It's every pet owners nightmare- your dog is lost. Your dog is outside facing the elements and the dangers all alone. You don't know where they are and you have no idea how to go about finding them.

Most dogs just love to explore and some breeds are more prone to straying further than others. Hunting dogs like beagles are even more adventurous than other kinds of dogs and will quickly stray out of sight.

It's not just hunting dogs that can go missing. Dogs and cats escape all the time. Whether its the dog that escapes underneath your feet as you open the door or the cat who has escaped over the weekend. Pets also face all kinds of dangers while traveling with their owners.

If youre pet does get lost finding them soon will reduce the threat of serious harm coming to them. A pet that is lost after nightfall has significantly less chance of being found safe and returned alive. The cold temperatures and dangers of traffic are increased and your pet becomes more vulnerable to attack by wild animals too.

If this all sounds like a nightmare to you there is a method of keeping track of your pet which might alleviate your worries. Using satellite technology you can keep tabs on where your pet is. GPS technology is not new for cars and boats but for pets it's pretty new. Global Positioning Systems can now be used to keep track of your dog or cat.

The system uses governmental surveillance techniques with satellites; enabling a Mobile System for Communications (GSM). This means you can use your phone or laptop to keep track of anything from your car to your dog. You will need a service provider to relay the information to you which you will need to pay for.

A tracking device can be attached to your dogs collar; so it doesn't hurt or hinder them in any way. Except for curbing that adventurous spirit a bit! The system is very personalized - you can set perimeters and zones and you can change them as you travel or even move house to house. These "safe zones" can be set so you are alerted whenever your pet leaves an area determined by you.

If you choose GPS; remember it is only effective as part of a wider strategy. There's no substitute for proper training but there are some tools you can use to make your pet safer.