Following up on our prior article, Are Airtags Good Pet Trackers, it’s now been over a week since I clipped an AirTag to the collars of each of my two dogs, Lucca and Vino, and the verdict is in. AirTag is a great pet tracker.
Editor’s Note: See our latest round-up of the Best AirTag Accessories for Dog & Cat Collars
I personally used Belkin Secure Holder Key Rings (see our Inexpensive AirTag Key Chain Article, or buy from Amazon or Belkin for $13) and hooked them straight to their dog collars. It’s a great solution, and Lucca and Vino are now trackable should they wander off one day (which hopefully never happens!) anytime in the next year, thanks to AirTag’s 1-year battery life.
Tips for Using AirTags as a Dog or Cat Tracker:
- Buy some good AirTag accessories to attach your AirTags to your pet’s collar:
- Amazingly, AirTags do not come with any sort of clip, so it’s impossible to attach them to a dog collar without an accessory (or doing something crazy with duct tape)
- I used Belkin’s Airtag Keychain Accessory, but you could also use Apple’s $35 AirTag KeyChain or Apple’s $29 AirTag Loop Accessory to clip your AirTag to your dog’s collar
- Make sure AirTags are durable enough to be clipped to your dog or cat:
- AirTags are waterproof up to 3 feet deep for thirty minutes, as we discussed in our AirTags FAQ, but they’re also made out of beautiful chrome and are easily scratched
- So, they’ll last a year on your dog or cat’s collar, and be fine with occasional baths / survive being dunked in the water bowl each morning and night just fine… That said, if you have a Portuguese Water Dog or some other big swimmer who plays in water for more than 30 minutes at a time, you may have to think of an alternate (and unfortunately more expensive) pet tracker such as the Whistle Go Explore pet tracker… but for most dogs and nearly all cats, AirTags are the best pet trackers you can buy
- AirTags will eventually get scratched and scuffed (e.g., from your pet’s food and water bowls) if you use an open-faced case such as the Belkin I’m using; I think it looks great as-is and I’m OK with this risk, but it’s something to keep in mind
- Consider a specially made AirTag Dog Collar or AirTag Cat Collar:
- As more AirTag Accessories are released, accessory manufacturers are getting more specific and tailored in their offerings. Especially now that we know AirTags are Great Pet Trackers
- Amazon now has a few lines of pet-specific silicone AirTag holders that cover the entire front of the AirTag and attach them to the collar without dangling down, such as this AirTag Silicone Pet Collar Accessory
- Choose a tailored name and emoji for your pets when setting up your AirTags that reflect their attitude and style
- You’re going to see the emoji and name you assign when setting up your AirTag as a pet tracker whenever you open the Find My app, so pick something fun
Setting up my AirTags for my dog Vino:
Choosing an emoji for my AirTag for Vindo, my poodle:
Using Apple’s Find My App and AirTags to find my dog Vino on the map:
Using a Belkin AirTag KeyChain on Vino’s dog collar:
Here are Lucca and Vino, my two dogs, sporting AirTags pet trackers:
