Picking a Pet ID Tag for Your English Water Spaniel

Picking a pet identification tag for your English Water Spaniel is like purchasing insurance – you do so with the devout wish that you’ll never use it. The “possible price” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “actual cost” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

The kind of pet identification tag that you buy is important, so take 5 minutes or so to consider it. Whimsically purchasing a collar tag because it’s inexpensive or trendy often ends up being foolish, long-term.

Think about the following prior to purchasing any pet identification tag for your English Water Spaniel:
1.What is the amount of risk to your English Water Spaniel?
Missing English Water Spaniels are certainly common – we’ve all seen “Lost English Water Spaniel!” signs plastered around town, or deceased English Water Spaniels lying along the edge of the road. If your English Water Spaniel is a master at breaking through the fence, or can’t resist tracking a scent, or young and full of energy, or is not properly trained, the chance of a missing English Water Spaniel is high.

But losing your English Water Spaniel isn’t the only danger.

Sometimes English Water Spaniels are stolen. A pet thief may steal Fido or Fifi in hopes of getting a reward for its return, or to use in pit fights (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used for “bait”), or for use in satanic rituals.

And what is the risk to your English Water Spaniel if something happens to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a English Water Spaniel, 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 English Water Spaniel, maybe with short notice. And anyone can be struck by tragedy or disaster that renders you incapable of caring for your companion.

In this instance, will your English Water Spaniel’s temporary or new caregiver know that Spot hates cats, or needs medication, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet ID tag that has more than your phone number and name would be very beneficial.

2.What amount of risk are you ok with?
Some English Water Spaniels are simply more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that pet warrants a specific, higher priced type of pet ID tag. Risk is proportional to value.

Keep in mind that there are multiple ways to calculate the value of your English Water Spaniel. It may be monetary (e.g., a purebred English Water Spaniel) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most English Water Spaniel owners, the sentimental attachment they have with their companion determines its value. For many, English Water Spaniels are family members, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

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

Pet identification tags come in various materials, shapes and sizes and hold varying amounts of information. Some contain artwork or logos, as well. Many pet ID tags are meant to be attached to a collar.

At a bare minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the address, phone number and name of the English Water Spaniel’s owner in a durable, legible format. Plastic tags are light but chewed easily. Stainless steel tags are durable and don’t rust or fade. These traditional types of tags can bought from any vet or pet store. They’re low cost however the amount of information they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

Fortunately, there are many more options in pet identification tags for your English Water Spaniel these days, such as microchipping, tattooing, digital display tags, pet registry web sites and voice recorded pet identification tags.

One of the newest entries in the pet identification market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your English Water Spaniel’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which holds 64MB of data (including complete 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 veterinarian or pet sitter. There also exist bluetooth trackers, but their range is severely limited, because of bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about English Water Spaniels

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