Choosing a Pet ID Tag for Your Swedish Lapphund

Picking a pet identification tag for your Swedish Lapphund is like buying insurance – you do it with the hopes that you’ll never need it. The “possible price” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “actual cost” of buying the pet tag itself.

The kind of pet ID tag that you buy is crucial, so take 5 minutes or so to think it through. Impulsively choosing a collar tag just because it’s inexpensive or cute often ends up being a regret, down the road.

Think about the following prior to buying any pet id tag for your Swedish Lapphund:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Swedish Lapphund?
Missing Swedish Lapphunds are very common – we have all come across “Lost Dog!” signs setup around town, or deceased dogs lying by the edge of the road. If your Swedish Lapphund is a pro at hopping the fence, or can’t help following a scent, or youthful and vigorous, or isn’t well trained, the risk of a lost Swedish Lapphund is high.

But losing your Swedish Lapphund isn’t the only risk.

Some Swedish Lapphunds get stolen. A pet thief may steal Fifi or Spot hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in dog battles (even small or gentle dogs are at risk – they can be used for “bait”), or for use in religious rituals.

And what is the risk to your Swedish Lapphund if something happens to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Swedish Lapphund, particularly if you live alone or are in poor health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your Swedish Lapphund, maybe with little notice. And anyone can be hit with a disaster or tragedy which renders you unable to care for your Swedish Lapphund.

In this instance, will your Swedish Lapphund’s temporary or new caregiver know that Rover hates cats, or requires medication, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet ID tag that contains more than your phone number and name would be very helpful.

2.What amount of risk are you ok with?
Some Swedish Lapphunds are just more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal calls for a specific, higher priced type of pet identification tag. Risk is directly proportional to value.

Note that there are many ways to calculate the value of your Swedish Lapphund. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Swedish Lapphund) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

However for most Swedish Lapphund owners, the emotional attachment they have to their companion sets its value. For many owners, Swedish Lapphunds are family, dearly loved and impossible to replace.

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

Pet ID tags come in varying materials, shapes and sizes and hold varying amounts of info. Some contain logos or artwork, as well. Most pet ID tags are designed to be hung from a collar.

At a bare minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the phone number, name and address of the Swedish Lapphund’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 customary types of tags can bought from any animal doctor or pet store. They’re low cost but the amount of info they can contain is limited to the size of the tag.

Luckily, you have many more options for pet identification tags for your Swedish Lapphund these days, such as tattooing, microchipping, digital display tags, voice recorded pet id tags, and pet registry websites.

One of the most recent entrants in the pet identification game is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your pet’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which holds 64MB of data (including complete medical and diet information). The small USB drive is encased in a sturdy plastic case and can be plugged into any computer, where it is automatically updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your animal doctor 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 Swedish Lapphunds

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