Choosing a Pet Identification Tag for Your Malinois

Choosing a pet ID tag for your Malinois is like buying an insurance policy – you do so with the hopes that you’re never going to need it. The “possible price” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “actual price” of buying the pet tag itself.

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

Think about the following before purchasing any pet identification tag for your Malinois:
1.What is the level of risk to your Malinois?
Lost Malinoiss are certainly common – we have all noticed “Lost Malinois!” signs plastered around the city, or deceased Malinoiss lying along the edge of the road. If your Malinois is a pro at hopping the fence, or can’t resist chasing a smell, or youthful and spry, or is not well trained, the possibility of a missing Malinois is high.

But losing your Malinois isn’t the only danger.

Sometimes Malinoiss get stolen. A pet thief may take Fifi or Spot in hopes of getting a reward for its return, or to use in dog fights (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in religious rituals.

And what is the danger to your Malinois if something were to happen to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior adult with a Malinois, especially if you live alone or are in poor health, there’s a high chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your Malinois, maybe with little notice. And anyone can be struck by disaster or tragedy which leaves you unable to care for your companion.

In this instance, will your Malinois’s new or temporary caregiver know that Fido hates cats, or needs medicine, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet identification that contains more than your phone number and name would be very helpful.

2.What level of risk are you comfortable with?
Some Malinoiss are simply more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal demands a specific, more expensive kind of pet ID tag. Risk is proportionate to value.

Keep in mind that there are several ways to determine the value of your Malinois. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Malinois) or occupational (e.g., a guide dog).

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

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

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

At the minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the phone number, name and address of the Malinois’s owner in a durable, legible format. Plastic tags are light but easily chewed. Stainless steel tags don’t rust or fade and are durable. These traditional types of tags can purchased from any vet or pet store. They’re low cost yet the amount of info they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

Fortunately, you have many more options for pet identification tags for your Malinois these days, such as microchipping, tattooing, digital display tags, pet registry web sites and voice recorded pet identification tags.

One of the newest entries in the pet identification game is the high-tech USB drive that hangs off your pet’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which holds 64MB of data (including complete diet and medical 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 small, due to bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Malinoiss

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