Picking a Pet Identification Tag for Your Huntaway

Picking a pet identification tag for your Huntaway is like purchasing an insurance policy – you do so with the devout wish that you won’t need it. The “possible cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more costly than the “actual cost” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

The kind of pet ID tag that you buy is crucial, so take five minutes or so to think it through. Whimsically purchasing a collar tag because it’s inexpensive or pretty usually ends up being a regret, long-term.

Consider this prior to picking any pet identification tag for your Huntaway:
1.What is the level of risk to your Huntaway?
Missing Huntaways are definitely common – we have all come across “Lost Huntaway!” signs setup around town, or dead Huntaways lying along the edge of the road. If your Huntaway is a master at escaping your fence, or cannot help chasing a scent, or youthful and spry, or is not correctly trained, the chance of a lost Huntaway is high.

But losing your Huntaway isn’t the only risk.

Some Huntaways are stolen. A pet thief may take Fido or Fifi hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in pit battles (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used for “bait”), or for use in satanic rituals.

And what is the danger to your Huntaway if something were to happen to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Huntaway, particularly 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 Huntaway, maybe with short notice. And anyone can be hit with a disaster or tragedy which renders you incapable of caring for your Huntaway.

In this case, will your Huntaway’s new or temporary caregiver know that Rover hates cats, or requires medication, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet identification that has more than your phone number and name would be extremely helpful.

2.What level of risk are you comfortable with?
Some Huntaways are just more important to their owners, and the risk of losing that particular animal demands a specific, more expensive type of pet identification tag. Risk is proportionate to value.

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

However for most Huntaway owners, the sentimental attachment they have with their Huntaway sets its value. For many people, Huntaways are like family, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

3.Using your answers to the two previous questions, what do you require of a pet identification tag?

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

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

Luckily, there are many more options for pet identification tags for your Huntaway 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 identification market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your Huntaway’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which can hold 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 automatically updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your animal doctor or pet sitter. There are also bluetooth devices for tracking, but their range is small, due to bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Huntaways

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