How to Choose a Pet ID Tag for The Havanese

Buying a pet ID tag for your Havanese is like purchasing insurance – you do so with the devout wish that you’re never going to need it. The “possible price” 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 vital, so take 5 minutes or so to consider it. Whimsically picking a collar tag just because it’s cheap or pretty usually proves to be foolish, long-term.

Think about this before purchasing any pet identification tag for your Havanese:
1.What is the level of risk to your Havanese?
Missing Havaneses are very common – we have all noticed “Lost Dog!” signs setup around the city, or deceased dogs lying by the side of the road. If your Havanese is a master at jumping the fence, or cannot help tracking a scent, or young and vigorous, or is not well trained, the chance of a lost Havanese is high.

But losing your Havanese isn’t the only danger.

Some Havaneses are stolen. A pet thief may steal Spot or Rover in hopes of getting 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 cult rituals.

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

If you’re a senior citizen with a Havanese, especially if you live by yourself or are in ill health, there’s a high chance that at some point someone else may need to care for your Havanese, perhaps with short notice. And anyone can be hit with a disaster or tragedy which leaves you unable to care for your companion.

In this instance, will your Havanese’s new or temporary caretaker know that Fifi hates cats, or needs medication, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet identification that contains more than your name and phone number would be extremely helpful.

2.What level of risk are you comfortable with?
Some Havaneses are simply more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal calls for a specific, more expensive type of pet ID tag. Risk is proportionate to value.

Realize that there are several ways to determine the value of your Havanese. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Havanese) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most Havanese owners, the companionship attachment they have with their companion sets its value. For many people, Havaneses are like family, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

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

Pet identification tags come in varying shapes, sizes and materials and can contain varying amounts of information. Some contain logos or artwork, as well. Many pet identification tags are meant to be attached to a collar.

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

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

One of the newer entries in the pet identification market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your Havanese’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which holds 64MB of data (including comprehensive diet and medical 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 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 Havaneses

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