Buying a Pet ID Tag for The Border Collie

Buying a pet ID tag for your Border Collie is like purchasing an insurance policy – you do so with the faith that you’ll never use it. The “possible cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more costly than the “actual cost” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

The type of pet identification tag that you buy is important, so take 5 minutes or so to think it through. Impulsively choosing a collar tag just because it’s cheap or trendy often proves to be foolish, in the long term.

Consider this prior to purchasing any pet id tag for your Border Collie:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Border Collie?
Lost Border Collies are very common – we have all noticed “Lost Dog!” signs posted around town, or deceased dogs lying by the edge of the road. If your Border Collie is a pro at tunneling under your fence, or can’t help chasing a scent, or youthful and energetic, or isn’t well trained, the possibility of a missing Border Collie is high.

But losing your Border Collie isn’t the only possibility.

Some Border Collies are stolen. A pet thief may steal Spot or Rover in hopes of getting a reward for its return, or to use in pit battles (even small or gentle dogs are at risk – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in religious rituals.

And what is the danger to your Border Collie if something were to happen to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior adult with a Border Collie, particularly if you live by yourself or are in ill health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else may need to care for your furry friend, perhaps with short notice. And anyone can be hit with a disaster or tragedy which renders you unable to care for your companion.

In this instance, will your Border Collie’s temporary or new caretaker know that Rover hates cats, or needs medicine, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet ID tag that has more than your phone number and name would be extremely beneficial.

2.What amount of risk are you comfortable with?
Some Border Collies are just more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal warrants a specific, higher priced kind of pet identification tag. Risk is proportional to value.

Realize that there is more than one way to determine the value of your Border Collie. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Border Collie) or occupational (e.g., a guide dog).

However for most Border Collie owners, the sentimental attachment they have to their companion determines its value. For many, Border Collies are family members, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

3.From your responses to the two previous questions, what do you need in a pet identification tag?

Pet identification tags come in varying materials, shapes and sizes and can contain varying amounts of info. Some have logos or artwork, also. Usually pet identification tags are designed to be attached to a collar.

At a minimum, a pet identification tag should contain the address, phone number and name of the Border Collie’s owner in a durable, legible format. Plastic tags are lightweight but easily chewed. Stainless steel tags don’t rust or fade and are durable. These customary types of tags can purchased from any vet or pet store. They’re cheap however the amount of information they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

Luckily, there are many more options for pet ID tags for your Border Collie these days, such as tattooing, microchipping, digital display tags, voice recorded pet identification tags, and pet registry websites.

One of the newest entries in the pet ID game is the high-tech USB drive that hangs off your pet’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which holds 64MB of data (including complete medical and diet information). The small USB drive is encased in a sturdy plastic case and can be used in any computer, where it is readily updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your veterinarian or pet sitter. There also exist bluetooth trackers, but their range is limited, due to bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Border Collies

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