Choosing a Pet Identification Tag for Your Kangal Dog

Choosing a pet ID tag for your Kangal Dog is like buying insurance – you do so with the devout wish that you’re never going to use it. The “possible cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more costly than the “real price” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

The kind of pet identification tag that you buy is important, so take five minutes or so to think it through. Whimsically choosing a collar tag just because it’s cheap or trendy often ends up being foolish, down the road.

Consider the following prior to buying any pet id tag for your Kangal Dog:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Kangal Dog?
Missing Kangal Dogs are very common – we’ve all seen “Lost Dog!” signs tacked around the city, or dead Kangal Dogs lying along the side of the road. If your Kangal Dog is a master at tunneling under your fence, or can’t resist tracking a smell, or youthful and full of energy, or isn’t well trained, the possibility of a lost Kangal Dog is high.

But losing your Kangal Dog isn’t the only risk.

Sometimes Kangal Dogs are stolen. A pet thief may take Spot or Rover 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 cult rituals.

And what is the risk to your Kangal Dog if something happens to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Kangal Dog, especially if you live by yourself or are in poor health, there’s a high chance that at some point someone else may need to care for your furry friend, perhaps with little notice. And anyone can be hit with a tragedy or disaster that leaves you unable to care for your Kangal Dog.

In this instance, will your Kangal Dog’s temporary or new caretaker know that Spot hates cats, or needs medication, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet identification that has more than your name and phone number would be extremely beneficial.

2.What level of danger are you ok with?
Some Kangal Dogs are just more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal warrants a specific, more expensive type of pet ID tag. Risk is proportional to value.

Realize that there are multiple ways to calculate the value of your Kangal Dog. It may be monetary (e.g., a purebred Kangal Dog) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

However for most Kangal Dog owners, the emotional attachment they have to their companion sets its value. For many people, Kangal Dogs are family members, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

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

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

At a minimum, a pet identification tag should contain the phone number, name and address of the Kangal Dog’s owner in a legible, durable format. Plastic tags are lightweight but easily chewed. Stainless steel tags don’t rust or fade and are durable. These traditional types of tags can purchased from any veterinarian or pet store. They’re inexpensive but the amount of info they can display is limited to the size of the tag.

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

One of the newest entries in the pet identification market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your Kangal Dog’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which can hold 64MB of data (including comprehensive diet and medical information). The tiny USB drive is encased in a sturdy plastic case and can be used in any computer, where it is automatically updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your veterinarian or pet sitter. There are also bluetooth trackers, but their range is low, due to bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Kangal Dogs

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