Link AKC Smart Dog Collar - GPS Location Tracker, Activity Monitor, and More, Medium (KITTN02)

I purchased two of these Link AKC collars for my two Vizslas. They can run fast and far. We have a fenced yard, but that doesn't mean they can't figure out how to get out and scare the bejesus out of me. This review is being written with about two days experience - so keep that in mind. I spent some time reviewing this brand and the Whistle. From what I gather, the GPS on the Link is superior - and ultimately why I purchased them. I need to know EXACTLY where they are should they escape. The bonus features on the unit was also attractive to me such as the activity tracker and the temperature high/low alert. I just enjoy knowing how much activity they have had throughout the day and to get to know their baseline levels (for this reason I also love my Apple iWatch). I did experience a few minor glitches with one base unit and called Customer Support. I would not have noticed this if I didn't have two units. One was a high temp alert. The unit was on the charger in a temperature controlled room at 74*F, so it couldn't have been high (I set it at 85*F). And this unit also had a calibration issue where it showed the base outside the house and in the street. Customer Service immediately offered to send me a new base and I could keep this base. The benefit to me in this (aside from a properly calibrated base unit) is that I can put the original base on the other side of the house thereby increasing/overlapping the base radius and I'll get less alerts when they go in and out of range. One thing I will also add- unrelated to functionality is they service folks answered the phones very quickly and were very helpful with all my questions. The app is pretty good too. But I will say it does have a few glitches such as my app will quit on me for no reason. Customer Service said I needed to reload the app because I had an older version loaded on my phone. The Adventures map initially showed the route we took, however, now when I go back to look at it, the map is way off. I didn't buy the collar for this reason, so I'm not totally concerned by it, but it would be nice if it functioned better. I also would like to toggle between my dogs a little easier. Again, not a real issue since if there is an Alert - it does show me both dogs and isn't limited to the dog profile I have open in the app. All in all, a great buy (so far) and I'm pleased with my purchase. I also give it points for style. The leather collar and unit matches my dog's fur perfectly and I love the way it blends in.

First off I will say the customer service is beyond excellent. They are always very helpful. I do like this product but it does have a lot of issues.Pros:Gps feature works well when you have service, but it will drain the battery VERY quickly. If you are in lost dog mode, don't expect it to last very long.. maybe a few hours.Excellent, friendly customer service.Cons:App features will only work if you are in a area with great cell service. The "Activity" and "adventure" feature do not work without cell coverage. I am constantly having to restart the app because it freezes then restarts itself.. resulting in these features to stop working. Example: I have hiked 4 miles with my dog and the App only says the dog had 32 minutes of activity for the day. Same goes for the "adventure" feature.. Unless you have excellent cell service the whole time you are using the collar, it will not track your route or distance. With the app constantly freezing and restarting, it stops the adventure feature and you have to start from scratch.The battery is not the greatest. Under normal circumstances it will last all day (with you mode) when the dog is within Bluetooth range, but if you are using the app and the GPS tracker a lot, it will drain the battery within a few hours.Firmware update:They tell me the new firmware update will fix the battery issue but I am unable to receive the update. They tell me because of bad cell service in my area. Until the new firmware is installed I have very little faith in the battery. They have tried sending it to me 8-10 times so far with no success.App:The app freezes every time I open it. It freezes then restarts itself and then it works fine until the next time I open it. I have a iPhone 7 with the latest softwareOverall this collar will work to help you find your lost dog, but you will need to find the dog quickly because the battery won't last more than a few hours in lost dog mode.. my experience anywaysI would recommend buying this products as long as you can receive the firmware updates, and if the update improves the battery life.Again, I want to say how friendly and helpful the customer service is. I have called many timesUpdate. 2.27.18 : returned due to battery issues. Couldn’t go more than a few hours without it dying. I tried making it work for a month but decided to buy the whistle 3. Whistle 3 is excellent. No issues. Went 4 days without charging. Quicker notifications. Overall a much better experience.

We live on an off-grid property out in a remote area with six dogs. We have problems with three of them wanting to run together. We try hard to keep them from going out but are not always successful. I purchased this collar hoping that it would help us know where they were when they got out and guide us there to pick them up. Since I purchased this collar, I have had to use it three or four times. One of those nights, three of my children became lost in the dark out here in our wide open expanse of unfenced land, rolling hills, and trees. My eldest daughter and I were able to track them and ultimately drive to their location because they had two dogs with them, one wearing this collar. The biggest thing I don't like about the collar is the little mechanism that locks the GPS onto the holder. It is weak and has dropped out twice since we've owned it. We have started locking it on with a small zip tie. Other than that, I have very pleased with the performance of this item. Once it goes onto the GPS mode, which ours always is because we don't have Wi-Fi out here, it takes it about five minutes to locate the collar, sometimes longer depending upon how fast the dogs are moving. Once it locates them, it stays with them and updates their location every 30 seconds. The battery does not last nearly as long once the collar goes into GPS Mode but it lasts plenty long enough for you to get on the ball and recover your dogs. Very happy with this collar. I gave it fours stars because of the locking mechanism. It needs some redoing. If you've got a runner, this collar is worthwhile investment.