Dog trackers are a modern luxury, and Jiobit definitely falls into this category.
There has been a huge surge of GPS pet trackers on the market, Jiobit is one of those on the market. and it’s really hard to find something that actually reflects the experience and has been actually tested by real dogs – and that’s what I try to do for you in this buyers guide.
I’ve said it a number of times, but my coonhounds become totally nose blind when they get on a scent, and, on the odd occasion things go wrong, and they’ve gotten out of the fence (thanks to deer, or a delivery person).
This made me start looking into the new area of wearable tech for dogs, but most specifically into GPS trackers to make sure that I knew that I could let my dogs out into my yard with confidence! Whilst I check in on my hounds regularly (and they check in too), I still like to have that GPS tracker because I then know there is no doubt that if things go wrong I have back up.
GPS trackers are about peace of mind, but not all trackers do that for me or other pet parents. Because a lost pet is no joke.
Jiobit claims to be the smallest GPS tracker, the most real-time location tracking device, offering live tracking of your pet’s location (when in Live mode). Is that true? Let’s see…
This is not a sponsored post, however, this tracker was provided for free. It doesn’t change my opinion though!
Introducing The Jiobit GPS Dog Tracker
Jiobit smart tag is a GPS Tracker that is designed for all manner of tracking – not just dogs. However, Jiobit is only a GPS tracker. But what it does? It does very well. It runs on T-mobiles 2G and AT&T’s 3G cellular networks (nationwide networks – though it is US Only!). As far as I can tell it doesn’t have a 4G or 5G functionality.
What I Love About The Jiobit Dog Tracker
It tracks
This is what makes it one of the best trackers on the market.
This tracking device does one thing, and it does one thing really well. Simple, but effective. They’ve got an update time of 10 seconds when it’s in “live mode” – making it the most real-time tracker on the market. It is faster than anything else I’ve tested. Which means you get a much more true picture of your dogs motion and give your pet’s exact location quickly.
Knowing your dog’s location and keeping tabs like this is one of the best ideas in my opinion.
That 10 seconds, by the way, is the closest to the 2.5 seconds offered by a Garmin TT (Or preferably Garmin T) GPS Collar – and doesn’t require the hassle of a totally separate handheld device, and operates with a much smaller unit attached to your pet’s collar.
Ideal Geofence.
First a geofence or a ‘virtual fence’ is different to a ‘wireless’ or ‘invisible fence‘. It’s a ‘safe zone’ where your pet is permitted to be, and Jiobit has (so far!) the fastest refresh rate on the market of 1-3 minutes of alert, vs Fi’s 2-10 mins and Whistle’s 3-10 mins. Which means (practically speaking) that if your dog does get our of the designated safe zone, then this is the timespace between when your dog gets out and when you get an alert.
Which means they could be up to 10 minutes away when you get an alert. Again, this all aids in bringing your dog home quicker.
Safezone Perfection
A phenomenal feature, but you can set up different safe zones for different devices, which means that if your younger dog goes to daycare you can set that up as a safe zone for them but not for your older dog – which is awesome. You can also add or remove safe zones at the drop of a hat.
Given that this is designed to track kids, the elderly, cats as well as dogs – this device is truly flexible, so you could genuinely do this all from the one app.
Simple
I cannot believe how beautifully simple this device is. The entire process is incredibly intuitive. There wasn’t a single step where I felt like it was unnecessarily complicated, or that the information was unnecessary, or that the Jiobit app made things difficult to find or buried the lead.
It’s easy to add your partner, or dog walkers, or other family members to the app and device too.
And even better? They even have a Desktop option if you’re caught in a pinch!
Collar-friendly
This is my favourite thing about this tracker, and what really separates it from the crowd – it fits on any collar through either the clips, or as a ‘tag’. Personally, I try to minimise dog tags wherever possible, so I prefer to the method of collar attachment. And that attachment allows up to a 1.5 inch collar easily.
Other collars (for reference) specify that a certain link must be used and have a limited range of collars that are produced with them, or just stick you with the collar it comes on and that’s that. But the Jiobit, doesn’t force that on you! You don’t have to buy a new collar, or new gear, as this should work with just about any harness or collar you own.
Optional Subscription fee
One thing I like about the Jiobit, is that you absolutely can just buy the device for a single fee. Yes, it restricts your options a little, and limits your features. But it’s totally functional as a GPS tracker in this time (unlike a number of other devices, looking at you Fi!). The monthly subscription fee options do provide some useful features though.
Hard wearing
We’ve been using it for a few months consistently for walks/hikes, exercise and training, and it’s not scratched. Where it has plastic (but soft plastic? I’m not sure what it is, if I’m honest!), it’s not scratched, dinked or dented, and it’s certainly not showing it’s age as quick as some of the other trackers I’ve tested.
What I Don’t Love About The Jiobit
Missing features
Given it’s in the same pricepoint as the Fi Series 2 Collars – they are missing some of the extra features that as a pet parent are quite nice – like a sleep monitor, activity levels, fitness trackers, goal setter, route tracking, like the sense of community too! This is something that most other pet GPS trackers do offer.
Jiobit doesn’t offer this. It’s a small thing and it might be deemed a little excessive for some. It’s just if you’re paying the money, why not get your dollar’s worth?
Not Sure It’s Robust Enough for Big Dogs
Indie came in from the yard after playing with his sisters, and the Jiobit tracker had gone. Naturally, I pinged it, and found it detached in my garden. I can only assume it was pulled off during play (especially given the fact it was on open ground). It showed no sign of damage, but a tracker that’s not attached to your dog any longer is not really all that useful, is it?
The Ring May Be Aversive For Sensitive Dogs
So, the ring is an odd tone, but beyond that when it rings, attached to your dog, it can be very confusing. If you do intend on using the ring, and your dog is sensitive, I would strongly suggest desensitising it first because Indie found it pretty weird when I rang it from his collar.
Do I Recommend The Jiobit Tracker?
Absolutely. Jiobit is technically the best dog GPS trackers on the market right now. It’s the fastest and highly effective, offering a very small size also (making it very appropriate for smaller pets). The subscription plan is definitely a good thing, adding in location data history which can be really interesting (def. something I’d want for a cat!).
For me, this would be the tracker I’d give my Mum (If my mum had a dog), because whilst she isn’t bad with tech – but there’s no way she’d want any more features than the intentional feature of the GPS.
I like it, it works, it’s very functional. It’s petite, it’s light and it doesn’t need anything special for it to function. It’s also the device that’s likely to get your dog home the fastest.
Want a Jiobit? They’re on Amazon! Not sure the Jiobit is for you, why not check out my reviews on the other trackers on the market?
Author, Ali Smith
Ali Smith is a professional, qualified, and multi-award winning trainer is the founder of rebarkable. She has always believed animals deserve kindness and champions force free methods. Believing that dog guardians will all choose the kindest options if proper information is provided, she aims to help all dog guardians who need it and make dog training as accessible as possible
Ali lives win Maryland, US with her husband and her three dogs.
0 Comments