Picking a pet identification tag for your Shiloh Shepherd Dog is like buying an insurance policy – you do it with the devout wish that you’ll never use it. The “possible cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “real cost” of buying the pet tag itself.
The kind of pet ID tag that you buy is vital, so take five minutes or so to consider it. Whimsically purchasing a collar tag because it’s cheap or pretty usually ends up being unwise, long-term.
Think about the following before picking any pet identification tag for your Shiloh Shepherd Dog:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Shiloh Shepherd Dog?
Lost Shiloh Shepherd Dogs are very common – we have all seen “Lost Dog!” signs plastered around town, or deceased Shiloh Shepherd Dogs lying along the edge of the road. If your Shiloh Shepherd Dog is a pro at jumping the fence, or cannot help chasing a smell, or youthful and spry, or isn’t correctly trained, the chance of a missing Shiloh Shepherd Dog is high.
But losing your Shiloh Shepherd Dog isn’t the only danger.
Sometimes Shiloh Shepherd Dogs are stolen. A pet thief may take Fifi or Fido hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in dog fights (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used for “bait”), or for use in cult rituals.
And what is the risk to your Shiloh Shepherd Dog if something were to happen to you, its owner?
If you’re a senior citizen with a Shiloh Shepherd Dog, 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 Shiloh Shepherd Dog, perhaps with short notice. And anyone can be struck by tragedy or disaster that leaves you unable to care for your Shiloh Shepherd Dog.
In this instance, will your Shiloh Shepherd Dog’s new or temporary steward know that Rover hates cats, or needs medicine, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet ID tag that contains more than your name and phone number would be very beneficial.
2.What amount of danger are you comfortable with?
Some Shiloh Shepherd Dogs are just more important to their owners, and the risk of losing that pet calls for a specific, higher priced type of pet identification tag. Risk is directly proportional to value.
Realize that there is more than one way to calculate the value of your Shiloh Shepherd Dog. It may be monetary (e.g., a purebred Shiloh Shepherd Dog) or occupational (e.g., a guide dog).
But for most Shiloh Shepherd Dog owners, the sentimental attachment they have to their companion sets its value. For many owners, Shiloh Shepherd Dogs are members of the family, impossible to replace and dearly loved.
3.From your answers to the two previous queries, what do you need in a pet identification tag?
Pet ID tags come in various sizes, shapes and materials and can contain varying amounts of info. Some have logos or artwork, as well. Many pet ID tags are meant to be attached to a collar.
At a bare minimum, a pet identification tag should contain the phone number, name and address of the Shiloh Shepherd Dog’s owner in a durable, legible format. Plastic tags are light but easily chewed. Stainless steel tags don’t rust or fade and are durable. These traditional kinds of tags can gotten from any animal doctor or pet store. They’re low cost yet the amount of info they can contain is limited to the size of the tag.
Fortunately, you have many more options of pet ID tags for your Shiloh Shepherd Dog these days, such as microchipping, tattooing, digital display tags, pet registry web sites and voice recorded pet id tags.
One of the newest entrants in the pet identification market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs off your pet’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which can hold 64MB of data (including comprehensive diet and medical information). The small USB drive is encased in a sturdy plastic case and can be plugged into any computer, where it is easily updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your vet or pet sitter. There are also bluetooth trackers, but their range is severely limited, because of bluetooth technological limits.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Shiloh Shepherd DogsWas this post helpful? If so, please take a minute to Tweet and Share below on Facebook. I would also love to know your thoughts so leave me a comment 🙂
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