How to Buy a Pet Identification Tag for Your Irish Terrier

Picking a pet identification tag for your Irish Terrier is like purchasing insurance – you do it with the devout wish that you won’t 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 kind of pet ID tag that you buy is important, so take 5 minutes or so to consider it. Impulsively purchasing a collar tag just because it’s low cost or pretty usually proves to be unwise, down the road.

Think about the following before purchasing any pet identification tag for your Irish Terrier:
1.What is the level of risk to your Irish Terrier?
Missing Irish Terriers are definitely common – we have all come across “Lost Dog!” signs setup around town, or dead Irish Terriers lying by the side of the road. If your Irish Terrier is a pro at escaping your fence, or cannot help tracking a scent, or youthful and energetic, or is not properly trained, the possibility of a missing Irish Terrier is high.

But losing your Irish Terrier isn’t the only concern.

Sometimes Irish Terriers are stolen. A pet thief may take Rover or Spot 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 for “bait”), or for use in religious rituals.

And what is the danger to your Irish Terrier if something happens to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Irish Terrier, especially if you live by yourself or are in ill health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your furry friend, perhaps with little notice. And anyone can be hit with a tragedy or disaster which renders you incapable of caring for your companion.

In this instance, will your Irish Terrier’s new or temporary caregiver know that Spot hates cats, or requires medicine, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet ID tag that has more than your name and phone number would be extremely beneficial.

2.What level of danger are you ok with?
Some Irish Terriers are simply more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal warrants a specific, higher priced kind of pet identification tag. Risk is proportional to value.

Realize that there are multiple ways to assess the value of your Irish Terrier. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Irish Terrier) or occupational (e.g., a guide dog).

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

3.From your answers to the two previous queries, what do you require of a pet identification tag?

Pet ID tags come in various materials, shapes and sizes and hold varying amounts of information. Some have logos or artwork, as well. Most pet ID tags are designed to be attached to a collar.

At the minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the phone number, name and address of the Irish Terrier’s owner in a legible, durable 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 inexpensive yet the amount of info they can contain is limited to the size of the tag.

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

One of the most recent entrants in the pet identification market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your Irish Terrier’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which holds 64MB of data (including complete medical and diet information). The tiny 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 veterinarian or pet sitter. There also exist bluetooth trackers, but their range is low, due to bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Irish Terriers

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