How to Pick a Pet Identification Tag for The Labrador Retriever

Choosing a pet ID tag for your Labrador Retriever is like buying insurance – you do it with the faith that you’ll never use it. The “possible cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “actual cost” of buying the pet tag itself.

The kind of pet ID tag that you buy is vital, so take 5 minutes or so to think it through. Whimsically picking a collar tag just because it’s low cost or pretty usually proves to be a regret, down the road.

Think about this prior to picking any pet identification tag for your Labrador Retriever:
1.What is the level of risk to your Labrador Retriever?
Missing Labrador Retrievers are definitely common – we have all noticed “Lost Labrador Retriever!” signs setup around the city, or dead Labrador Retrievers lying on the edge of the road. If your Labrador Retriever is a pro at breaking through the fence, or cannot help following a smell, or youthful and energetic, or isn’t well trained, the chance of a lost Labrador Retriever is high.

But losing your Labrador Retriever isn’t the only possibility.

Sometimes Labrador 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 satanic rituals.

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

If you’re a senior adult with a Labrador Retriever, especially if you live by yourself or are in ill health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else may need to care for your Labrador Retriever, maybe with short notice. And anyone can be hit with a disaster or tragedy that leaves you incapable of caring for your Labrador Retriever.

In this instance, will your Labrador Retriever’s new or temporary caregiver know that Fifi hates cats, or needs medicine, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet ID tag that has more than your phone number and name would be extremely beneficial.

2.What amount of risk are you comfortable with?
Some Labrador Retrievers are simply more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal warrants a specific, more expensive kind of pet identification tag. Risk is proportionate to value.

Keep in mind that there are many ways to calculate the value of your Labrador Retriever. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Labrador Retriever) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most Labrador Retriever owners, the sentimental attachment they have to their Labrador Retriever sets its value. For many, Labrador Retrievers are family members, dearly loved and impossible to replace.

3.Using your responses to the two previous queries, what do you need in a pet ID tag?

Pet ID tags come in various sizes, shapes and materials and hold varying amounts of information. Some have artwork or logos, too. Most pet ID tags are meant to be attached to a collar.

At a bare minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the phone number, name and address of the Labrador Retriever’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 traditional kinds of tags can purchased from any animal doctor or pet store. They’re economical however the amount of info they can contain is limited to the size of the tag.

Luckily, you have many more options for pet identification tags for your Labrador Retriever 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 ID market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs off your Labrador Retriever’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which holds 64MB of data (including complete 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 readily updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your vet or pet sitter. There also exist bluetooth devices for tracking, but their range is severely limited, due to bluetooth technological limits.

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

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