How to Pick a Pet Identification Tag for The Bloodhound

Buying a pet identification tag for your Bloodhound is like buying insurance – you do it with the faith that you won’t use it. The “possible cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “real cost” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

The kind of pet identification tag that you buy is crucial, so take 5 minutes or so to think it through. Impulsively purchasing a collar tag because it’s cheap or trendy often proves to be unwise, long-term.

Think about this prior to buying any pet identification tag for your Bloodhound:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Bloodhound?
Lost Bloodhounds are definitely common – we’ve all noticed “Lost Bloodhound!” signs setup around town, or deceased dogs lying along the side of the road. If your Bloodhound is a pro at tunneling under your fence, or can’t resist tracking a smell, or youthful and vigorous, or isn’t well trained, the chance of a lost Bloodhound is high.

But losing your Bloodhound isn’t the only possibility.

Sometimes Bloodhounds are stolen. A pet thief may steal Rover or Spot hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in pit battles (even small or gentle dogs are at risk – they can be used for “bait”), or for use in cult rituals.

And what is the risk to your Bloodhound if something were to happen to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Bloodhound, particularly 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 hit with a tragedy or disaster which renders you unable to care for your Bloodhound.

In this instance, will your Bloodhound’s temporary or new caretaker know that Rover hates cats, or requires medication, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet identification that contains more than your phone number and name would be very helpful.

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

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

But for most Bloodhound owners, the sentimental attachment they have with their companion determines its value. For many owners, Bloodhounds are like family, dearly loved and impossible to replace.

3.Based on your responses to the two previous queries, what do you require of a pet ID tag?

Pet identification tags come in various materials, shapes and sizes and can contain varying amounts of info. Some contain logos or artwork, too. Usually pet identification tags are meant to be attached to a collar.

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

Luckily, you have many more options of pet ID tags for your Bloodhound 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 Bloodhound’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which holds 64MB of data (including comprehensive medical and diet information). The tiny USB drive is encased in a sturdy polymer case and can be used in any computer, where it is easily updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your animal doctor 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 Bloodhounds

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