Choosing a Pet Identification Tag for Your Otterhound

Choosing a pet ID tag for your Otterhound is like buying an insurance policy – you do so with the devout wish that you won’t need 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 crucial, so take 5 minutes or so to consider it. Whimsically buying a collar tag just because it’s cheap or trendy usually ends up being unwise, in the long term.

Think about this before buying any pet identification tag for your Otterhound:
1.What is the level of risk to your Otterhound?
Lost Otterhounds are certainly common – we’ve all noticed “Lost Otterhound!” signs tacked around the city, or dead Otterhounds lying along the edge of the road. If your Otterhound is a master at hopping your fence, or cannot help chasing a scent, or youthful and spry, or isn’t properly trained, the possibility of a missing Otterhound is high.

But losing your Otterhound isn’t the only concern.

Some Otterhounds are stolen. A pet thief may snatch 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 Otterhound if something were to happen to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior adult with a Otterhound, particularly 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 Otterhound, perhaps with short notice. And anyone can be hit with a tragedy or disaster that leaves you unable to care for your companion.

In this instance, will your Otterhound’s new or temporary caretaker know that Rover hates cats, or needs medication, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet ID tag that contains more than your phone number and name would be very beneficial.

2.What amount of risk are you ok with?
Some Otterhounds are simply more important to their owners, and the risk of losing that pet warrants a specific, higher priced kind of pet identification tag. Risk is proportionate to value.

Realize that there are many ways to assess the value of your Otterhound. It may be monetary (e.g., a purebred Otterhound) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most Otterhound owners, the companionship attachment they have to their Otterhound determines its value. For many owners, Otterhounds are members of the family, dearly loved and impossible to replace.

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

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

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

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

One of the most recent entries in the pet identification game is the high-tech USB drive that hangs off your pet’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which holds 64MB of data (including complete diet and medical information). The small USB drive is encased in a sturdy plastic case and can be used in any computer, where it is readily updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your animal doctor or pet sitter. There are also bluetooth trackers, but their range is limited, because of bluetooth technological limits.

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

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 🙂