When the pet is gone, good advice is expensive. Only those who have a tracker on their dog or cat can start looking for their favorite immediately. Many providers charge monthly fees for the devices in addition to the purchase costs – Fressnapf does not. The test shows whether this has a negative effect on the product.
Anyone who spends a lot of time in parks and forests will notice that most pets, in this case dogs, are connected. They often carry small boxes or Apple Airtags on their backs or on their collars. While the latter is only partially suitable for tracking lost animals, GPS trackers such as Tractive (here in startest), Weenect or Combi Protect have proven to be extremely good solutions. Because once the dog (or cat) is gone, you are pretty much helpless without the collar technology.
Maybe permanently without a subscription – but definitely cheap
Unfortunately, most trackers have one annoying thing in common – they cost money every month, so they are tied to a subscription. Weenect costs 10 euros, Tractive up to 13 euros and Telekom charges around 5 euros – each in addition to the purchase price of up to 50 euros. The Fressnapf retail chain takes a different approach. The “Fressnapf GPS tracker for dogs” costs 74.99 euros once – and then nothing for a long time, perhaps never another cent again.
This is definitely very vague, because Fressnapf writes: “In the first 2 years you are guaranteed not to incur any running costs. Whether you have to expect running costs after the first 2 years has not yet been conclusively clarified. After these 2 years have expired, it may be possible . there is a small annual fee of a maximum of 9.99 euros. It is also conceivable that use remains free for the third year.”
Since the test sample remained at 75 euros – and no further costs have been incurred so far – this test is based on the assumption that the one-off purchase is all it takes.
The question therefore arises as to whether the Fressnapf tracker can keep up with the other offers, which already exceed the cost of the device after just a few months. The short answer: It depends. The long answer follows.
In terms of its basic functions – i.e. locating and finding animals – the Fressnapf tracker is in no way inferior to other products. Test dachshund Harry could always be found where the tracker showed him. Even without an active search, the transmitter regularly sends its position. The manufacturer states that this happens once per minute. If you actively search for the dog, the interval between location transmissions is reduced to 15 seconds. If the tracker does not move for a long time, it goes into sleep mode to save battery.
As a little help in finding the animal, there is also a light and – if all else fails – an interface to Findefix, the pet register of the German Animal Welfare Association.
Low battery, useful additional information
In the test, the comparatively frequent transmission of the position was negative because the battery seemed to suffer noticeably as a result. Officially, Fressnapf states a battery life of up to three days, but in the test this came close. This is very little compared to the Tractive device, which is also equipped with WLAN and immediately goes into sleep mode when within range of a known network. While you can easily last over a week with the competing device, it’s hardly worth putting the charging cable away with the Fressnapf hardware.
Vacation with dog
Playgrounds, dog pool, refrigerator for food – this hotel has “everything for the dachshund”
In addition to reliable tracking, the tracker also collects some data about the animal. In the “Activity” app tab you can see which route was walked, how long the animal was on the move and what the route of the walks was. The Fressnapf product focuses noticeably on distances walked, not, like Tractive, on active minutes. This is a problem if the dog, like test dachshund Harry, likes to dig for a while while being walked. What is certainly a strenuous activity for the animal and should definitely be part of the course of the day, the feeding bowl tracker switches off at some point and only wakes up again when it continues. It can happen that a walk is divided into several routes because there was a break in digging along the way.
In the “Health” tab, the app offers some information about the animal. If you enter your weight, you get an assessment of how you compare to your ideal weight. There is also information about daily calorie requirements and the recommended amount of water. If you have any additional questions, you can contact Dr. via the app. Connect with Fressnapf, a video chat service with veterinarians. The consultation costs a one-time fee of 20 euros.
The Fressnapf tracker app is simple and very intuitive. Compared to the competition, a few functions are missing, but the software is well equipped for its main purpose.
© Christian Hensen / star
Overall, the app is very clearly designed and there are numerous help pages if you have any questions. Even a layperson should be able to find their way around. Compared to Tractive, there are a few features missing – there’s no denying that. For example, it is not easy to share access to the tracker with the family. You can pass on the login – but Tractive has solved this more elegantly. There’s also no sleep tracking or local rankings.
The lack of connection to Dogorama is also a shame. From the database of the app of the same name, Tractive obtains information about dangers such as poison bait or shards, which are warned about via push notification when you are nearby. There are no gimmicks like activity badges at Fressnapf either.
Weakly positioned internationally
The device itself is pretty unspectacular and functional. In the basic version it is gray, there is a small indentation on the top where you place the charging cable. There is no visible connection, the tracker is dust- and waterproof certified according to IP67, which means it is protected against submersion at a depth of up to one meter for a maximum of 30 minutes. The device is attached with a strong Velcro fastener, which is unfortunately too smooth on the inside, which meant that it constantly slipped on the test dachshund’s harness. This can be prevented with a rough rubber insert or adhesive tape, but Tractive is a better solution ex works.
The device may be unsuitable for the few who travel around the world with their dog because, according to the manufacturer, it only works in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Great Britain, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway , Austria, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Spain, Czech Republic and Hungary. It is said that other European countries will be joining soon. However, Fressnapf explicitly says “it should work”.
Tractive is different: The manufacturer states that the tracker works in over 175 countries worldwide as long as you book a premium subscription.
Conclusion: Fressnapf GPS tracker
At the beginning we said that the Fressnapf GPS tracker suitable for certain purposes. It is therefore recommended in the following scenario: If you mainly travel with your pet in Germany and are primarily interested in tracking, you can’t go wrong with the purchase. Anyone traveling outside of the countries mentioned should look elsewhere.
When it comes to fitness functions, you have to make compromises compared to Tractive, but you actually get a fairly complete picture of your dog or cat’s day. If the animals stay in one spot for a long time, the tracker will stop working. Here too: The Fressnapf GPS tracker is worth its weight in gold for tracking in an emergency, but it currently solves other things in a more rudimentary way than the competition.
You don’t have to take out a subscription to Fressnapf. This is a big plus at a time when you have to pay monthly for almost every service. Fressnapf leaves customers alone for at least the first two years – and there is also a maximum annual fee of 10 euros. Some trackers already cost more per month.
What the tracker is supposed to do, it does well – every bonus other products can sometimes do better. The biggest point of criticism is probably the comparatively short battery life of just three days. You should often think about hanging the tracker on the cable, otherwise in an emergency it might not have enough reserves to be able to track the dog long enough. By the way, there is a push notification as a reminder, but of course it only comes when there is already a shortage.
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