Tile Pet Tracker: Using Tile to Track Dog Properly 2024

Losing your furry friend is every dog owner’s nightmare, and you’ve very likely considered investing in a dependable pet tracker that doesn’t break the bank. Fortunately, Tile has us all covered.

Though pet tracking wasn’t the original intention for their use, Tile Tags have become incredibly popular among dog owners. Using noises and a global network, Tiles help you track your dogs in ways GPS pet trackers can’t.

Below, we will go over some of Tile’s most innovative features, how Tile tags compare to GPS trackers, and which specific Tile will work best for your pet.

What Is Tile?

Have you ever misplaced something like your wallet or keys and wished you could call it to find it? This concept is essentially the backbone of Tile. 

With different models designed to help you locate keys, wallets, phones, and everything in between, it wasn’t long before Tile users realized how incredibly useful this innovation could be for pets. Should your dog run out the door or be hiding at home, all you’ll need to do is hit the “Find” button in Tile’s free app, and your dog’s collar will begin to ring. 

Tile Premium, the company’s subscription service, also provides users with a 30-day location history of their pets’ most frequent stops. Tile testimonials from pet owners even said they’ve been able to use the noise function on Tile tags to communicate with their pets and let them know when it’s time to come inside.

Noise Detection

Tile tags feature numerous noise-emitting settings that can be incredibly useful when trying to find your lost pet. Using the Tile app on your phone (with Bluetooth on), you can basically call your dog.

Assuming your pet is within range, a rhythmic, almost 8-bit ringtone song will begin to play from their collar. Tile’s more recent updates now give you eight different ringtones to choose from. Tile pet trackers offer users a feature they won’t find on most GPS trackers by emitting ringtone noises. 

Using audible tones from their tag, Tile pet trackers can save you time in finding your lost dog — time your dog very well could have used to run even further.

The Tile Network

The Tile Network is a global network that Tile created to help users find those items that get lost outside the house. For example, losing your wallet can be terrifying, and retracing your steps can be tedious and sometimes impossible. 

The only thing scarier than losing your wallet is losing your pet. The Tile Network provides a hopefully simple solution. Should your dog be lost outside of earshot or range, hit “Notify When Found” on the app.

From there, whenever any other Tile user with the app installed on their phone is near your missing item or pet, a notification will automatically ping to your phone, notifying you of its most recent location.

Thus far, the company has sold over 50 million Tiles across 185 countries. Of course, these numbers don’t guarantee that you will find your missing pet, but they’re decent odds. The Tile Network makes finding your dog incredibly convenient, and it only gets more efficient the more people use Tile.

Tile Pet Tracker vs. GPS Pet Trackers

Whereas GPS pet trackers take a visual approach to help you locate your lost pet, Tile pet trackers take an audible approach. Typically the most affordable, Tile pet trackers may not be the best choice for all dogs.

The best GPS pet tracker is a Halo collar. Hands down. The trouble? It is a premium product with a premium price tag. See our review for this AWESOME tech here.

Which pet tracker is right for you may ultimately depend on your dog and what you expect to use the tracker for. Some dog owners may even decide to invest in GPS trackers and Tile to track their furry friends by sight and ear.

Price

In general, Tile tags are more affordable than most GPS pet trackers. A single Tile Mate tag currently retails. Tile Pro tags boast a better range and louder ringtone.

Tile multipacks bring the price down even more. Owners of multiple dogs will be able to save quite a bit with multipacks. Additionally, some multipacks offer other Tile products, like the Tile Slim and the Tile Sticker.

GPS dog trackers usually cost as little as $50, while more expensive models cost upwards of $200. Hands down, Tile tags are the most inexpensive option. Notably, though, you get what you pay for when it comes to your pet tracker’s range.

Range

Tile Pet Trackers don’t have as much range as most GPS pet trackers. The best Tile tags only have an estimated Bluetooth range of 400 ft, about the standard length of a neighborhood block. 

Assuming your run-away dog is within this 400 ft range, Tile’s app will still be able to reach your furry friend. If your speeding dog exceeds the 400 ft range, don’t worry, Tile still has you covered. 

As mentioned earlier, the Tile’s Network notifies you should any other Tile user walk into the vicinity of your lost dog, or vice versa. So in a way, this gives you more range than any other pet tracker on the market, though its usage is feasibly limited.

While Tile’s 400 ft range, noise options, and global network features are nothing to complain about, it’s hard to compare them to other pet trackers. For example, Garmin’s pet trackers can have a range of up to 9 miles. Most lesser-brand GPS trackers can still track your dog for at least a mile, making Tile’s 400 ft range look pretty insignificant in comparison.

Battery Life

In the process of your dog getting lost, the last thing you want your pet tracker doing is shutting off. Fortunately, this is something you’ll need to worry about a lot less with a Tile tag compared to a GPS pet tracker. 

While most GPS pet trackers have an average battery life of 3 months, Tile’s batteries last up to a year. Tile will even send Tile Premium and Premium Protect subscribers free replacement batteries every year — now that’s good customer service!

Which Tile Tag Works Best?

Tile offers four different types of trackers. The two options you’ll want to consider to track your dog are the tags, Tile Mate and Tile Pro.

Tile Mate

Tile Mates are the standard and most inexpensive Tile tags you’ll find. These tags are thinner and lighter, making them less of a strain for cats and smaller dogs. 

Unfortunately, Tile Mates have a range of only 200 ft. Should your dog run further than 200 ft, which is just over the length of two basketball courts, the Tile Mate will become practically useless until you get closer, aside from the Tile Network feature.

Tile Pro

The more expensive tag option, Tile Pro, is the best Tile to track a dog. Tile Pro tags have a range of 400 ft, twice that of Tile Mate tags! Additionally, Tile Pros are about 8% louder than Tile Mates.

One potential downside is that Tile Pros are the heaviest tags, weighing in at 12 grams. While this may be a concern for cat owners, most dogs should feel no difference with a Tile Pro around their neck.

Tile Slim

Tile Slims are trackers about the same size as Credit Cards. Unless your dog wears a vest or a harness large enough to fit one of these, Tile Slims are generally not recommended to track your pet.

Tile Sticker

Tile Stickers are waterproof and adhesive trackers that you can stick to items. Though this doesn’t seem ideal for dogs, Tile made sure these trackers were safe for animals anyways. Tile recommends Stickers for turtle and tortoise owners.

Don’t Forget a Simple Microchip

Of course, even with GPS trackers or an excellent fence, a simple microchip is a lifesaver and a really basic and smart investment for your dog. Hands down the best cheap bang for your buck way to get a missing dog back.

Final Thoughts on Tile Pet Trackers

If you’re looking for affordable pet trackers, consider investing in a Tile to keep track of your dog. These small trackers emit different sounds to help you find your pet, and you could even train your dog to return when a particular sound plays through the Tile.  

Tiles are more affordable than traditional GPS trackers, so if you don’t foresee your dog roaming too far, a Tile might be the perfect option.