Choosing a Pet ID Tag for Your West Highland White Terrier

Buying a pet identification tag for your West Highland White Terrier is like purchasing an insurance policy – you do it with the hopes that you’ll never use it. The “possible cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “real cost” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

The kind of pet ID tag that you buy is important, so take 5 minutes or so to consider it. Impulsively buying a collar tag just because it’s low cost or cute usually proves to be a regret, in the long term.

Consider this prior to buying any pet id tag for your West Highland White Terrier:
1.What is the amount of risk to your West Highland White Terrier?
Lost West Highland White Terriers are very common – we’ve all seen “Lost West Highland White Terrier!” signs tacked around the city, or dead West Highland White Terriers lying along the side of the road. If your West Highland White Terrier is a pro at tunneling under the fence, or can’t help tracking a smell, or young and vigorous, or isn’t properly trained, the risk of a missing West Highland White Terrier is high.

But losing your West Highland White Terrier isn’t the only risk.

Sometimes West Highland White Terriers get stolen. A pet thief may take Rover or Fido 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 for “bait”), or for use in cult rituals.

And what is the risk to your West Highland White Terrier if something happens to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a West Highland White Terrier, especially if you live by yourself or are in ill health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else may need to care for your furry friend, perhaps with short notice. And anyone can be hit with a tragedy or disaster that renders you incapable of caring for your companion.

In this case, will your West Highland White Terrier’s temporary or new caretaker know that Spot hates cats, or requires medication, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet identification that contains more than your name and phone number would be very helpful.

2.What level of risk are you comfortable with?
Some West Highland White Terriers are just more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that pet demands a specific, higher priced kind of pet ID tag. Risk is directly proportional to value.

Note that there are many ways to calculate the value of your West Highland White Terrier. It may be monetary (e.g., a purebred West Highland White Terrier) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most West Highland White Terrier owners, the relationoship attachment they have to their companion determines its value. For many, West Highland White Terriers are members of the family, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

3.Based on your responses to the two previous questions, what do you require of a pet ID tag?

Pet ID tags come in various shapes, sizes and materials and can contain varying amounts of info. Some contain logos or artwork, also. Many pet identification tags are meant to be hung from a collar.

At a minimum, a pet identification tag should contain the name, address and phone number of the West Highland White Terrier’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 bought from any animal doctor or pet store. They’re low cost yet the amount of info they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

Luckily, you have many more options in pet ID tags for your West Highland White Terrier these days, such as microchipping, tattooing, digital display tags, pet registry web sites and voice recorded pet id tags.

One of the most recent entrants in the pet ID game is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your pet’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which holds 64MB of data (including comprehensive medical and diet information). The tiny 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 veterinarian or pet sitter. There are also bluetooth devices for tracking, but their range is severely limited, due to bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about West Highland White Terriers

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