Apple Airtag: Best alternative to micro-chipping your dog?

For any pet owners who may be hesitant to micro-chip their dog or cat, you may be wondering if the new Apple AirTag provides a safer more effective alternative to micro-chipping. Finding lost pets is one of the many use cases that is being touted for this exciting new Apple product.

Unlike other tracking devices that have come before it, such as Tile, the Apple AirTag claims to have a larger more reliable network for locating their trackers. Having used the Tile trackers before, I can tell you that when you lose something and look for it on the Tile app, it often displays the Tile’s location from days or weeks earlier which is usually not helpful. Since Apple’s AirTags interact with a much larger network of devices it can provide more up-to-date (and therefore more meaningful) data about the location of your AirTag (and your lost pet).

Unlike the Tile, AirTags do not come with a way to attach them to your pet’s collar. Instead you are expected to purchase a separate case for each AirTag which includes its own mechanism for attaching itself to your pet’s collar. This means you can expect to spend a little extra on a case. There are already many AirTag-compatible solutions being offered by third party vendors.

Airtag Case for Dog Collar

Case for attaching Apple AirTag to your dog’s collar.

We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Aside from those issues, here a few more pros and cons to consider:

Pros

• Many pet owners will consider the AirTag more humane than inserting something under their pet’s skin.

• Unlike the micro-chip which must be scanned with a special device before the pet’s owner can be located, the AirTag allows the pet’s owner to locate the exact location of their pet which will allow a pet owner to be reunited with their pet much quicker and more safely.

Cons

• The AirTag may be a bit bulky on the collar, especially for smaller dogs.

• If the AirTag falls off of the pet’s collar, you may find the AirTag but not your pet

• If the dog’s collar falls off, so will the AirTag, whereas the micro-chip is placed under your pet’s skin and stays with your pet no matter what.

• The AirTag’s battery could die after a while, rendering the AirTag useless. You need to remember to replace the battery often to avoid this.

Having said all of that, there is certainly nothing to prevent you from using both methods. Even if your pet is already has a micro-chip, there is nothing stopping you from also adding an an AirTag to their collar for added peace of mind. With that being said, I see few reasons not to consider putting an AirTag on your pet’s collar, regardless of whether they have been micro-chipped. I have already ordered one for my dog.

Apple AirTag

Apple AirTags are a great way to keep track of your pets (or anything that you don’t want to lose)

Keep track of and find your items alongside friends and devices in the Find My app
Simple one-tap setup instantly connects AirTag with your iPhone or iPad
Play a sound on the built-in speaker to help find your things, or just ask Siri for help
Precision Finding with Ultra Wideband technology leads you right to your nearby AirTag (on select iPhone models)
Find items further away with the help of hundreds of millions of Apple devices in the Find My network
Put AirTag into Lost Mode to be automatically notified when it’s detected in the Find My network
All communication with the Find My network is anonymous and encrypted for privacy