Buying a Pet ID Tag for Your Australian Shepherd

Buying a pet identification tag for your Australian Shepherd is like purchasing insurance – you do so with the faith that you’re never going to need it. The “possible price” of not having a pet ID tag is more costly than the “actual price” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

The type of pet ID tag that you buy is important, so take five minutes or so to consider it. Whimsically purchasing a collar tag just because it’s cheap or cute usually proves to be foolish, down the road.

Think about this before picking any pet identification tag for your Australian Shepherd:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Australian Shepherd?
Missing Australian Shepherds are certainly common – we’ve all seen “Lost Australian Shepherd!” signs posted around the city, or dead dogs lying along the edge of the road. If your Australian Shepherd is a master at escaping your fence, or cannot resist tracking a smell, or young and energetic, or isn’t well trained, the possibility of a lost Australian Shepherd is high.

But losing your Australian Shepherd isn’t the only concern.

Sometimes Australian Shepherds are stolen. A pet thief may snatch Fifi or Fido hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in dog fights (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in satanic rituals.

And what is the risk to your Australian Shepherd if something were to happen to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Australian Shepherd, especially if you live alone or are in ill health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else may need to care for your Australian Shepherd, maybe with short notice. And anyone can be hit with a tragedy or disaster that renders you unable to care for your Australian Shepherd.

In this case, will your Australian Shepherd’s new or temporary caregiver know that Rover hates cats, or requires medicine, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet identification that has more than your name and phone number would be very beneficial.

2.What amount of danger are you comfortable with?
Some Australian Shepherds are just more important to their owners, and the risk of losing that particular animal calls for a specific, more expensive kind of pet identification tag. Risk is directly proportional to value.

Realize that there are several ways to determine the value of your Australian Shepherd. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Australian Shepherd) or occupational (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most Australian Shepherd owners, the emotional attachment they have with their companion determines its value. For many, Australian Shepherds are members of the family, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

3.Based on your answers to the two previous queries, what do you need in a pet ID tag?

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

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

Luckily, you have many more options in pet ID tags for your Australian Shepherd these days, such as microchipping, tattooing, digital display tags, pet registry web sites and voice recorded pet id tags.

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

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Australian Shepherds

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