How to Buy a Pet Identification Tag for Your American Cocker Spaniel

Buying a pet ID tag for your American Cocker Spaniel is like purchasing insurance – you do so with the devout wish that you won’t need it. The “possible price” of not having a pet ID tag is more costly than the “real price” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

The type of pet identification tag that you buy is crucial, so take 5 minutes or so to consider it. Whimsically choosing a collar tag just because it’s low cost or trendy often proves to be a regret, long-term.

Consider the following before picking any pet identification tag for your American Cocker Spaniel:
1.What is the level of risk to your American Cocker Spaniel?
Missing American Cocker Spaniels are certainly common – we’ve all seen “Lost American Cocker Spaniel!” signs setup around the city, or deceased American Cocker Spaniels lying on the edge of the road. If your American Cocker Spaniel is a master at hopping your fence, or can’t help following a scent, or youthful and energetic, or isn’t well trained, the risk of a lost American Cocker Spaniel is high.

But losing your American Cocker Spaniel isn’t the only danger.

Some American Cocker Spaniels get stolen. A pet thief may snatch Fifi or Fido in hopes of getting a reward for its return, or to use in pit battles (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in cult rituals.

And what is the danger to your American Cocker Spaniel if something happens to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a American Cocker Spaniel, especially if you live alone or are in ill health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your American Cocker Spaniel, maybe with little notice. And anyone can be hit with a disaster or tragedy that renders you incapable of caring for your companion.

In this case, will your American Cocker Spaniel’s new or temporary caretaker know that Fifi 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 very beneficial.

2.What amount of danger are you comfortable with?
Some American Cocker Spaniels are simply more important to their owners, and the risk of losing that pet calls for a specific, more expensive kind of pet identification tag. Risk is proportionate to value.

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

But for most American Cocker Spaniel owners, the companionship attachment they have with their American Cocker Spaniel determines its value. For many people, American Cocker Spaniels are family, dearly loved and impossible to replace.

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

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

At a bare minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the address, phone number and name of the American Cocker Spaniel’s owner in a legible, durable format. Plastic tags are light but chewed easily. Stainless steel tags are durable and don’t rust or fade. These customary kinds of tags can purchased from any veterinarian or pet store. They’re inexpensive yet the amount of info they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

Luckily, there are many more options of pet ID tags for your American Cocker Spaniel 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 market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your pet’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which holds 64MB of data (including complete medical and diet information). The small USB drive is encased in a sturdy polymer 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 also exist bluetooth devices for tracking, but their range is severely limited, because of bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about American Cocker Spaniels

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