Choosing a Pet ID Tag for Your Dachshund

Picking a pet ID tag for your Dachshund is like buying an insurance policy – you do it with the devout wish that you’re never going to need it. The “possible price” of not having a pet ID tag is more costly than the “real cost” of buying the pet tag itself.

The type of pet ID tag that you buy is vital, so take five minutes or so to consider it. Whimsically picking a collar tag because it’s cheap or pretty often ends up being a regret, in the long term.

Consider this before buying any pet id tag for your Dachshund:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Dachshund?
Lost Dachshunds are definitely common – we’ve all seen “Lost Dog!” signs tacked around town, or deceased Dachshunds lying by the side of the road. If your Dachshund is a master at tunneling under the fence, or cannot help chasing a scent, or youthful and spry, or is not properly trained, the risk of a missing Dachshund is high.

But losing your Dachshund isn’t the only concern.

Sometimes Dachshunds get stolen. A pet thief may snatch Rover or Fido hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in pit fights (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used for “bait”), or for use in cult rituals.

And what is the risk to your Dachshund if something were to happen to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Dachshund, especially if you live alone or are in ill health, there’s a high chance that at some point someone else may need to care for your Dachshund, perhaps with little notice. And anyone can be hit with a tragedy or disaster which renders you incapable of caring for your companion.

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

2.What amount of danger are you ok with?
Some Dachshunds are simply more important to their owners, and the risk of losing that particular animal demands a specific, more expensive type of pet identification tag. Risk is proportional to value.

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

However for most Dachshund owners, the sentimental attachment they have to their Dachshund determines its value. For many people, Dachshunds are members of the family, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

3.Based on your answers to the two previous queries, what do you require of a pet identification tag?

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

At a bare minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the name, address and phone number of the Dachshund’s owner in a legible, durable 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 bought from any animal doctor or pet store. They’re inexpensive however the amount of information they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

Fortunately, there are many more options of pet identification tags for your Dachshund these days, such as tattooing, microchipping, digital display tags, voice recorded pet identification tags, and pet registry websites.

One of the newer entrants in the pet identification market 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 complete diet and medical information). The small USB drive is encased in a sturdy polymer case and can be plugged into any computer, where it is automatically updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your vet or pet sitter. There also exist bluetooth devices for tracking, but their range is limited, due to bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Dachshunds

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