Choosing a Pet ID Tag for Your Cairn Terrier

Buying a pet identification tag for your Cairn Terrier is like purchasing an insurance policy – you do so with the devout wish that you won’t use it. The “possible cost” 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 crucial, so take five minutes or so to consider it. Whimsically picking a collar tag just because it’s low cost or trendy usually ends up being unwise, long-term.

Consider this prior to picking any pet identification tag for your Cairn Terrier:
1.What is the level of risk to your Cairn Terrier?
Lost Cairn Terriers are certainly common – we’ve all noticed “Lost Dog!” signs posted around the city, or dead dogs lying along the side of the road. If your Cairn Terrier is a master at hopping your fence, or cannot help tracking a smell, or young and spry, or isn’t well trained, the risk of a lost Cairn Terrier is high.

But losing your Cairn Terrier isn’t the only possibility.

Sometimes Cairn Terriers get stolen. A pet thief may take Rover or Spot hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in dog fights (even small or gentle dogs are at risk – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in satanic rituals.

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

If you’re a senior citizen with a Cairn Terrier, especially if you live alone or are in poor health, there’s a high chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your furry friend, perhaps with little notice. And anyone can be struck by disaster or tragedy that leaves you incapable of caring for your Cairn Terrier.

In this instance, will your Cairn Terrier’s temporary or new caretaker know that Rover hates cats, or requires medicine, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet identification that contains more than your name and phone number would be extremely beneficial.

2.What amount of risk are you comfortable with?
Some Cairn Terriers are just more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal calls for a specific, more expensive kind of pet ID tag. Risk is proportionate to value.

Keep in mind that there are multiple ways to assess the value of your Cairn Terrier. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Cairn Terrier) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most Cairn Terrier owners, the sentimental attachment they have with their companion sets its value. For many, Cairn Terriers are family members, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

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

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

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

Fortunately, you have many more options for pet identification tags for your Cairn Terrier these days, such as microchipping, tattooing, digital display tags, pet registry web sites and voice recorded pet id tags.

One of the newer entrants in the pet identification game is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your Cairn Terrier’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which can hold 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 easily 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 Cairn Terriers

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