ON TRACK

Animal activity trackers, also known as pet location trackers, let you keep an eye on your pets or livestock from your phone or computer.

- SHELLY WUTKE

A few summers ago, I found myself running down our country road at 5 a.m. I wasn’t out for a leisurely predawn stroll; I was chasing my Great Pyrenees Rosie down the road after she snuck under the fence. Rosie, like so many livestock guardians, is a wanderer. To keep her on the property, I’ve spent a lot of time fixing fences and even more time sprinting down the street when she got out again. No sooner did I have one area locked down than she would find another way out.

I finally caught on that there was an easy solution to keep restless dogs from wandering, and it might even keep your livestock safe and sound, too. Animal activity trackers, also known as pet trackers or location trackers, are safe, noninvasive ways to keep an eye on almost any animal you own.

WHAT THEY ARE

An animal activity tracker is a small device that attaches to a collar or the animal itself. Chicken trackers, for example, can be attached to a chicken’s leg while a herd of cows can each wear a smart collar. These trackers can connect to your phone, and they’ll transmit data to an app or your computer. Some types of tracker will track your animal’s location, others will also track health data including daily activity, time sleeping, and more.

These trackers use a few different types of technology to connect to your phone and provide you with your animal’s location.

Depending on which you choose, you can track your animals in one of three ways: GPS, Bluetooth or radio frequency (RFID).

GPS TRACKERS: If the tracker uses GPS, it’ll function in the same way as a smart phone. GPS trackers usually require a subscription as the tracker connects to local cellular networks to provide you with a real-time location for your livestock.