A dog who has gone through a hedge after a rabbit is not lost forever, but the first twenty minutes decide how the rest of the afternoon goes. A live tracker turns guesswork into a direction to walk in. This one clips onto most collars and reports its position in real time, with a geofence you set around the garden or the field so an alert reaches you the moment they cross the line.

Once you are close, location on its own stops being much use, because dense undergrowth swallows a small dog completely, so the tracker also flashes a light and makes a sound to cover the last few metres. It is compact and light enough to sit on a collar without dragging it round, and it works over a mobile network rather than by radio, which is why a SIM and a subscription are part of the deal rather than optional extras.

• Real-time location tracking
• Geofence alerts when your pet leaves a set area
• Flashing light and sound to help you locate them close up
• Clips onto most collars
• Compact and lightweight
• SIM subscription required

Worth knowing. The tracker needs a working SIM and mobile coverage where you actually walk, so it is only ever as good as the signal in your fields, and the running cost is ongoing rather than one-off.

Who it's for: Owners of escape artists and free-roaming pets who walk in places with decent mobile coverage.