How to Buy a Pet Identification Tag for The Japanese Chin

Choosing a pet identification tag for your Japanese Chin is like purchasing insurance – you do so with the hopes that you’ll never use it. The “possible cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more costly than the “actual price” of buying the pet tag itself.

The type of pet ID tag that you buy is vital, so take 5 minutes or so to think it through. Impulsively choosing a collar tag just because it’s inexpensive or cute usually ends up being unwise, in the long term.

Think about the following prior to purchasing any pet id tag for your Japanese Chin:
1.What is the level of risk to your Japanese Chin?
Missing Japanese Chins are certainly common – we’ve all come across “Lost Japanese Chin!” signs setup around town, or dead Japanese Chins lying on the edge of the road. If your Japanese Chin is a pro at breaking through the fence, or cannot resist chasing a scent, or youthful and energetic, or isn’t correctly trained, the possibility of a missing Japanese Chin is high.

But losing your Japanese Chin isn’t the only concern.

Some Japanese Chins are stolen. A pet thief may steal Fido or Fifi in hopes of getting a reward for its return, or to use in dog battles (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in religious rituals.

And what is the risk to your Japanese Chin if something happens to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Japanese Chin, especially if you live alone or are in ill health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else may need to care for your Japanese Chin, maybe with short notice. And anyone can be struck by tragedy or disaster which leaves you incapable of caring for your companion.

In this case, will your Japanese Chin’s temporary or new caretaker know that Rover hates cats, or requires medication, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet identification that contains more than your phone number and name would be extremely helpful.

2.What level of danger are you comfortable with?
Some Japanese Chins are simply more important to their owners, and the risk of losing that pet demands a specific, more expensive type of pet identification tag. Risk is directly proportional to value.

Realize that there are many ways to calculate the value of your Japanese Chin. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Japanese Chin) or occupational (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most Japanese Chin owners, the relationoship attachment they have with their companion sets its value. For many, Japanese Chins are members of the family, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

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

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

At the minimum, a pet identification tag should contain the address, phone number and name of the Japanese Chin’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 customary kinds of tags can bought from any animal doctor or pet store. They’re inexpensive however the amount of info they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

Luckily, you have many more options of pet ID tags for your Japanese Chin these days, such as microchipping, tattooing, digital display tags, pet registry web sites and voice recorded pet identification tags.

One of the newer entrants in the pet ID game is the high-tech USB drive that hangs off your Japanese Chin’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which holds 64MB of data (including comprehensive diet and medical information). The small USB drive is encased in a sturdy polymer case and can be used in any computer, where it is automatically updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your vet 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 Japanese Chins

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