Choosing a Pet ID Tag for Your Irish Setter

Choosing a pet ID tag for your Irish Setter is like buying an insurance policy – you do it with the hopes that you won’t need it. The “possible price” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “real price” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

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

Think about the following before choosing any pet id tag for your Irish Setter:
1.What is the level of risk to your Irish Setter?
Missing Irish Setters are certainly common – we’ve all come across “Lost Dog!” signs plastered around town, or deceased dogs lying by the side of the road. If your Irish Setter is a pro at tunneling under your fence, or cannot resist chasing a smell, or young and vigorous, or isn’t well trained, the chance of a missing Irish Setter is high.

But losing your Irish Setter isn’t the only danger.

Some Irish Setters get stolen. A pet thief may steal Spot or Rover hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in pit fights (even small or gentle dogs are at risk – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in cult rituals.

And what is the risk to your Irish Setter if something happens to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior adult with a Irish Setter, especially if you live by yourself or are in ill health, there’s a high chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your Irish Setter, perhaps with little notice. And anyone can be hit with a tragedy or disaster which renders you unable to care for your companion.

In this instance, will your Irish Setter’s new or temporary caregiver know that Rover hates cats, or needs medication, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet identification that has more than your phone number and name would be extremely helpful.

2.What level of danger are you ok with?
Some Irish Setters are simply more important to their owners, and the risk of losing that particular animal warrants a specific, higher priced type of pet identification tag. Risk is proportionate to value.

Keep in mind that there is more than one way to assess the value of your Irish Setter. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Irish Setter) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

However for most Irish Setter owners, the relationoship attachment they have to their companion sets its value. For many people, Irish Setters are members of the family, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

3.Using your responses to the two previous questions, what do you require of a pet identification tag?

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

At a minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the name, address and phone number of the Irish Setter’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 vet or pet store. They’re low cost yet the amount of info they can display is limited to the size of the tag.

Luckily, there are many more options in pet ID tags for your Irish Setter 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 can hold 64MB of data (including comprehensive 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 veterinarian or pet sitter. There are also bluetooth devices for tracking, but their range is low, because of bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Irish Setters

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