Picking a Pet ID Tag for Your Portuguese Water Dog

Choosing a pet ID tag for your Portuguese Water Dog is like purchasing 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 costly than the “real price” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

The kind of pet ID tag that you buy is vital, so take five minutes or so to think it through. Whimsically choosing a collar tag just because it’s low cost or pretty usually ends up being unwise, down the road.

Consider the following before choosing any pet identification tag for your Portuguese Water Dog:
1.What is the level of risk to your Portuguese Water Dog?
Lost Portuguese Water Dogs are certainly common – we’ve all come across “Lost Dog!” signs plastered around the city, or deceased dogs lying by the side of the road. If your Portuguese Water Dog is a master at jumping your fence, or cannot help chasing a smell, or young and vigorous, or is not properly trained, the possibility of a missing Portuguese Water Dog is high.

But losing your Portuguese Water Dog isn’t the only risk.

Some Portuguese Water Dogs are stolen. A pet thief may take Rover or Spot in hopes of getting 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 satanic rituals.

And what is the risk to your Portuguese Water Dog if something were to happen to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior adult with a Portuguese Water Dog, 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 Portuguese Water Dog, maybe with short notice. And anyone can be hit with a disaster or tragedy which renders you incapable of caring for your companion.

In this instance, will your Portuguese Water Dog’s new or temporary steward know that Fifi hates cats, or needs medicine, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet identification that has more than your phone number and name would be extremely beneficial.

2.What amount of danger are you ok with?
Some Portuguese Water Dogs are just more important to their owners, and the risk of losing that particular animal calls for a specific, more expensive kind of pet ID tag. Risk is directly proportional to value.

Realize that there is more than one way to calculate the value of your Portuguese Water Dog. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Portuguese Water Dog) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most Portuguese Water Dog owners, the emotional attachment they have to their companion determines its value. For many, Portuguese Water Dogs are members of the family, dearly loved and impossible to replace.

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

Pet identification tags come in various sizes, shapes and materials and hold varying amounts of info. Some have artwork or logos, as well. Most pet ID tags are meant to be hung from a collar.

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

Luckily, there are many more options of pet ID tags for your Portuguese Water Dog 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 pet’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which can hold 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 readily updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your vet or pet sitter. There are also bluetooth trackers, but their range is low, due to bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Portuguese Water Dogs

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