Choosing a Pet ID Tag for Your Shar Pei

Buying a pet identification tag for your Shar Pei is like purchasing insurance – you do it 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 price” of buying 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. Whimsically purchasing a collar tag just because it’s inexpensive or pretty often proves to be a regret, down the road.

Think about the following prior to buying any pet identification tag for your Shar Pei:
1.What is the level of risk to your Shar Pei?
Lost Shar Peis are certainly common – we’ve all come across “Lost Dog!” signs setup around the city, or dead Shar Peis lying along the edge of the road. If your Shar Pei is a pro at jumping the fence, or can’t resist tracking a scent, or youthful and full of energy, or is not properly trained, the possibility of a lost Shar Pei is high.

But losing your Shar Pei isn’t the only concern.

Sometimes Shar Peis get stolen. A pet thief may snatch Rover or Spot hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in pit battles (even small or gentle dogs are at risk – they can be used for “bait”), or for use in satanic rituals.

And what is the risk to your Shar Pei if something were to happen to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Shar Pei, particularly 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 furry friend, maybe with little notice. And anyone can be hit with a tragedy or disaster that renders you incapable of caring for your companion.

In this instance, will your Shar Pei’s temporary or new caretaker know that Fido hates cats, or needs medication, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet ID tag that has more than your phone number and name would be extremely helpful.

2.What level of danger are you comfortable with?
Some Shar Peis are simply more important to their owners, and the risk of losing that pet calls for a specific, more expensive type of pet ID tag. Risk is directly proportional to value.

Realize that there is more than one way to determine the value of your Shar Pei. It may be monetary (e.g., a purebred Shar Pei) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most Shar Pei owners, the emotional attachment they have with their companion sets its value. For many, Shar Peis are family members, dearly loved and impossible to replace.

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

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

At a minimum, a pet identification tag should contain the name, address and phone number of the Shar Pei’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 customary types of tags can gotten from any vet or pet store. They’re cheap yet the amount of information they can display is limited to the size of the tag.

Fortunately, you have many more options for pet ID tags for your Shar Pei 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 market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your pet’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) 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 used in any computer, where it is readily 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 severely limited, because of bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Shar Peis

Was this post helpful? If so, please take a minute to Tweet and Share below on Facebook. I would also love to know your thoughts so leave me a comment 🙂