily due to price of the unit and the service plans, but like you, the "refresh rate" is super important to me. Battery life is kind of a concern, but I plan on charging it every night along with my dog's e-collar.
Great informative review!
I don’t need to know how many sit-ups and push-ups my dog can do!
I just want to be able to find my dog ASAP if she runs off or gets stolen. Every second counts
Absolutely! 😀
Thanks for the Review, it’s nice to hear about the other options that are available. We’ve been using the Whistle 3 for years on two of our Roamers. The Tab broke on one of ours today, so I just ordered the new Whistle Go Explore version. One thing about the Whistle, it does have a Real-time Mode. When it is out of your Safe Place, select Track and you get an Overlay on the map of where they are and continues until you stop it. You can manually update it every few seconds if the three minutes are to long to wait (it is when you’re out chasing down one or Two of your Puppers), I update Location every few seconds during the Searches.
That's great information, because I was about to get the Whistle until I watched this review (a great review by the way). Now that I know I can manually update it every few seconds, I think I'll move forward with the Whistle. Thanks!
Super helpful, just adopted my pooch and getting her the Tractive. Thank you for the review!
Thank you for a really good comprehensive review of these 3 trackers, all of which I was wondering about. Your review made my choice feel more validated. I ended up choosing the Tractive as well, for the same reason you did. Real Time Tracking. That’s the main reason I want a tracker on my dog!! I don’t care about many of the other bells and whistles on the other trackers. I wish the Tractive had a longer battery life, too, but charging the tracker every other night has been just fine. If I needed to do it more often, the battery life indicator in the app would let me know if I needed to increase the charging to every night. It’s a great gizmo, letting me know if my dog is reaching his activity goals, and the app is easy to use. I’m really glad we got it!
This was just the review I needed! I also have a fast moving dog so the Tractive is for us. Thank you so much
Thank you for this review! It has made my decision making so much easier.
Thanks so much for the honest, down to earth review! :)
You’re welcome. I’m still happily using the Tractive.
Thanks for your review. I owned the Whistle for 2 years. LIke yours, it broke on the back that holds it onto the collar, so had to buy a second Whistle (which also broke on the back). If you want to see where your dog is at any time, it takes about 2 minutes to refresh. by that time, my dog could be to the next county... So I decided to try the Fi, which I've owned for 2 months now. Both these devices are heavily based on using the nearest WiFi. I can be walking my dog in the park, she will be just in front of me, and the Fi will tell me my dog is walking without an owner, and give me a nearby address. My dog can be lying on the bed in my home, and the Whistle tells me my dog is next door... If your dog is truly lost, it will only give you an idea of where you can find her, within I'd say about 75 yards. Still, if you really don't know where she is, I'd take 75 yards. The Fi will also give you GPS coordinates of where your lost dog is, but when I looked up the where the GPS coordinates were, it gave me the address of where the wifi was that it was picking up on. So again, not accurate, but better than nothing if your dog is truly lost.
thank you
Great review. I decided to go with the Tractiv. I was leaning towards Fi, however, I need the LTE to update more frequently than 1-3 minutes. If tractiv updates in 1-3 seconds then I am on board with that. I don't mind recharding the collar every couple days knowing that I can track my dog more closely.
Excellent unbiased review! I recently had to replace our 3 dogs' trackers. I initially tried JioBit, then Tracki and lastly PETFON trackers. None of them could quickly & accurately show the tracker's location on command, which is the sole purpose for its use!
After watching your review, I immediately ordered tractive & it works just as well as you highlight in your video! I don't know how Tractive utilizes the same LTE & GPS tech so much more effectively vs the competition but tractive straight up works! All of tractive's key features you detailed are spot on! 👍👍
I like the review, and what you are saying as well, but the tractive is so big and bulky, and I’m concerned for it being pulled off the collar when the dog is in brush.
Thank you so much for your review. I have been looking into this type of collar for my dog and now I know what to buy....Tractive !
I hope you enjoy it, it definitely meets my needs.
Great video. Thank you for the info. Almost bought the FI but was scared off by some reddit reviews. Tractive looks like the way I will definitely be going for certain
Thanks for that, like the others said, it was nice to find one real unsponsored comparison. What is the remote collar that you mentioned?
I use an e collar called the educator. It has multiple functions. I use a tone, a light shock (I tried it on my bare leg and it was less intense than the TENs type unit used in human physical therapy) and a third setting that is the emergency stop. I have never had to set the emergency very high. There are some good youtube videos on using and setting them to the lowest effective settings. My dog runs to where I charge it in the morning because she relates it to being able to run free and play ball.
Thanks so much for this review! Very thorough! All the information I need. I really wanted to go with the Fi series 2 but Tractive seems to be the winner!
Hi! This was very helpful and I really appreciate your review. I just purchased the tractive for my cat but was questioning if I got the best device. Your review has given me peace of mind :)
Thank you so much for making this video. My 6 lb yokels loves to escape. I got the air tag and it don’t work like I hoped it would.
I’m ordering the Tractive now 🙂
Thanks for the thorough review! I decided to buy both the tractive and the whistle switch. I have a Waggit, but they sadly went out of business due to covid and it no longer works. It had a GPS tracker and health monitor (with alerts for possible health concerns, even had a heart rate monitor). I really miss having the health monitor, but absolutely need on point tracking as well as my dude has escaped the yard twice. So I figure I might switch them up and maybe use the tractive at home and the whistle while we are out and about.
Nice review, thank you! So difficult to find a good comparison between these devices. I would take the quick refresh and recharge every day any time. Slow refresh and an incorrect position is a really bad idea. An incorrect position with quicker refresh will hopefully adjust pretty quickly.
Thank you. I have been looking for some honest feedback to help me choose. This is the first review I found so far that didn't feel like a sponsored sales pitch.
Your welcome!
Hi, thank you so much for this great review. Me and my Corgi appreciate it
Really appreciated your review, thank you.
Great reviews it help me pick the Fi collar for my 2 pitskys.
Thanks so much!! We just adopted a runner. Her owner passed away so she’s still searching in hopes of finding her. 😢 She’s finally settling in but we had a scare so doing research was a must for us. We’ve ordered our Fi but after watching your video, I think we’ll be returning it to go with your suggestion.
Don’t need all the bells and whistles, just need to know where to find her and do it FAST!! Thanks for your video!!
A recent comment on the Fi sounds like they may have updated their refresh frequency, but I have no personal experience. A feature on the Tractive I like is the sound feature. If she takes off after a deer, I can turn on the sound and she comes home.
THANK YOU for this VERY HELPFUL review. I was on the fence about the FI and now jumped ship. BUT you have SOLD me on the Tractive. Dogs are so quick. I want something that can give me up to the second location. I have a Rottweiler that likes to explore and our 13 acres doesn't seem to be enough for him. One of my neighbors has guns and I would hate for him to shot my dog. If I have up to the second on his location I can save his life as well as my neighbors. I don't look good in orange nor stripes. So it would be saving me from a prison jumpsuit (for when said neighbor shots my dog and I seek revenge).
Based on your review and research I have decided to get both the new Fi series 3 and the tractiv collar. I was impressed by the speed of shipping for the tractiv. I have been using the Fi 2 for around 9 months and overall have been satisfied with its performance. The Fi series 3 is supposed to have many improvements. So we will see. My experience with Fi is that they are really slow shipping and have relatively poor customer service. It has been 1 week since I ordered, and they can't even tell me when it might ship. Anyway I'm anticipating a good experience with the tractiv. Thank you for your very good reviews.
These are some of the new improvements on the Fi;
Smallest smart device ever designed for dogs (0.4 in.)
Stronger - Stainless steel structure to withstand over 400lbs of pull force.
More styles - Scribble design inside or outside of the band, and 100s of Fi Makers models available.
More waterproof - IP68 and IP66K rated. The highest ever achieved in the category.
Better signal - New antennas to keep your dog safe everywhere.
All of your favorite Fi features will still be available - up to three months battery charge, activity & sleep tracking, Fi’s Strain Score, and social network. We will see. I know it's quite a bit smaller. Thanks Mark
Fi is the worst company you could have gone with. They will literally charge you, rob you, and then tell you to handle it with your bank.
I was with them since series 1…never again.
@@djanthaz I understand and agree. Once I tried to leave Fi they went ahead and charged my card about $120. They finally refunded the charge but they are definitely shysters.
Thank you! This was very helpful!
nice to hear an honest review, that isnt sponsored.
This has been super helpful!! ❤🎉
I don't know about the Tractive or Fi company BUT I can tell you as a subscriber for my second year now with the whistle go-go it's the best connectivity in summer or winter, we live in New England so I can vouch for cold Winters! With the subscription to the AT&T network that it runs on I pay less than $7 a month for the peace of mind to know that no matter where I go in the United States & Canada I can find my dog with no issues at all. My cousin was in a car accident unfortunately & lost his dog for 3 days, for those 3 days he had wished that he had taken my advice& got a whistle go go tracker so that he would not have felt the way that he did for those 72 hours. You do need a wireless router & internet at your home to make the battery life last more than 24 hours so when we are on the road each night as he sleeps I charge his whistle& the next day it is ready to rock but when we are at home I only have to charge it every week. I've never had such peace of mind😌🙏
This was a great review. Thank you.
great review! showed me exactly what I wanted
Great comparison review.
Really great summary!
Great review. Thank you!
Thank you for the comparisons. I like the light on the Fi but refresh time is more important to me. Tractive seems appealing but poor battery life is concern. I am also considering the Jiobit for its 7 to 20 day battery life and 10 second refresh. More expensive but less charging since it will likely be left on. Various options to attach to collar so collar can be left on while charging. Several subscription plans and all are charged monthly rather than lump paument. I will look for reviews.
The Whistle does have a “Real Time Tracking” feature. It doesn’t work inside your “Safe Place” though. Once they stray outside the Geofence you can Track them, it’s call “Find My Pet” now, used to be “Track”.
Awesome review! Thank you for your time. I'm considering the tractive for my pocket/mini beagle. But it looks possibly a little large for her. Her neck is 12 inches. What do you think? Thanks in advance. 🐶 ❤
GREAT REVIEW! Thank you
Thank you for the review! Exactly what I wanted to hear. The Fi collar I purchased was a big disappointment. I need immediate location.
Speek with experience super helpful
I have an air tag but it’s practically worthless. Definitely going to get this instead 😊
Very helpful review!
I've tried fi and Tractive and tested it by putting both on the same dog and going hiking. No comparison. Tractive was much much faster and far more accurate. No dropped sections of our hike and instant info on exactly where the dog was. The only thing I don't like is the proprietary cable but small price to pay for a better product.
I agree. I have considered getting a second one. I asked them and they said this cable ensured the waterproof quality since it does not penetrate the case.
Not much of a GPS unit. Will not operate with no cell service.
thank you, very helpful
Hi, thank you for a great review of the products, It didn't seem like you went into to much detail on the FI device.
Hi Todd, I did not have the Fi very long. I quickly realized it did not have the functionality I needed and once I realized that I began the return process. I did have to pay for the return shipping, so it was not a totally risk free trial period.
Great review im looking at eithe fi or the tractive right now but i have 1 dog that like grabbing my other dog by thw collar and i use to use an active bark collar for my beagle and it was kinda bulky so my other dog saw it as a chew toy and would want to bite at it. The fi seams very slim and doesnt stick out so its seems like it not a big target to get chewed up i wish there was a collar with a pocket that would hide instead
I have seen tractive models where the battery is removable and you can buy spare ones or bigger longer lasting ones, thank you for your reviews, the Whistle doesn’t seem built for the job, the Fi seems big, the Tractive does what you want.
That is the older model without LTE ... Would stay away from it since it had worse results that the Original Tractive when it came to GPS performance
@@DaveDEF82 So which be should you stay away from? The new model?
@@marksapollo The newest model should be better. I only had my hands on the first one and the one with the changeable battery. The latter was way worse. The newest model has no removable batteries no more.
So helpful!!! Thank you!!!
Excellent review! This is extremely helpful. I was just looking at the fi as AKC sent a $70 off coupon, but decided to check out and compare to other brands. Your situation sounds very close to mine. I live in a rural, wooded area too and although my boy is generally pretty good, he is also extremely fast and can disappear in a heartbeat! I’m also visually impaired so it can be difficult sometimes to spot him in the distance, even out in the open. After seeing this video, the Tractive is looking like it might be my best choice too. Being as I too use an e-collar in addition to his regular collar, I didn’t really want to put a third collar on him!! Thank you for all the great info. I see that you put this video out a year ago. Are you still happy with the Tractive? Or have you found something better? While the battery life on the Tractive isn’t great, it’s not too far behind the e-collar, so not a big deal. Going to head over to their website and check out their cellular network as cell service can sometimes be a bit spotty right around my place. Thanks again. I’ve subscribed to help out your channel.
I'm currently looking into GPS trackers, I live in the city but hike in the woods a little. Which one did you end up getting?
FYI: I created a webpage to compare all 3 trackers (and more): louisianacontrasandsquares.com/trackers_comparison.html
@@mellsc766 I did purchase the Trackster and am generally quite happy with it. I live in a rural area and the cell signal around my house and property is somewhat weak and spotty at times so the updating on the map on my phone is sometimes delayed which can be frustrating. However, that is not the fault of the device, it’s the fault of our poor cell service. When the signal is adequate, which in my case is 1 bar, it updates very frequently and I’ve found it to be very accurate. On very cloudy overcast days, it sometimes struggles to acquire/keep agps signal but again, not the fault of the device, a problem with gps itself. This is fairly uncommon though and not due to my living in a sunny climate LOL, I live in NE VT, close to the Canadian border so lots of cloudy days. I guess it is more the degree of cloudy/overcast. It also has a feature whereas you can draw a “virtual fence around your yard or property on the app and it will alert you if/when the dog leaves that area, which is helpful. However, in my case, with my cell service, this is sometimes delayed. Since we usually don’t leave him outdoors unattended, I usually know that he’s taken off before I get the alert. The helpful part is knowing where and what direction he’s headed in, provided it updates in a timely manner. Sometimes I have to walk around to get a better cell signal. Again, not the device’s fault. I find the battery life to be about a day, which I think is adequate. I usually put it on the charger overnight. It only takes a few hours to charge though and sometimes I forget to take it off at night and have to charge it in the morning and we’re still good for the day. The company updates the firmware fairly frequently and it is easy to update, I usually do it while he’s sleeping next to my chair, no need to remove the device. So I would say that living in the city, you shouldn’t have any problem with weak cell service and as long as you have adequate cell service where you hike, it should be fine. GPS does have limitations in heavily wooded areas though (heavily being the key word) and more so when the trees are leafed out, so this is also a consideration. I purchased mine in the fall after the leaves had fallen so I am curious to see how well it will work in warmer weather. Overall, I do recommend it and think it provides a good value for a very fair price and an extra level of security.
@@mariebossard1640 thanks for sharing!
Not sure if you can answer this, but I heard that the Tractive has been having problems in the cold. Were you able to test that?
Such a great video! The video is 3 years old though. Has anything changed since then and does FI/Whistle has any faster refresh rate or does Tractive has longer battery life?
Tractive has a model with a longer battery life. I have not reviewed the others. I use the tractive every day. It also has a new walk feature where you can track your walks. It is fun and it helps me find my car in parks.
I just got it today i like it ill just charge it everyday no big deal its not to expensive it was raining out it still work great 🙃 🙂 😅 very happy with it recommending for my dad i have a little yorkipoo and shes a runner
Would we have to pay for a subscription per collar with the paw tracer?
Which collar did u feel gave the most accurate results in terms of activity?
What's the coverage the whistle says it runs on at&t coverage and that's a MAJOR bonus.
Do you know about the other 2
I am not sure. I think they all have good coverage. Tractive says “global” coverage. My decision was based on the refresh rate. There are more options every day, so it is always wise to do research at the end of subscriptions.
My biggest issue with the Fi is that even in lost dog mode it takes minutes to update. That could be the matter between a great outcome for your pet, and a terrible outcome. That is a dealbreaker for me and the reason why I will be going back to the whistle which refresh’s every 15 seconds in lost dog mode. On the Fi, when I can cancel Lost dog mode it says “ still trying to locate your dog, are you sure you want to cancel”. This makes me wonder!! Also, the whistle app so amazing, not to mention all the health monitoring option. The Fi has no health options, and the app is pretty bad. I love the battery life on the Fi, I don’t charge it for weeks. For the whistle I had to charge it every day. I wish I could buy the two battery version without the integrated collar, that would make the whistle THE one.
My wife and I foster with a lab rescue and I always like to place a GPS tracker on our new foster dogs because some of them can be escape artists and one of them managed to pull the leash out of my hand a couple of years ago and he just took off like a shot. We had a Whistle tracker on his collar but because the dog took off at a full run and was covering a lot of ground, receiving position updates every 1 to 3 minutes was simply not helping.
We would go to the location reported by the tracker and by the time we arrived at the location the dog was long gone and when the next GPS position update came in a couple of minutes later the dog was half a mile away in another direction. We did eventually locate and recover the dog but it took about 90 minutes and it was only because the dog finally stopped running and stayed at the last reported GPS position.
I think that the Whistle is a good product and we did eventually locate and recover the dog, but it is probably better suited to tracking your own dog that may have just wondered off as opposed to trying to locate a dog that actively trying to escape. We're going to purchase the Tractive GPS device because the live tracking feature is a better fit for our needs.
Is it possible to slow refresh rate on the Tractive to preserve battery and then speed it up when you want to find your dog? We have 41 acres so we want to let our dogs roam and I'm trying to decide between Fi and Tractive.
When it is not in live mode the refresh rate is slower. I think it is every 3 minutes, but when you click it to live mode is is every 2-3 seconds. There is a battery saver mode that even slows it down more. Here is what they say about it:”By enabling the battery saving mode, the battery of your tracker will last longer. However, location updates in default tracking mode will be sent less frequently and Virtual Fence outbreaks may be delayed. The battery saving mode will however not affect LIVE Tracking mode; when LIVE mode is enabled you can still expect a position report ever 2-4 seconds.”
Hello! Are you still satisfied with the Tractive currently? I am looking for a GPS device just in case I get separated from my pup during hiking/camping trips. My pup does not have the best recall, but we're working on having a stronger recall. Do you think this device will meet my needs?
I still like it. It does have some issues,like all GPS does,in rugged terrain. More effective and quicker refresh than others I have tried.
Thanks
❤
Was this the whistle go explore? It states 15 seconds refresh when in lost dog mode . I’m considering which to get for my pup!
Also great review! I commented early on, still debating but leaning towards reactive. I just got a German short haired pointer pup and these options are much more affordable than say a true garmin sporting dog collar at $700 haha yikes. I like the idea of tractive with the e collar combo
The Whistle does have a “Real Time Tracking” feature. It doesn’t work inside your “Safe Place” though. One they stray outside the Geofence you can Track them, it’s call “Find My Pet” now, used to be “Track”.
Landed here because I'm looking to replace my FI collar. It has become detached again and this is the second unit that was replaced, both times while I was walking him. The GPS unit is plastic with a metal clasp on the collar that hooks into the hard plastic. Once it detaches you can re attach the device to the collar. Here is the problem. I have a Husky who pulls when he sees a rabbit, squirrel or any other furry animal. Now before everyone gets all worked up about how I should walk my dog properly, he's a rescue and I'm working with him. All that being said the purpose of buying a GPS collar for us is that he is a rescue and if he gets off leach he's going to bolt. Every time he pulls and the device gets detached from the collar the plastic gets worn out, making it easier to become detached again. The first unit I had detached so many times that after the 10th time the plastic was so worn out it no longer stayed locked in. FI sent me a second collar free of charge but there is a design flaw in the plastic gps unit. What good is GPS tracker if your dog pulls the unit out of the collar and takes off. Also FI does not offer a Martingale collar with a lock clip. In order to take off the martingale collar you have to loosen the collar to its biggest setting and pull it over your dogs head. Yes I spoil my dog and take his collar off before bed. I'm not even going to send this second unit back to FI. I'm just going to purchase from a different company. FI technology good, very piss poor hardware design.
Mark I understand pulling and wanderers. The tractive is not a collar but attaches to any collar or harness. My dog has given it a real workout and even though I was first concerned about the attachment, it has stayed on and never even has loosened. She bolted from me at a 4th of July parade and the quick refresh rate helped us find her in a couple of minutes. Some of the other devices take minutes before the live modes activate. We also spent most of yesterday in a lake and it worked well. I do take her collar off every night so she has some collar free time. I charge it then. I forgot to charge it last night and it is still 70% charged.
Part of the issue is the design of the Fi collar. When the endlinks are in line with the collar itself and the dog lunges or pulls, it puts stress on the links and Fi unit. I make custom waterproof dog gear, and on my Fi collars, the Fi unit sits on top so there isn't any stress applied to the unit or endlinks. www.oliverandashdesigns.com/shop/p/the-fi-compatible-collection
What is the other corrective collar that you are using for your dog and do you still like the tractive
?
The other collar I use is an e collar called “The educator”. With the training I have done, I do not need it much. It has settings so that I can set it to make a noise, vibrate and then if needed shock. My goal is to avoid the shock, so I use it more as a communication tool when she is out of voice range. I do still like the tractive. It is not perfect but my goal was to have a device with the fastest refresh rate and so far it is. I turned off the power saving mode because it seemed to delay the “live mode” which I wanted immediately. I remove the collar every night and charge it. The battery will last longer than that, but since I give her some “naked” time it is not an inconvenience. I do have a virtual fence set up and do get false alarms at times. I live near an airport and I wonder if air traffic interferes with the satellite. Based on the three devices I tried, I would still choose the Tractive. They do periodic firmware upgrades and I suspect the product will continue to improve. Thank you for your comments.
Thank you. We have Fi but the customer support is terrible. I was wondering if anyone could comment on Tractive customer support. Our dog lost the collar in a very dense area and we can’t find it. Now the batt is dead so we will ever find it. I think due to this review we will go with Tractive. Just hope customer support is good.
I have not had any problem accessing customer support and they have been helpful. They offer email, chat and phone communication.
Is there a annual fee for the data ? How far is the mileage range ? This a a good invention for dog owners
There is an annual fee. Not sure what it is but it was similar to the other collars. The coverage is worldwide.
Thank you, I wish I had seen your video earlier. I just got a Whistle and I am not impressed about the time it takes to refresh/track the dog. I also ordered a Fi, and it is back-ordered, I may just cancel the order and try the Tractive instead.
Note: the Tractive has a proprietary charging cable but the Fi has a charging base!
Did you end up getting the Tractive?
@@mellsc766 Yes. I got both a Tractive and a Whistle Go Explore. If/when the Whistle Go Explore does not work anymore, I will get another Tractive. I created a webpage to compare all 3 trackers: louisianacontrasandsquares.com/trackers_comparison.html
Great review. Gave me the info.i was looking for. Fi may be the winner for me due to battery life.
We've had the FI for a couple of years for my YorkiPoo. The larger unit is not a problem for her. If she leaves 'home' zone, I get a text message and an email. When I look at the app then, it shows me where she is and the address! Long battery life. I've never had to use the Lost Dog Mode, but if you do do it increases the refresh rate so it can find her quicker. We also have a zone set up at our rural 32 acres and she does like to investigate! I know pretty quickly if she has left the camping area and which way to find her!
Do a updated version
Guess we are doing something wrong but we cannot get our Tractive to work properly. It takes a few minutes to locate our dog and then shuts down and we have to start over. When tracking a dog the response has to be almost immediate, but after several tries we have not been able to get the tractive to work properly which means the dog we are tracking is off on his own.
I would contact the company for direction, but I do know there is a setting for how long you want to track in live mode. I think I set mine for a longer time than the default and it seemed to work for my needs. I do know that for constant tracking there are some devices the search and rescue teams use. They are bulkier but might be what you are looking for. I have no experience with it but I know Garmin makes one.
I never actually heard you talk about how this "tractiv" attaches to the collar. It does not look like it would be very secure. I have the Fi and like many people have been thrilled with it. The refresh rate for the Fi is very good and GPS is excellent.
It attaches with a rubbery attachment. Has 4 points of attachment. It has not come off and she has tested it. I have not checked the whistle or Fi refresh rates since I made this video. At the time I made this video the others did not have an immediate live mode. I think if they addressed that they would be much more competitive.
@@angelariley271 Well, the attachment must be pretty reliable. The refresh rate is about 60 seconds on the Fi. I have watched people find their lost dog on a video and 1 minute refresh seemed to be adequate. Thanks for your reviews.
I've had both Fi and Tractive over the past two years, and I would say hands down, Tractive is the much better pet tracker. I waited to post a review to see how it would work in Canada, and it works flawlessly there. Fi, doesn't work at all there. Tractive is better in nearly every way over Fi, and not only is it superior, it's much cheaper to boot: from the device to the service plans. The only advantage Fi has is maybe the battery life. Anyone reading this, GO WITH TRACTIVE!
I have a friend who is in France now with her dog and the Tractive is working well there too.
Is the tractive just for tracking? Is there a wireless fence mode?
Yes, there is a wireless fence and activity monitor too.
Tractive added a new wifi battery saving feature where the unit connects to wifi when near your house saving battery life. Battery life has doubled or tripled from 3-5 days to 7-10 days.
It says it updates every 15 seconds on whistles website. You are telling me it is every 5-6 minutes? We have the Fi and it’s crap every 5-6 minutes update which is way to slow for us
I would not be surprised if they updated the system since I made the video. I am still happy with the Tractive.
Could you purchase a Tractive and then only activate your monthly subscription when you want to find your dog?
I do not know. I think they have a chat feature on their website. You could ask.
If you go to the website you can get basic tracking for $10 per month, I hear this option is not available through the app.
The tractive seems decent, but it would worry me if the dog is missing for over a day, it would die?
The battery is supposed to last 5 days or more. Since I remove her collar at night, I just go ahead and charge it. I have never tested the true duration, but it is longer than a day.
Whistle has real time tracking, in lost dog mode, it’s refreshes every 15 seconds. There was user error from the reviewer
I picked the Tractive for the same reason. The shorter battery life, however, is a pain. If a company comes out with a device that works the way Tractive does but with a solid 30 day battery life I will switch for sure.
I heard tractive has a new one with a longer battery life, but I have not seen or tried it.
Does the tractive or fi work at all if there is no cell service?
I believe all of these require cell service. Garmin makes one that the search and rescue people use that relies on satellite only I believe. It is bulkier, has an antenna, and you have to carry the receiver. They are always improving the products and making them smaller.
I should add that there is a bluetooth option on the tractive ( I am not sure of the others). It works when the dog is within bluetooth range without cell service.
So fi and whistle use the same lte m at&t service only thing different is the gps satellites and how many they use which is important! Tractive uses us cellular or Verizon both use alot of battery but might be better in Your area. Spoton is the best but overpriced! Hola is trash same with invoxia they're bulky but hola is just bad invoxia works but not worth it.
4:49 Rest 19.4 hrs
Ah, the life of a dog...
Careful sharing your address
Good point. Thank you!
can not hear you!
Can't hear you
The
I love the idea of the Fi Device but hate the fact that nobody talks about having to remove the entire collar from the dog in order to charge the device. Am I suppose to wait till bedtime to charge the collar? I guess when they need out in middle of night if they are sick I have to put the collar and device back together then take them out......Stupid .... Needs a easier way to remove the device to charge it, wish I never had bought this thing
I loathe my Fi collar. It takes too long to update when he disconnects from my wifi. I want live tracking with my dog. He could easily out run me if he wanted and could get taken or hit by a car. Their customer service is 100/10 AWFUL. I am deleting the app as soon as I figure out which new collar to get him and in doing so, throwing away 2 more years on the overpriced collar. "
He was sitting 10 feet away from me the other day and because I didn't have my phone on me the gps was telling me he was miles away. the gps pings don't reflect any sort of accuracy. If he had been missing, there's NO way to find him.
the charging doc has to be set up EVERY SINGLE TIME I take him to a new house and back to mine.
AVOID!
Fi all the way
Because?
@@JockstrapsSaveLives no reason, i’m returning my fi - it takes too long to refresh and my pup could be ran over or in a different county by that time
Hoped to learn sometjing. But my volume is all the way uo and it sounds like you are a room away snd talking into a pillow. Too bad.
Works fine for me 🤷♀️ get a better phone
@@vanessatorres225 like everything is low volume that I watch and I did not suspect my phone. phone works well...this guide is not at a good volume. of the 1000s I have watched. thanks for the smart ass response.
The sound of youre voice is not loud enough
Get a mic