Is there a Strava for dogs? 4 ways to track walks with your dog
Sort of. Compare Strava's pet tag, Fi and Tractive collars that sync to Strava, and dog-first apps like Pupnik: what each tracks and costs.
Pupnik is our app. We've tried to be straight about where each option wins, including the ones that aren't ours. Prices and features checked September 2026.
Strava doesn't track dogs by itself, but in 2026 there are four good ways to get a "Strava for dogs" experience. Two need a smart collar and a subscription. Two just need your phone.
The short answer
- Already on Strava? Use its With Pet tag to mark walks and runs you did with your dog.
- Want your dog's own location and activity tracked? A Fi or Tractive GPS tracker can sync walks to Strava (subscription required).
- Want an app that's all about your dog, with streaks, levels, and a reason to walk? Try Pupnik, free on iPhone.
| Option | What it tracks | Hardware | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strava "With Pet" tag | Your activity, tagged as done with your pet | None | No extra cost beyond your Strava plan | People already logging walks and runs on Strava |
| Fi collar + Strava | Your dog's walks, synced to Strava automatically | Fi smart collar | Collar plus a required Fi membership | US owners who want GPS tracking and escape alerts |
| Tractive + Strava | Your dog's walks (distance and duration), uploaded automatically | Tractive GPS tracker | Tracker plus a subscription | Keeping your own collar; use in 175+ countries |
| Pupnik | GPS route, time, and distance, plus streaks, levels, and finds for your dog | None (iPhone) | Free; optional Pupnik+ | Making the daily walk fun and all about your dog |
1. Strava's "With Pet" tag
In late 2025 Strava added a With Pet tag. You record a walk, run, or hike as usual and tag it as done with your pet. It still tracks you. There's no separate profile for your dog and no dog step count, but your dog's outings live alongside your own training.
Strava has leaned in since. In 2026 IAMS partnered with Strava on monthly dog challenges, including a September "Dog Run Marathon" that asked owners to log 26.2 miles with their dog over the month, with a 5K daily cap for the dogs' safety.
Good for: runners and walkers who already live in Strava and want their dog in the picture.
Not great for: tracking anything about the dog itself.
2. Fi smart collar + Strava
Fi makes GPS smart collars, including the Series 3+ and the smaller Fi Mini, that track location, activity, and sleep. Walks Fi records can sync to your Strava account automatically. Strava's help center lists a few conditions: a walk has to go at least 250 meters beyond your dog's Fi Safe Zone to track properly, only the owner (not a dog walker) can use the integration, and the Fi app is only available in the US.
Fi requires an active membership for its tracking features, because the collar uses cellular data. See how Fi compares with Tractive.
Good for: US owners who want lost-dog GPS tracking and health data, and like seeing walks in Strava.
Not great for: anyone outside the US, or anyone who only wants to log walks.
3. Tractive GPS tracker + Strava
Tractive makes clip-on GPS trackers that attach to your dog's existing collar (the DOG 6 for dogs over 9 lbs, and the DOG 6 XL for dogs over 44 lbs). Since May 2024, walks recorded by Tractive, including distance and duration, upload to Strava automatically once you connect the accounts. Only walks recorded after you connect are shared.
A subscription is required. At the time of writing, Tractive's Premium plan was listed at about $5 to $10 a month depending on the term, and it adds heart and respiratory rate monitoring plus a year of location history. Tractive works in more than 175 countries.
Good for: keeping your dog's current collar, traveling abroad, or wanting health monitoring.
Not great for: people who don't want another device to charge and pay for.
4. A dog-first walking app: Pupnik
Strava was built for athletes. Pupnik is built around the dog. Start a walk and your iPhone records the route, time, and distance with no collar. Then the walk turns into a small adventure:
- Real-world collectibles appear along your route to find and claim
- Your dog's profile earns XP and levels up (50 levels) with every walk
- A daily streak, where any walk of 5 minutes or more counts
- Private weekly duels with dog friends, and a neighborhood leaderboard
- Privacy by default: your home location is always blurred by about 500 m before anyone sees it
Pupnik is free, with an optional Pupnik+ subscription. It's iPhone-only for now (Android is on the roadmap) and doesn't sync with Strava.
Good for: making the daily walk something both of you look forward to.
Not great for: Android users, or anyone who needs lost-dog GPS tracking.
Which one should you choose?
- You run or hike with your dog and already use Strava: start with the With Pet tag.
- Your dog is an escape artist (Huskies, Beagles, and sighthounds, we're looking at you): get a GPS tracker. It's a safety device first and a fitness tracker second.
- You want to walk more consistently, or make walks more fun for you and your dog: a dog-first app like Pupnik.
They also combine well. Plenty of owners use a GPS tracker for peace of mind and a walking app for motivation.
What about my dog's steps?
Only a device on your dog can count your dog's steps. Dogs take far more steps than their owners and move in bursts, so phone step counts don't transfer. For exercise, though, minutes walked is the more useful number, and your phone measures that well. See how many minutes your dog needs.