Power-saving zones can change the number dramatically
Tractive publishes DOG 6 at up to 14 days with Power Saving Zones and up to roughly 6 days without them. That is a useful example of how much home Wi-Fi and normal stationary time can affect a cellular tracker.
A dog that spends long periods away from trusted Wi-Fi or in weak cellular coverage can drain a tracker faster than the headline figure suggests.
Live tracking costs power
High-frequency location updates use more energy than normal background tracking. If your main use case is an escape event, that may be acceptable—the battery only needs enough reserve to support intense tracking when it matters.
For daily hiking or roaming use, frequent live tracking becomes part of normal consumption and the charging burden deserves more weight in the purchase decision.
Charging frequency is easier to compare than days
Convert battery life into charges per year. A device charged every 7 days requires roughly 52 charging events per year; every 30 days is about 12. That makes the ownership friction easier to visualize than marketing language.
Use a conservative planning number
Plan around less than the maximum claim and see whether the routine still works. If forgetting one charge would leave you without tracking during a high-risk period, prioritize battery margin over extra app features.