Golden Retriever looking out from behind a tree.

QR Code Dog Tags vs GPS Trackers: What you really need to know.

Can I use a QR code dog tag to track my pet?

Read this before you do!

Losing your dog is every dog owner’s nightmare. That’s why some people are turning to QR code-enabled dog tags, like dog tags by Crumb and Ring. These types of tags are often given away for free, or sold cheaply, and marketed as being able to track your dog.

But can they really be used to find your lost dog? Sadly, no. Read on to find out why, or skip down to discover the much better alternative that you absolutely need to get today.

What’s a QR code dog tag?

QR code dog tags are small disks of metal, just like a standard dog tag. Instead of engraved information, including your name and address, to help find your dog if it gets lost, they have a QR code (a barcode you can scan with your phone’s camera) that links to a webpage with your information.

How do QR code dog tags work?

When someone scans the QR code on a dog tag, they are taken to a page with your dog’s details, including information like your phone number. This allows them to get in touch with you or share their phone’s location with you.

Do QR code dog tags have GPS?

No. The tags themselves have no GPS or location capabilities. If QR code dog tags advertise GPS tracking, they are referring to the ability of someone who has found your dog sharing their location with you.

Can QR code dog tags find my dog if they get lost?

No. Unlike GPS trackers, QR code dog tags rely on someone finding your dog and scanning the QR code on their tag. Only then can they contact you or share their location so you can come and pick up your dog.

In fact, the system can fail lost dogs in lots of ways:

Your dog might not be found by someone to scan their tag before they end up in trouble (such as crossing busy roads or getting stuck in tricky terrain).
Your dog might not let someone get close enough to scan their tag.
The person who found your dog may not have a phone with them to scan the code.
The person who found your dog may not have enough phone signal to open the webpage with your dog’s information.
The person who found your dog may not know what a QR code is or how to scan one.

Are QR code dog tags legal in the UK?

No. In the UK, dogs are required to wear a collar and tag in public places. The tag must contain the owner’s name and address. This means that, by themselves, the QR code dog tags are not legally compliant as the information is not physically present on the tag itself.

Are QR code dog tags really free?

Some QR code dog tags are given away for free, but this usually comes with limited features. To be able to access the most useful features, you’ll often need to pay a subscription fee every month.

What’s the alternative?

QR code tags can’t replace standard dog tags, and they don’t do the job of a proper GPS tracker.

If you ever lose your dog, and you want to be able to find them quickly, regardless of whether someone else has picked them up, you’ll need a purpose-made dog GPS tracker, like PitPat GPS.

PitPat GPS, and all proper GPS trackers, have their own built-in satellite receivers and independent mobile connections. That way, you’re not relying on someone else finding and catching your dog to be able to locate them. You can find them yourself!

Yes, it’s more expensive. But how much would you pay to find your dog if they ever went missing?

Remember, you could wait hours for someone else to find your dog. That’s scary. But with PitPat GPS, you’ll get quick and accurate location updates every few seconds so you can track them down, even when they’re on the move. And that, as the saying goes, is priceless.