How to Choose a Pet ID Tag for Your Curly Coated Retriever

Buying a pet identification tag for your Curly Coated Retriever is like buying an insurance policy – you do so with the faith that you’re never going to use it. The “possible cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more costly than the “real price” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

The kind of pet identification tag that you buy is important, so take 5 minutes or so to consider it. Impulsively purchasing a collar tag just because it’s inexpensive or trendy usually proves to be a regret, long-term.

Think about the following before purchasing any pet id tag for your Curly Coated Retriever:
1.What is the level of risk to your Curly Coated Retriever?
Missing Curly Coated Retrievers are very common – we’ve all noticed “Lost Dog!” signs posted around the city, or dead dogs lying on the side of the road. If your Curly Coated Retriever is a master at jumping the fence, or can’t resist chasing a scent, or youthful and energetic, or isn’t correctly trained, the chance of a missing Curly Coated Retriever is high.

But losing your Curly Coated Retriever isn’t the only possibility.

Some Curly Coated Retrievers get stolen. A pet thief may take Spot or Rover hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in dog battles (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used for “bait”), or for use in cult rituals.

And what is the danger to your Curly Coated Retriever if something happens to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior adult with a Curly Coated Retriever, 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 furry friend, perhaps with little notice. And anyone can be struck by disaster or tragedy that leaves you incapable of caring for your companion.

In this case, will your Curly Coated Retriever’s new or temporary caretaker know that Fifi hates cats, or needs medication, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet ID tag that contains more than your phone number and name would be extremely beneficial.

2.What level of danger are you ok with?
Some Curly Coated Retrievers are just 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 proportional to value.

Note that there are multiple ways to assess the value of your Curly Coated Retriever. It may be monetary (e.g., a purebred Curly Coated Retriever) or occupational (e.g., a guide dog).

However for most Curly Coated Retriever owners, the emotional attachment they have to their Curly Coated Retriever sets its value. For many, Curly Coated Retrievers are like family, dearly loved and impossible to replace.

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

Pet identification tags come in varying sizes, shapes and materials and can contain varying amounts of information. Some contain logos or artwork, too. Usually pet ID 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 Curly Coated Retriever’s owner in a legible, durable format. Plastic tags are lightweight but easily chewed. Stainless steel tags are durable and don’t rust or fade. These traditional kinds of tags can purchased from any vet or pet store. They’re cheap yet the amount of information they can display is limited to the size of the tag.

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

One of the newest entrants in the pet ID game is the high-tech USB drive that hangs off your Curly Coated Retriever’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which can hold 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 veterinarian or pet sitter. There also exist bluetooth devices for tracking, but their range is limited, because of bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Curly Coated Retrievers

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