How to Choose a Pet Identification Tag for The Plott Hound

Buying a pet ID tag for your Plott Hound is like purchasing insurance – you do so with the faith that you’re never going to 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 kind of pet identification tag that you buy is crucial, so take 5 minutes or so to consider it. Impulsively picking a collar tag because it’s low cost or cute often ends up being a regret, down the road.

Consider the following prior to purchasing any pet id tag for your Plott Hound:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Plott Hound?
Lost Plott Hounds are certainly common – we’ve all come across “Lost Plott Hound!” signs plastered around town, or dead Plott Hounds lying by the edge of the road. If your Plott Hound is a master at tunneling under your fence, or cannot resist following a scent, or youthful and vigorous, or is not properly trained, the chance of a lost Plott Hound is high.

But losing your Plott Hound isn’t the only possibility.

Some Plott Hounds are stolen. A pet thief may take Rover or Fido 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 religious rituals.

And what is the risk to your Plott Hound if something were to happen to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Plott Hound, especially if you live alone or are in ill health, there’s a high chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your furry friend, maybe with little notice. And anyone can be struck by tragedy or disaster that renders you unable to care for your Plott Hound.

In this instance, will your Plott Hound’s new or temporary caregiver know that Fifi hates cats, or requires medication, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet ID tag that contains more than your name and phone number would be very helpful.

2.What level of danger are you ok with?
Some Plott Hounds are just more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that pet warrants a specific, higher priced kind of pet ID tag. Risk is proportional to value.

Note that there is more than one way to calculate the value of your Plott Hound. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Plott Hound) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

However for most Plott Hound owners, the sentimental attachment they have to their companion determines its value. For many, Plott Hounds are family, dearly loved and impossible to replace.

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

Pet ID tags come in various shapes, sizes and materials and can contain varying amounts of information. Some have artwork or logos, too. Many pet identification tags are meant to be hung from a collar.

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

Fortunately, there are many more options of pet identification tags for your Plott Hound these days, such as tattooing, microchipping, digital display tags, voice recorded pet identification tags, and pet registry websites.

One of the newer entrants in the pet ID market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs off your pet’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which can hold 64MB of data (including comprehensive medical and diet information). The small 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 are also bluetooth devices for tracking, but their range is limited, because of bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Plott Hounds

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