Picking a Pet Identification Tag for The Hovawart

Buying a pet ID tag for your Hovawart is like purchasing insurance – you do so with the faith that you’re never going to need it. The “possible price” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “actual price” of buying the pet tag itself.

The type of pet ID tag that you buy is important, so take 5 minutes or so to think it through. Whimsically picking a collar tag because it’s low cost or cute usually proves to be a regret, in the long term.

Consider the following before picking any pet identification tag for your Hovawart:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Hovawart?
Lost Hovawarts are very common – we’ve all noticed “Lost Hovawart!” signs tacked around town, or dead dogs lying along the edge of the road. If your Hovawart is a master at hopping your fence, or can’t resist following a smell, or young and vigorous, or isn’t properly trained, the possibility of a missing Hovawart is high.

But losing your Hovawart isn’t the only risk.

Sometimes Hovawarts get stolen. A pet thief may steal Fido or Fifi 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 for “bait”), or for use in satanic rituals.

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

If you’re a senior citizen with a Hovawart, particularly if you live by yourself or are in ill health, there’s a high chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your Hovawart, maybe with short notice. And anyone can be hit with a disaster or tragedy that renders you incapable of caring for your companion.

In this instance, will your Hovawart’s new or temporary caretaker know that Spot hates cats, or requires medicine, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet ID tag that has more than your name and phone number would be extremely helpful.

2.What amount of danger are you ok with?
Some Hovawarts are simply more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal demands a specific, more expensive kind of pet ID tag. Risk is proportional to value.

Realize that there are multiple ways to assess the value of your Hovawart. It may be monetary (e.g., a purebred Hovawart) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

However for most Hovawart owners, the emotional attachment they have with their Hovawart determines its value. For many people, Hovawarts are members of the family, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

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

Pet identification tags come in varying shapes, sizes and materials and hold varying amounts of info. Some contain 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 name, address and phone number of the Hovawart’s owner in a durable, legible format. Plastic tags are lightweight but chewed easily. Stainless steel tags don’t rust or fade and are durable. These customary types of tags can gotten from any vet or pet store. They’re cheap however the amount of information they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

Luckily, there are many more options in pet identification tags for your Hovawart 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 game is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your pet’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which holds 64MB of data (including comprehensive 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 are also 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 Hovawarts

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