Introducing the Dogtra Pathfinder 2

We would like to introduce the new Dogtra Pathfinder 2 GPS Dog Tracking and Training System. This system comes with several upgrades and updates from the previous versions of the Dogtra Pathfinders. The biggest and most exiting upgrade is the Pathfinder Connector that links the receiver to your smartphone. This device now has a single training button with the ability to perform training functions without having to enter the smartphone app. The latest Pathfinder 2 also comes a new Pathfinder 2 App available in both the Apple App Store and Android Play Store. The receiver (dog device) also had several updates and upgrades, including a new LED Location Light and a new Pager Vibration. Lastly, they also upgraded the Pathfinder’s charger to now have a USB attachment with an AC adapter instead of a hard wired AC charger.

The Pathfinder 2 is available for pre-order now and will be shipping out in the beginning of June 2022.

New Upgraded Pathfinder Connector       

One of the biggest changes coming with the Pathfinder 2 is with the GPS Connector. Before, the connector was only used to pair the receivers with your smartphone and as a signal relay between the receivers and your phone. The new Pathfinder 2 Connector now includes an E-Collar Function Button that allows for a quick single tap access to your last e-collar setting.  This feature allows you to set the training feature that you’ll be using and keep your smartphone secured in your pocket. The connector also includes a Bluetooth signal alert if it loses connection with your smartphone, as well GPS connector locator tone.

New Dogtra Pathfinder 2 App

The new Dogtra Pathfinder 2 smartphone app features a new graphical user interface and mapping system. The app is free to download and includes free mapping powered by Mapbox. The new app also includes several new features like sleep mode, GPS Fence Modes, Tracking Only Mode, and more. We will cover these more in a later section.

Note: The new Dogtra Pathfinder 2 App is not backwards compatible with previous Pathfinder systems, as well as the original Pathfinder App is not compatible with the new Pathfinder 2 system.

New Smartwatch App

The new Smartwatch App allows for use of most functions without checking your phone. The smart watch app includes tracking data, compass, map view, and an e-collar training function screen all right at your wrist. Smartwatch App is compatible with iWatch and Galaxy Watch4.

New Features

A highly requested feature for the Pathfinder was the GPS Fence Modes. With the Pathfinder 2, users can now create a custom E-Fence boundary with the ability to now automatically send a one-time correction to the dog if it does cross the boundary. Another nice feature of the GPS Fence Mode is that you don’t have to monitor the alerts or the dog’s location for it to work. The E-Fence can also be set to notification-only mode.

Geo-Fence mode is much like the E-Fence mode where you can draw a custom boundary using up to 15 points on the map. The Pathfinder 2 can store up to 15 geo-fence boundaries on your smartphone. When a dog crosses one of your boundary lines, you will get notifications on your smartphone. The Geo-Fence mode does not automatically send a correction like the E-Fence mode. Notifications include pop-up message, a vibration, and sound alert on your smartphone.

Mobile-Fence is a neat feature that allows you to create a notification bubble around your location that when a dog crosses the pre-set distance from the handheld’s location, it will send an alert to the user. This radius bubble can be set from 10 yards to 2,000 yards radius. The alerts can also be set to have a pop-up message, a vibration, and sound alert on your smartphone.

Sleep Mode, as the name suggests, is a new mode that puts the collar into sleep mode, which easily saves battery life by turning off features that would otherwise be draining battery life. The collar goes into a stand-by mode waiting for the handheld (smartphone) to reactivate it.

Tracking-Only Mode is self-explanatory. It sets the receiver into a tracking-only mode, turning off all training features of that device. This feature could be useful for dogs that don’t need corrected or in the case of group hunting, dogs that are followers. The Pathfinder 2 comes with a set of non-stimulating contact points if you wanted to swap those out to make the collar unable to stimulate as well. For full tracking-only mode, purchasing a Pathfinder 2 TRX collar is the best option. Most hunting and field trials will require the use of this collar and tracking-only mode on a tracking and training collar will likely get you disqualified.

Receiver Upgrades

The Pathfinder 2 Collar received several new upgrades. For those of you using this collar at night, the new LED Location Lights will come in handy when trying to locate your dog off in the distance in the dark. These lights were first seen in the Pathfinder Special Edition collar, but are now a standard feature in the new system. Another highly requested feature was added; that being the pager vibration. This gives the dog handler another form of training that works great for dogs that were trained on collar vibration. The receiver also includes a new bright orange GPS antenna module.

Upgraded Charger, Now with USB Attachment

A small, but still very welcomed, upgrade involves the battery charger. The charger now includes a USB connector and AC adapter instead of the traditional hard-wired, AC-only charger. I believe this is the first of the Dogtra chargers to include the USB connector, so this may work its way into other product lines. Having the option to charge via USB connector allows for charging from computer devices and vehicles that have USB ports, making it easier to charge on-the-go.

Included Accessories

Unlike what we are seeing with other vendors, Dogtra does not skip out on the included accessories. When you get your new Pathfinder, the first thing you are going to notice is it comes in a solid plastic carry case like other systems from the Dogtra lineup. Of course, there is the Dogtra Pathfinder 2 connector and the Pathfinder 2 receiver. There is also a splitter cable to be able to charge both the connector and receiver with one single charger. Furthermore, included is a belt clip for the connector, a test light for testing the receiver, a contact point extension washer kit with adjustment tool, and a set of non-stimulating contact points.

Conclusion

The new Dogtra Pathfinder 2 and the new Pathfinder 2 App brings several welcomed improvements and upgrades. For those of you that are running the original Pathfinder series systems, are these improvements enough to warrant upgrading? That depends on how useful these new features would be to you. For those that were considering the Dogtra Pathfinder, the new Pathfinder 2 is a more feature-packed system, especially if you are going to be pairing it with a smartwatch.

What are your thoughts? Are you going to upgrade to the new Pathfinder 2? If you are running a system from a different brand, are these new features enough to make you consider coming over to the Dogtra Tracking and Training systems? Let us know in the comments down below. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for reading.

• Michael Cassatt, LCS Director of Marketing