Mishiko PET Dog GPS and Fitness Tracker Review

Reviewed by Melanie Buchanan

The Mishiko Collar is primarily a fitness tracker with the additional bonus of having GPS tracking; ideal if you have a pet that wanders off or if you like to track your walks or see where a dog walker has been whilst you are working.

My dog and I were both quite a tough team to rigorously test this product and give a very thorough and honest review as I am not a person who would generally use a product like this and my dog is not used to wearing a collar in the house. I have been pleasantly surprised at the results and both my dog and I’s reaction. I have been thrilled at my vet’s comments regarding my dog wearing the collar and have compared it to similar products at the local pet store finding that this latest version of the Mishiko appears to be the best I can find on the market. My dog was not at all bothered by the collar.

The following comes in the packaging:

Mishiko Fitness Tracker with GPS
Universal Fastener
Wireless Charger
Micro USB Cable
Pet Collar
Quick Start Guide
User Manual

The Mishiko came in a small, attractive box that is sturdy enough to store everything you are not using. All outer and inner packaging was recyclable.

Set-up

The set-up was easy with the quick start guide and I didn’t have to read the user manual that also came with the guide. The Mishiko app was incredibly easy to find on the App store and I then activated the device with the password which you can locate on a sticker in the quick start guide. There is further help via the website and a useful telephone number if you have any further questions (yes, a live person!).

Charging

Charging is easy and wireless through the collar. There are two ways to see how much charge you have in the Mishiko, either by a soft flashing glow on the collar or through the smart phone app which gives you a warning indicator when charge is low. The smart phone app also turns off GPS syncing when the collar charge is low to save last tracked location and activity. The charger base gets hot so I was reluctant to leave it plugged in and was happy that the Mishiko charged quickly. It takes 3 hours or less to charge fully from a flat battery and a full charge lasted me two days consistently even on GPS.

Collar

The Mishiko comes with two ways to attach to your dog: It has its own lightweight collar, or it has a very sturdy Velcro clip that can slide on and off your own dog’s collar. I tested the Velcro clip for 7 days on a 1.5 inch collar on a very active dog and slid it on and off easily for charging. There are no signs of wear and tear after 7 days so I have no concerns at all that the Velcro would come apart. The collar is sturdy, light and of good quality. I am a choosy pet owner and a lot of thought has obviously been put into this product.

Appearance

I have a black long-haired dog so the Mishiko does not really show. However, it is nice looking and when people do see it they ask what it is for. I generally get good comments. Despite the tracker being very light (only 39g) it is quite large at 1.9 inches in diameter, so I wouldn’t recommend it for a very small dog.

Waterproof

The Mishiko is fully waterproof for up to 30 minutes so you don’t have to worry about it in the rain or if you have a dog like mine that loves to swim.

Backlight

It also has a glowing backlight which is fantastic in the evening and far better than the flashing lights on sale at pet stores which can be quite annoying. The glowing light also lets you know how much charge you have left in the collar, as does the useful smart phone app.

Walk function

The Mishiko has a “walk” function that will track your walk on a GPS map. In this function it will show on a map where you and your dog are. Twice in one week I had to re-set this for accuracy which was very easy and generally it was highly accurate and warned me before the GPS signal was lost enabling me to put my dog back on the lead. The GPS tracker shows you and your dog separately so it is easy to see how close you are to your dog if on the hunt for them.

Geo-Fence

The Mishiko has a “GEO-Fence option that allows you to set an adjustable boundary for your dog and will warn you if your dog goes out of this boundary line. I could imagine that this would be useful if you have a dog that might jump a fence or have someone vulnerable, such as a child, that is allowed to only walk a dog within certain parameters.

Diagnostics Tool

After 7 days you have the option of running a diagnostics tool and to start monitoring your dog’s activity for 30 days taking into account their weight, height and their average exercise (recorded from the previous 7 days).

Notifications

Notifications pop up on a warning screen if notifications are turned on as a background app. This doesn’t seem to drain the battery much using an iPhone 7 plus.

Warranty

The Mishiko comes with a 2 year warranty.

How it works

Once you set up the app in your phone with your dog’s weight, height and breed you are ready to go.

Overall

The Mishiko will calculate how many steps walked which somehow never occurred to me is different than the steps we take. It also monitors the miles they cover which will be different when they are off the lead playing and in the house. I was surprised that my dog ‘self-monitored’ her steps each day and covered almost exactly the same distance each day. I found that I watched her more closely with the Mishiko collar on and ended up accurately noticing she had an injury half way through the week. I therefore would conclude from this that wearing the Mishiko would alert a pet owner to a sudden decrease or slow decline in a beloved pet’s energy or activity. I also think the Mishiko would be a good tool to monitor gradual increases for puppy development or a dog coming from a shelter that needs gradual increases of exercises for muscle development. Additionally, it would be an excellent tool to achieve exercise goals or limitations that have been recommended by your vet.

The Mishiko doesn’t differentiate if your dog is walking up a gradient or running rather than walking and it doesn’t record calories or heartbeat. I would be suspect of any collar that says it does record heartbeat however.

I would recommend the product as a purchase or as a gift.

Rating:

Based on the following:

My discussions with my local Pet Store who said that they tried similar products given to them at Crufts where the GPS didn’t work.

A conversation with my vet who was super impressed my dog was wearing the Mishiko and said they had successfully tried similar products on arthritic dogs to monitor activity before and after starting arthritic medication.

My enjoyment of using the monitor myself after realising all the benefits it offers.

My dog not minding wearing the monito.

I would therefore give this product, The Mishiko Dog GPS and Fitness Tracker, a rating of 5/5 for dogs weighing over 12KG or more because of the size of the product.

Rating: 5/5

Price start from £49 to £99

For more information or to buy visit mishiko.net.