Picking a Pet Identification Tag for The Alpine Spaniel

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

The kind of pet identification tag that you buy is important, so take 5 minutes or so to consider it. Impulsively picking a collar tag because it’s inexpensive or pretty often proves to be foolish, down the road.

Consider this prior to picking any pet identification tag for your Alpine Spaniel:
1.What is the level of risk to your Alpine Spaniel?
Missing Alpine Spaniels are certainly common – we have all noticed “Lost Dog!” signs posted around the city, or dead dogs lying on the side of the road. If your Alpine Spaniel is a master at tunneling under your fence, or cannot resist tracking a scent, or youthful and vigorous, or is not well trained, the risk of a missing Alpine Spaniel is high.

But losing your Alpine Spaniel isn’t the only risk.

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

And what is the risk to your Alpine Spaniel if something were to happen to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior adult with a Alpine Spaniel, particularly if you live alone or are in ill health, there’s a high chance that at some point someone else may need to care for your Alpine Spaniel, maybe with little notice. And anyone can be hit with a tragedy or disaster that leaves you incapable of caring for your companion.

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

2.What amount of risk are you ok with?
Some Alpine Spaniels 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.

Note that there are several ways to determine the value of your Alpine Spaniel. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Alpine Spaniel) or occupational (e.g., a guide dog).

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

3.Based on your answers to the two previous questions, what do you need in a pet identification tag?

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

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

Fortunately, you have many more options of pet ID tags for your Alpine Spaniel these days, such as microchipping, tattooing, digital display tags, pet registry web sites and voice recorded pet identification tags.

One of the newer entries in the pet identification market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your pet’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 plastic case and can be used in any computer, where it is readily 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 Alpine Spaniels

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