Zoombak gps PET LOCATOR.. considering it..

[Fran101]

its 199.99 for the actual product and then a $144 service charge for all year, what do you guys think?

its alot of money.. but i could save up little by little and it sure sounds like a peace of mind

anyone have it?
know of a better product?
comments?

Zoombak PET locator

it would send me a text message or i could call and find out exactly where she is.
do you think its worth it?

thanks

 

[smkie]

Pepper hasn't run in a long time but that doens't mean i completely trust her. IF i was rich i would love to have that on her for reassurance. I would not need one for Mary or for Vic unless under the consideration of theft. AS it is i can't i wish i could.

 

[happyhound]

That price is pretty steep for what it is.

You can get a Garmin Astro with no fees and have real time data as to where your dog is. It's not cheap, though, but far more useful.

 

[FluffyZooCrew]

I'm getting a Zoombak too!! I just found it online this morning and have been researching it. My beagle has taken to trying to escape our fence during potty time, inclouding jumping the fence. So I am buying one for him.

I saw that Garmin Astro too, but $600 is kinda steep, though I like the realtime on the handheld device.

 

[Fran101]

the zoombak looks much more normal than the garmin. like i can put it on her normal collar and its pretty small, kind of looks like a beeper
the garmin looks odd with its big ole antenna but no doubt its more effective.. the price is just pretty steep

 

[FluffyZooCrew]

I also agree the garmin is bulkier, as well as more pricey. It does look more effective, but out of my price range.

I am going to buy the Zoombak, it is sold at Petco and Best Buy. Petco has it for $169. I read the reviews on Amazon, and while a lot of the reviews are for the car locator, the reviews that are for the dog locator are overall positive.

My beagle that keeps jumping the fence is microchipped, and also has a red strobe light that attaches to his collar when he goes outside to potty at night (Made by RuffDawg). But this locator just keeps my mind more at ease, at least I'd be able to track him and find his location.

 

[MafiaPrincess]

While a good idea in theory.. They advertise it to help if your dog gets stolen.. Many thieves would remove it making it not useful.. And it certainly doesn't help your dog from getting hit by a car unfortunately.

For a 200 dollar or so cost to purchase it and another 150 a year, I'd be fixing the fence rather than paying out for gadgets.

 

[FluffyZooCrew]

Well, I can't speak for other members, but I live out in the country and I have over a 1/2 acre fenced in for the dogs. No amount of re-doing the fence will stop the dog from climbing over it. I'm not worried about him being stolen so much, because where I live is pretty secluded and all my neighbors for miles know me, and my dogs. It's a very small town. What I am worried about is him getting lost in the massive amount of woods that we have. He's a beagle, and he's been noticing the deer coming out of the woods and into the open pastures behind us. I'd like the tracking device so that if he were to jump the fence and go get lost in the woods, I can have a better way of finding him.

And to me, I don't mind paying the $200 or the monthly fee, if the device works. So far, from all I've been researching today, it seems like many people have had good experiences with it, included hunters that have used it to track lost hunting dogs.

 

[CanadianK9]

The theory is good, but ive seen some people that actually got them and they only work a short distance, and on top of that run on batteries, and when the batteries die so is the gps. aside from that its quite uncomfortable for the dog. Anyway just my opinion based on what ive seen/heard

 

[Dekka]

I live in the country with dogs who climb fences. The cheapest and easiest way to deter the most determined of fence climbers is to install a hot wire at the top of the fence.

Too many things can happen to a dog running loose. Even if you aren't worried about cars, the bulky parts can get the dog caught up in brush. As has been pointed out the batteries die etc.

If you are really worried about this either fence proof or get a long tie out on a line.

 

[FluffyZooCrew]

Actually, he's an indoor dog. He does this only when out pottying, and it's only every once in a while. He's just so fast, he's almost over it before I can stop him.

With that said, I never thought of a hot wire at the top of the fence, may have to consider that too. Still, however, considering the tracking device as well. I like the idea of it, and it offers another good piece of mind.

 

[inspector16]

I had the Global Pet Finder a few years ago, and it didn't work all that well. By the time I got the alert that my dog Jackie had left the perimeter, she was already pretty far away. And the location updates weren't specific enough to pinpoint her. I was pretty disappointed with the whole experience.

Maybe the technology has improved since then. That was back in 2005, so it is possible that devices like the Zoombak work better now. But from that experience, I would much prefer one of the devices that lets me pinpoint my dog's location with real time information.

I don't let the dogs out on their own anymore like I used to. Now if they go out, I go out with them so I can keep an eye on them. You never know when one of them will figure out a way to take off. Plus it's free training time since I can interact with them while we're out together. It's less convenient for me, but overall it's much better for all of us.

 

[Miakoda]

While a good idea in theory.. They advertise it to help if your dog gets stolen.. Many thieves would remove it making it not useful.. And it certainly doesn't help your dog from getting hit by a car unfortunately.

For a 200 dollar or so cost to purchase it and another 150 a year, I'd be fixing the fence rather than paying out for gadgets.

Yep yep yep.

And although it will help those who dogs just get loose, IMO a better solution is to fix the real issue at hand: why your dog is repeatedly getting out/loose in the first place.

 

[Fran101]

Kenya doesnt run off/get loose.. its never happened before. but i figured it might be worth it, just for peace of mind in case someone leaves the gate open, she rushes the front door, ect..

 

[release the hounds]

I wouldn't spend any money on one of those, let alone a couple hundred off the top then 100+ yearly to maintain the service??? A little training goes along ways. It's free and builds a better bond between you and your dog.

 

[Romy]

We're interested in something like this, having a sighthound. He's got a pretty killer recall...if he can hear you. When it only takes 35 seconds for him to travel a mile away having an alternate way of pinpointing his location would be invaluable if he was to slip a collar or something.

That being said, I'd rather go with the Garmin, and that's probably what we will do. I bought Robert a gently used in-box Garmin GPS watch that retails for about $450 for only $80 on craigslist after looking every day for a couple of months. It's fabulous and has been very reliable. We'll probably just keep searching until we find a good deal so we don't have to pay the full price. $600 is a bit much for our budget.