Picking a Pet ID Tag for The Yorkshire Terrier

Buying a pet ID tag for your Yorkshire Terrier is like purchasing an insurance policy – you do so with the hopes that you’re never going to need 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 vital, so take 5 minutes or so to consider it. Impulsively purchasing a collar tag just because it’s cheap or trendy often proves to be unwise, down the road.

Think about the following before buying any pet identification tag for your Yorkshire Terrier:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Yorkshire Terrier?
Missing Yorkshire Terriers are very common – we have all seen “Lost Dog!” signs posted around town, or dead Yorkshire Terriers lying along the side of the road. If your Yorkshire Terrier is a pro at escaping the fence, or cannot resist chasing a scent, or youthful and full of energy, or isn’t properly trained, the possibility of a lost Yorkshire Terrier is high.

But losing your Yorkshire Terrier isn’t the only possibility.

Sometimes Yorkshire Terriers are stolen. A pet thief may snatch Rover 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 as “bait”), or for use in cult rituals.

And what is the risk to your Yorkshire Terrier if something happens to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Yorkshire Terrier, especially if you live by yourself or are in poor health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your furry friend, perhaps with little notice. And anyone can be struck by tragedy or disaster which leaves you incapable of caring for your companion.

In this case, will your Yorkshire Terrier’s new or temporary caregiver know that Rover hates cats, or needs medicine, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet identification that contains more than your name and phone number would be very helpful.

2.What level of danger are you comfortable with?
Some Yorkshire Terriers are just more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that pet calls for a specific, higher priced type of pet identification tag. Risk is proportional to value.

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

But for most Yorkshire Terrier owners, the emotional attachment they have with their Yorkshire Terrier sets its value. For many, Yorkshire Terriers are members of the family, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

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 hold varying amounts of info. Some have logos or artwork, also. Many pet ID tags are designed to be attached to a collar.

At a minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the phone number, name and address of the Yorkshire Terrier’s owner in a durable, legible 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 bought from any veterinarian or pet store. They’re economical however the amount of info they can contain is limited to the size of the tag.

Luckily, there are many more options in pet ID tags for your Yorkshire Terrier these days, such as microchipping, tattooing, digital display tags, pet registry web sites and voice recorded pet id tags.

One of the most recent entrants in the pet identification market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs off your Yorkshire Terrier’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which holds 64MB of data (including comprehensive diet and medical information). The small USB drive is encased in a sturdy polymer case and can be plugged into any computer, where it is automatically updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your animal doctor 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 Yorkshire Terriers

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