We’ve all seen (and double-tapped) the videos: dogs running full-tilt down a trail, all paws off the ground, their owners biking, skiing, snowboarding or running close behind. That was the life I pictured when I spent countless hours training my dog Remy, a three-year-old wirehaired pointing griffon, with off-leash commands. Over the past few years, she’s accompanied me on a number of mountain bike rides, trail runs, and cross country ski romps. She does reasonably well, too; she likes to be out ahead and stays relatively close by. But there is, of course, the odd squirrel, grouse, or other small game that flips a switch inside her and off she goes into the woods or over the next hill, again at full-tilt, her prey drive off the charts, and there's so little my commands can do to reel her in. Dogs will be dogs.
It’s in moments like these that having the insurance policy of a GPS tracking collar that can show me where she is and where she's going is a must. There are a few options on the market that pair with your smartphone, but many of them require cell service to operate, and the last thing I want to do is trust the safety of my dog to the oft-spotty cell service of Northern Vermont, where I live and do most of my outdoor recreating. That narrows things down significantly, and because I trained Remy using a Sportdog e-collar training system (which uses different levels of stimulation to alert and communicate with your dog), that was a must-have feature. The options that check all these boxes were few, but I found one system that did it: the Garmin Alpha 200i.
Young Remy — Photo by Tanner Bowden
Garmin Alpha 200i Key Features
The Alpha 200i is a handheld GPS tracking device and navigation device combo that pairs with Garmin’s line of dog collars. It’s the most advanced GPS dog tracking device on the market, is packed with new features, and when paired with any of Garmin’s tracking and training collars like the TT 15X, T 5X, or the TT 15 Mini (for smaller dogs), creates a system that gives you a reliable safety net for venturing into the wilderness with your dog.
If you're familiar with Garmin's other handheld GPS devices, you're already familiar with the 200i. It features a sunlight-readable touchscreen display (which works nicely while wet as well–more on that below), a six-button design that's easy to use, and all the navigation info you need like maps, a compass, and a barometric altimeter. The 200i also features an IPX7 waterproof rating, so you don’t need to worry about dropping it in the snow or getting it wet.
While it’s primarily marketed toward hunters and hunting dogs, and some of the terminology and a few of the features on the device are hunt-specific (huntview, hunt metrics, and the ability to see when your dog is “treed” or “on point”, for example), I couldn’t help but see the Alpha 200i’s potential for going on outdoor adventures—hiking, mountain biking, splitboarding—with Remy.
Navigating With the Garmin Alpha 200i
The Alpha 200i's high-sensitivity GPS receiver, GLONASS support and electronic pro view compass provide pinpoint accuracy and navigation. Not only can you use the device to keep tabs on your four-legged companion (it has a 2.5-second update rate so that you always know where they are), but you can also use it to help navigate in the backcountry—much like you might with Garmin's outdoor-focused inReach devices—which makes it ideal for exploring new zones by foot, bike, or splitboard with your furry friend. It offers preloaded topo maps and custom map support, both welcome features when venturing off-trail, and it even shows public land boundaries (a feature crucial for hunters that's also very handy when hiking around).
