How to Buy a Pet Identification Tag for Your English Shepherd

Choosing a pet ID tag for your English Shepherd is like purchasing an insurance policy – you do it with the hopes that you’ll never use it. The “possible price” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “real price” of buying the pet tag itself.

The type of pet identification 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 trendy usually ends up being foolish, down the road.

Consider this before choosing any pet id tag for your English Shepherd:
1.What is the amount of risk to your English Shepherd?
Lost English Shepherds are definitely common – we’ve all noticed “Lost English Shepherd!” signs setup around town, or dead dogs lying along the side of the road. If your English Shepherd is a master at escaping the fence, or cannot help following a smell, or young and spry, or is not correctly trained, the risk of a missing English Shepherd is high.

But losing your English Shepherd isn’t the only risk.

Sometimes English Shepherds get stolen. A pet thief may steal Fifi or Fido hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in dog fights (even small or gentle dogs are at risk – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in religious rituals.

And what is the risk to your English Shepherd if something were to happen to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a English Shepherd, especially if you live alone or are in ill 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 incapable of caring for your English Shepherd.

In this instance, will your English Shepherd’s new or temporary steward know that Spot hates cats, or requires medication, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet ID tag that has more than your name and phone number would be extremely helpful.

2.What level of risk are you ok with?
Some English Shepherds are simply more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal demands a specific, higher priced kind of pet identification tag. Risk is proportionate to value.

Note that there is more than one way to determine the value of your English Shepherd. It may be monetary (e.g., a purebred English Shepherd) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most English Shepherd owners, the companionship attachment they have to their English Shepherd sets its value. For many, English Shepherds are family members, dearly loved and impossible to replace.

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

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

At a minimum, a pet identification tag should contain the address, phone number and name of the English Shepherd’s owner in a durable, legible format. Plastic tags are lightweight but chewed easily. Stainless steel tags are durable and don’t rust or fade. These customary kinds of tags can bought from any veterinarian or pet store. They’re low cost but the amount of information they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

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

One of the newer entries in the pet ID 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 comprehensive medical and diet information). The tiny USB drive is encased in a sturdy polymer case and can be plugged into any computer, where it is easily updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your animal doctor or pet sitter. There are also bluetooth devices for tracking, but their range is low, due to bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about English Shepherds

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