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Downsides of using AirTags for dog collar?

D

dingobiatch

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 29, 2009
224
48
I’m a little confused about the different features of AirTags and how it would be bad for using one to track your dog.

I know there’s no family sharing, which sucks. But so I understand - is there any issues with the current AirTag features? Like, if I put a tag on my dog’s collar, and then I leave the house for a few hours, does the tag beep or something? Is there anything that would make it not great?
 
Airtag could start beeping when you’re not around and drive the dog wild. It’s also possible the dog could get it off and eat it. Leading to a pricey vet bill.
 
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If you are the type of dog owner that lets you dog run free when out in public (not on a leash) then why don't you attach the airtag each time you take the dog out or are you too lazy to do that?
 
I tried it on my cat and it sucks. Only update, was when he returned. I even activated lost mode and went looking with the phone scanning (seems like it need to have break after some time). I guess he stayed clear from bt range of any iPhones on his way.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about your dog eating it if you get the proper holder for their collar (don't use a keychain holder) - there are small ones which are discrete (you also want to protect your dog for theft purposes) - ideally you want the airtag holder on the inside of the collar to minimize visibility.

Yes, if your dog eats an airtag, that would be a very bad thing - Lithium Ion batteries are not good things to be digesting. If your dog does ingest something hazardous, put a bowl of salt in front of them - they'll lick the salt until they have a reaction and expel their stomach contents. Typically faster (and a lot cheaper) than taking them to the vet.

As for the speaker - there are a lot of YouTube videos showing you how to disassemble the airtag and remove the speaker. It's a very simple exercise. It does have the unwanted feature of no longer having the capability of having the airtag make a noise, so you can find it when it's close.

Edit - you could put the speaker into a sandwich bag (for storage) and put it back into the airtag (provided you're careful when you remove it, not causing any damage), should you desire later in the future.
 
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If your dog is at home (in his kennel for example, or on the couch) and you leave for the grocery store or even work, its not going to start beeping. Only if it gets put into lost mode
 
rhaezorblue said:
If your dog is at home (in his kennel for example, or on the couch) and you leave for the grocery store or even work, its not going to start beeping. Only if it gets put into lost mode
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You're incorrect. Lots of people have seen Apple have more aggressive behaviour with the latest firmware updates. Originally it was after a few days, but it got whittled down to be several hours.
 
fischersd said:
You're incorrect. Lots of people have seen Apple have more aggressive behaviour with the latest firmware updates. Originally it was after a few days, but it got whittled down to be several hours.
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Just so I understand though, I read over the latest airtag documentation and it sounds like you can temporarily disable those notifications from pinging your phone, or if you are in the same family group, you can indefinitely disable those notifications? Is that accurate?

"If the AirTag is attached to an item you're borrowing, you can tap Pause Safety Alerts to turn off "AirTag Detected" notifications for one day. If you're borrowing an AirTag from a member of your Family Sharing group, you can turn off Safety Alerts for one day or indefinitely." (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227)
 
dingobiatch said:
Just so I understand though, I read over the latest airtag documentation and it sounds like you can temporarily disable those notifications from pinging your phone, or if you are in the same family group, you can indefinitely disable those notifications? Is that accurate?

"If the AirTag is attached to an item you're borrowing, you can tap Pause Safety Alerts to turn off "AirTag Detected" notifications for one day. If you're borrowing an AirTag from a member of your Family Sharing group, you can turn off Safety Alerts for one day or indefinitely." (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227)
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Umm...because, in this circumstance, your dog has the capability of not hearing the chirp of the AirTags if they click on something in their brain? :)
 
I mean if you’re away from home it won’t be beeping as it won’t be moving.

Dogs shouldn’t be left unattended with collars on.
 
Lihp8270 said:
I mean if you’re away from home it won’t be beeping as it won’t be moving.

Dogs shouldn’t be left unattended with collars on.
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Don't know anyone that actually removes their dog's collar unless it's to give them a bath or dog grooming. :) Collars should be tight enough to not come off, but loose enough that they're comfortable. The dog shouldn't even notice that it's there.
 
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fischersd said:
Don't know anyone that actually removes their dog's collar unless it's to give them a bath or dog grooming. :) Collars should be tight enough to not come off, but loose enough that they're comfortable. The dog shouldn't even notice that it's there.
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With our first dog maybe 16 years ago he managed to get the collar caught in the house and he was hurting himself trying to get free.

There’s no reason for a dog to wear a collar in the home
 
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Lihp8270 said:
With our first dog maybe 16 years ago he managed to get the collar caught in the house and he was hurting himself trying to get free.

There’s no reason for a dog to wear a collar in the home
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Sure. Someone opens the door, dog gets out, no collar, no tags. Not all dogs are flight risks, but life happens.

To each their own.
 
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Still don’t understand here. If I have an AirTag on my dog, and I leave home while my wife stays at home, will the AirTag eventually beep? Or will it trigger an alert on my wife’s phone? And in either of those cases, can my wife disable those alerts indefinitely (as mentioned in the documentation)?
 
dingobiatch said:
Still don’t understand here. If I have an AirTag on my dog, and I leave home while my wife stays at home, will the AirTag eventually beep? Or will it trigger an alert on my wife’s phone? And in either of those cases, can my wife disable those alerts indefinitely (as mentioned in the documentation)?
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I'd recommend contacting Apple Support and ask for a official response. They say Airtags are not meant for pets so you could ask a hypothetical question if an airtag is in a backpack, or maybe on a... RC car? .. and you leave home, will it beep.
 
You know, they actually make products to track your pet. Like designed specifically for that purpose. Apple never said this device would be useful for that purpose. If you really want to keep an eye on your pet, get a product designed to do just that.
 
fischersd said:
Don't know anyone that actually removes their dog's collar unless it's to give them a bath or dog grooming. :) Collars should be tight enough to not come off, but loose enough that they're comfortable. The dog shouldn't even notice that it's there.
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My dog never wears his collar when he's at home, he only wears it when we go out. He's an Alaskan Malamute and wearing his collar all the time would be bad for his coat.

There's an AirTag attached to his collar and I've let it beep several times, just to see how he'd react, and he doesn't care.
 
Okay I feel like the dog collar thing is getting away from the point of what I’m asking. Another thing I’d use an AirTag for (which I use tile for right now) is my travel backpack. It stays at home mostly, I only use it for certain trips. If I leave for a few days and don’t bring it with me, will it start beeping and can my wife permanently mute it if she’s home?
 
I used to think it wouldn't, but some here are saying it might start beeping. Again, I think you may want to reach out to Apple customer service and ask to get an official response (and update us on what you hear :)
 
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dingobiatch said:
Okay I feel like the dog collar thing is getting away from the point of what I’m asking. Another thing I’d use an AirTag for (which I use tile for right now) is my travel backpack. It stays at home mostly, I only use it for certain trips. If I leave for a few days and don’t bring it with me, will it start beeping and can my wife permanently mute it if she’s home?
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It would eventually beep, but only when it detected movement. So your wife would have to bump your backpack or pick it up and carry it around. With a dog that's more of an issue since they, you know, move around a lot.
 
dingobiatch said:
Still don’t understand here. If I have an AirTag on my dog, and I leave home while my wife stays at home, will the AirTag eventually beep? Or will it trigger an alert on my wife’s phone? And in either of those cases, can my wife disable those alerts indefinitely (as mentioned in the documentation)?
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the unofficial answer here, is that the AirTag has no ability to alert on its own, but will alert (where you can track your dog), when ever your dog is in the close vicinity of an i-device with blue tooth enabled, be that yours or some kind soul who found your lost doggy.
 
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