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The Internet of Dogs: How to Build a $50 IoT Dog Collar That Locates Your Pet

Milecia on May 22, 2020

I love side projects. They give me the opportunity to flex my creative muscles and tinker with tech like the Internet of Things (IoT) in new ways. ...
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apiel profile image
apiel

Your hardware setup is a bit too big. You should have a look at ESP32, it can be programmed with arduino as well, but it is much smaller and Bluetooth is already embedded.
Another options, maybe even better, would be to use a nrf51822.

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Jérémy Lal

Wonderful. I cannot help but mention the tk911 gps tracker, which requires a gps/mobile sim (not provided, where i live we can get 2€/month sims like that). It comes in much smaller sizes and is about the same price.
I use it for one of my cats who doesn't get back home.

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𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐝𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐝

These looks like a fun little side project! Will have to give this a go! :)

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Freddy Hidalgo-Monchez

Oh super cool! I've been hesitating to work on some hardware projects since everything is closed in my neck of the woods. I think all I'm missing for this is the wireless communicator. Did you order it online or did you already have it?

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Milecia

Hey! I had to order it online, but that was back in January or February.

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Michael Tharrington

Bookmarked! This is super cool.

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Nikki

This is so cool! Thanks for sharing!

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Deepak Ahuja 👨‍💻

Lovely tutorial!
You can use Arduino mini which is size of a finger, it’d be easy to package.

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Jonathan John

Love that title — “The Internet of Dogs” has instant charm and nerd appeal. Here's a full guide-style article or blog post you can use for Medium, your own blog, LinkedIn, or a presentation. Ready?

The Internet of Dogs: How to Build a $50 IoT Dog Collar That Locates Your Pet
In an age where our thermostats are smarter than we are, it's time our furry friends got a tech upgrade too. So I built a DIY IoT-powered dog collar that tracks and locates my dog in real-time — all for under $50.

Here's how you can do it too.

What This Collar Does
Real-time GPS location

Sends location to your phone via Wi-Fi or cellular

Rechargeable battery with energy-saving sleep modes

Simple web or mobile interface to track your dog anywhere

What You’ll Need (Hardware)
Component Description Approx. Cost
ESP32 board Wi-Fi + Bluetooth microcontroller $8–12
Neo-6M GPS module Provides GPS coordinates $6–10
SIM800L module (optional) For cellular tracking fallback $8–12
Lithium-ion battery (18650) Rechargeable power source $5
TP4056 charger module To safely charge battery $2
3D-printed or soft enclosure Dog-safe housing $5–10
Optional: Piezo buzzer (sound alert), LED (status indicators)

Tools You'll Need
Soldering iron + wire

Breadboard for prototyping

3D printer (or order a case online)

USB cable and computer

🧠 How It Works (Simplified)
GPS Module locks your pet’s current location via satellite.

ESP32 reads that location and sends it:

Via Wi-Fi to your cloud endpoint when available

Or via cellular (SIM800L) when out of range

You check the position through a mobile-friendly dashboard or app.

Data is stored in a lightweight backend (Firebase, MQTT, or custom REST API).

Refrence Site petdoubts.com/

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Andres Monsalvo

Great project, thanks for sharing!