Follow-me drones for dog sports: can they help train routines?

Next up in our “Ask Drone Girl” series is about using follow-me drones for dog sports: think dock jumping, herding, agility, disc dog or fly ball. With the help of drones, you could theoretically conduct video analysis to make your routine more precise. So which follow-me drone would be best? If you have a question for Drone Girl, contact her here.

My hobby is competition dog sports. I have a promising young Malinois, and — with the help of drone video — I could tweak his performance. I’d like a drone to follow me so that I can analyze and improve my routines, which have quick twists and turns. For instance, in obedience, you do a quick turn, so I need to see how the dog turns with me and if he is is straight in the heel position afterwards.

Which follow-me drones are best for this situation? Can you zoom in tight & follow with drones?

Picking the best follow-me drones for animals

What a clever use case for follow-me drones! Whether you’re tracking wildlife for conservation, trying to train your dog, scouting out the mountain lions in the hills near your home or really any other use case you can think of, follow-me drones become compelling with animals in the picture.

So what’s the best follow-me drone for tracking animals? First, check out my guide to the best follow-me drone. In it, I outline the best four follow-me drones: the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, the DJI Air 3S, the DJI Mini 4 Pro and the Antigravity A1.

Here are some key specs across the four drones named in that guide, compared:

The rules for follow-me drones typically apply for any sort of tracking use case, but there are some important differences when tracking animals specifically. So while any of those drones named above may work, there are some notes to consider:

Flight time: Longer flight time might be useful so as to not disrupt your dog’s training session. The Antigravity A1 stands out with 39 minutes using its high-capacity battery, while the DJI Air 3S edges ahead at 45 minutes.

The DJI Mini 4 Pro technically hits 45 minutes when you use it with the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus. That battery is more expensive (it’s about $100). Plus, it increases your drone’s weight over 250 grams, which might be a big deal as your drone will likely become subject to more federal regulation.

Not all drones track animals well: While DJI ActiveTrack 4.0 and 5.0 are technically capable of following pets, the precision can vary depending on conditions.

In particular, ActiveTrack performs better when tracking one subject at a time. Especially with situations like a herd of animals you’re trying to follow that all look the same to a drone the drone more easily gets confused. That’s opposed to a person, which the drone can better distinguish given features like outfit, hair color, etc.

We’ll dig into ActiveTrack 5.0 below, and why it’s a key feature for tracking animals (and it’s flaws):

Why the DJI Mavic 3 Pro or DJI Air 3S drone are likely your two best bets

Even the best follow-me drones can struggle to track animals. The best commercially-available software out there for tracking animals from the air comes from DJI, and that’s ActiveTrack 5.0. Both the DJI Mavic 3 Pro and DJI Air 3S drones come equipped with ActiveTrack 5.0.

ActiveTrack 5.0 is a huge improvement over previous versions of tracking technology. For example, the lower-cost DJI Mini 4 Pro only comes equipped with ActiveTrack 360.

So what’s so special about ActiveTrack 5.0? Capable of tracking subjects in eight directions, it uses multiple vision sensors simultaneously to recognize a subject. From there, it differentiates it from other objects and locks the subject in the frame. Users can adjust tracking angles smoothly for more natural results.

The improvements largely come down to environment and subject-sensing algorithms. That enables the DJI Mavic 3 Series and Air 3S to respond earlier to subject movements — which can be particularly unpredictable when it comes to animals.

ActiveTrack first debuted with the DJI Phantom 4 back in March 2016, but it’s been constantly iterated upon. We’re now on ActiveTrack 5.0.

Using DJI ActiveTrack with animals

DJI ActiveTrack allows you to fly in a few different recording modes of your choice:

• Trace mode: The drone tracks your dog at a constant distance
• Spotlight mode: The drone doesn’t automatically trace your dog, but keeps the camera pointing at it during flight. You can use the remote controller to adjust how your dog is framed in the shot
• Profile mode: The drone tracks your dog at constant angle and distance from the side. With ActiveTrack 5.0, you can set a specific following angle

If your drone loses sight of your dog (perhaps, for example, he runs behind a large block of trees), then the drone will stop, hover, and try to relocate him. If it truly cannot find him, the drone will hover in place until Return-To-Home (RTH) is initiated.

You also mentioned wanting to zoom in. You’re in luck, as the DJI Mavic 3 will let you zoom in likely far more than you could ever need thanks to its 28x Hybrid Zoom. Here’s just how detailed you can get with your Mavic 3’s Hybrid zoom:

Flaws with DJI ActiveTrack 5.0

While ActiveTrack can follow pets and children sometimes, even DJI warns that it’s not reliable all the time. After all, ActiveTrack works by being pre-programmed to recognize different objects. DJI said there were roughly two dozen pre-recognized objects in its 2.0 version of ActiveTrack. That includes people, cars and boats. Each has different algorithms on how to track those programmed items. Presumably, each animal (and species of animal) could require its own programming, which has proven to be a big undertaking.

Most pilots have reported the best results when filming in high-contrast situations (e.g. a white dog on bright green grass, or a grey elephant on yellow grasslands).

Even still, animals are hard because they tend to be multi-colored. They’re also different shapes and sizes even within the same species, and they move erratically.

And then there’s the consideration about trying to film herds of animals. According to DJI’s FAQ, ActiveTrack “performs better when tracking one subject at a time.”

Other considerations around DJI’s ActiveTrack 5.0:

Here are five more considerations to make before relying on ActiveTrack 5.0:

1. ActiveTrack is not available at video resolutions higher than 4K or frame rates over 60fps, so keep that in mind depending on if you need high quality video or to record at a high frame rate.
2. You cannot change the distance from the subject.
3. A strong GPS is required. Keep that in mind if you’re flying in GPS-challenged environments (though flying in most parks should be fine).
4. If you’re flying in Sport mode, note that obstacle avoidance is turned off. Keep this in mind if high speeds are importance!
5. You must fly in P-mode to enable DJI ActiveTrack. P-mode effectively activates both the drone’s GPS signal strength and visual recognition system. That’s as opposed to something like S-mode, where the drone only uses GPS to locate itself.

Why the Antigravity A1 is a compelling alternative

Here’s where things get interesting. The Antigravity A1 takes a fundamentally different approach that could actually be better suited for dog sports analysis.

Rather than relying solely on automated tracking like ActiveTrack, the A1’s dual 360° cameras capture everything around the drone simultaneously. This “fly first, frame later” approach means you’re never locked into one perspective during flight.

Why this matters for dog sports:

For your specific use case — analyzing obedience routines with quick turns and precise heel positioning—the A1’s 360 capture could be transformative. You mentioned needing to see “how the dog turns with me and if he is straight in the heel position afterwards.” With traditional drones, you’d need to nail the framing during flight or you’d miss the angle you need.

With the A1, you capture every angle simultaneously. In post-production, you can reframe to examine:

• Side views to check heel position
• Top-down views to analyze straightness of turns
• Multiple angles of the same moment without re-flying

The A1’s tracking capabilities:

The A1 features Deep Track, which is Insta360’s subject tracking technology adapted from their camera line. While it may not be as refined as DJI’s ActiveTrack 5.0 for autonomous tracking, the 360 capture compensates by eliminating the need for perfect tracking. Even if the tracking isn’t pixel-perfect, you have the entire scene captured.

The A1 also offers:

• Sky Path: Pre-program flight routes so the drone follows the same path consistently for practice sessions
• 39-minute flight time with the high-capacity battery
• 249 grams (no registration required for recreational use)
• Point-to-fly controls for easier manual piloting if automated tracking isn’t working

The trade-offs:

The A1 requires a different workflow. You’ll need to:

• Edit 360 footage in post-production
• Deal with larger file sizes
• Learn Insta360’s editing software

But for analytical purposes— which is exactly what you’re doing—this workflow might actually be superior. You’re not posting quick social media clips. You’re analyzing performance, which means you’re already spending time reviewing footage frame by frame. The ability to reframe and examine from any angle could be invaluable.

Price consideration:

At $1,599-$1,999 depending on the bundle, the A1 sits between the DJI Mini 4 Pro ($759) and the DJI Mavic 3 Pro ($2,199). That premium buys you 360 flexibility. Whether that’s worth it depends on how valuable multi-angle analysis is to your training.

What about the Skydio 2+ drone?

The Skydio 2+ deserves mention because its autonomous tracking capabilities are legendary. Skydio drones use six 4K cameras to build a 3D map of their surroundings, deep learning algorithms to understand what they’re seeing, and advanced AI to predict into the future and make intelligent decisions. It’s capable of tracking up to 10 simultaneous objects of interest.

The tracking features include:

• Point-of-Interest Orbit mode: Birds-eye view orbiting around a user-specified point
• Track-In-Place mode: Track a specific object from a long distance from a fixed position
• 360 Superzoom: Zoom out for 360° view or digitally zoom in to see movement details

In many ways, the Skydio 2+ is superior to DJI drones for obstacle avoidance and autonomous tracking—at least when tracking people.

The problem: Skydio explicitly does not promise that their drone can follow animals reliably. While DJI has committed to animal tracking capability (in most circumstances) with ActiveTrack 5.0, Skydio makes no such guarantee.

The bigger problem: In August 2023, Skydio shut down its consumer drone arm. The Skydio 2+ is no longer in production. The only way to get one now is through third-party sellers or buying used, which carries significant risks including:

• No manufacturer warranty
• No software updates
• Limited support if issues arise
• Potentially higher prices from resellers

If you can find a Skydio 2+ at a reasonable price from a reputable seller, it’s worth considering — but the discontinued status and lack of animal tracking guarantees make it a “maybe” rather than a strong recommendation. After all, buying a used drone has its own risks.

Tips for better tracking animals with drones

The use of drones in animal tracking is still evolving — and the technology still needs improvement.

For now, your best options are:

1. DJI Mavic 3 Pro or DJI Air 3S for the most reliable automated tracking (via ActiveTrack 5.0)
2. Antigravity A1 for maximum post-production flexibility with 360 capture
3. DJI Mini 4 Pro as a budget option with decent tracking (ActiveTrack 360)

There are some ways you can improve your odds of successfully tracking animals with drones:

• High-contrast clothing: Put a solid color, high-contrast vest on your dog. This dramatically increases the odds the drone can follow it
• Good lighting: Fly in well-lit conditions for better subject recognition
• Open areas: Minimize obstacles that could break line of sight
• Single subject: Track one dog at a time for best results
• Manual as backup: Even the best autonomous software isn’t perfect yet. Be prepared to fly manually when needed

For your specific dog sports use case: Consider starting with the Antigravity A1 if post-production analysis is your primary goal, or the DJI Air 3S if you want proven automated tracking at a mid-range price. The Mavic 3 Pro is the premium option if budget isn’t a concern.

Ultimately, many drone owners have found that — while a drone is a great tool to film dogs and other animals from the air — even the best autonomous software needs work. You might need to fly in manual mode for some shots. But with the A1’s 360 capture, even manual flying gives you the flexibility to reframe for the exact angles you need in post.

Happy flying, happy training and happy tracking! Woof!