Id tags

[D'Elle]

Wondering -Do you put your dogs' names on their ID tags or not? I am ordering new tags for Digger and Boo from Boomerang Tags and am debating whether or not to put their names on the tags. The tags are going to be double-sided and one side will have my phone number, and will say "Reward for return" and "If I'm alone I'm lost / Please call my mom". The other side will say "microchipped" and will have the chip number and name and phone number of the microchip company.

 

(I know "call my mom" is overly cutesey and I don't ever talk like that. But I thought it might have some impact in terms of getting people to call)

 

In the past I have had their names on the tags, but I am thinking of not doing that, because the fewer lines you use the larger the text can be. Some folks say it is no advantage to give a potential thief the ability to call your dog by name. Another school of thought is it can be good if the one who finds your dog can call the dog if he gets away from them again. I am leaning toward no name. Just wondering what other people have decided, and why.

[alligande]

I have never put my dogs names on the tags, currently I have phone numbers, email address and "microchipped"

[Maralynn]

I don't use their names. Because then I can get more pertinent information on the tag and I can swap tags between dogs/collars as needed

[teresaserrano]

No names. Just my phone number and "Has chip". I don't see any value in people knowing her name. I did wonder if having the name could mean that a person finding her would maybe remember her name and realize it was a missing dog, but that would mean they had seen a flyer or something, and if they remembered her name they would remember her pic, as she has a unique look, being all white with black ears.

[Gloria Atwater]

Mine have their names on them mainly because I travel a fair bit and if mine are ever separated from me when far from home, I'd rather a stranger be able to comfort them with their names than not.

I know many people deliberately do NOT use names on tags because they don't want a thief to be able to call the dogs by name, and that's a great idea. I've just ... been in the habit of using the names of mine. But that could change. I do have a spare tag that just says "REWARD" with the phone numbers and address. I used it when keeping a friend's dog for 30 days.

~ Gloria

[Islanddog]

Name, address, phone number. I guess I`m just more trusting. I agree with Gloria, that the name is comforting, just saying their name makes them happy,( even cats. When I adopted my cats they were too terrified to be touched, but Batman purred when I whispered his name, so I could at least give him one little thing).

I don`t live somewhere (I hope, could be wrong) where dog stealing is a thing, and I don`t have a purebred, so that would colour my choices.

I like the `has chip`or `microchipped` as an addition.

Scenario`s where a collar tag would come into play, dog bolts on leash, dog escapes collar and bolts, fire in the house dog escapes and is terrified. Someday, when I off-leash dog, dog runs after something and doesn`t find his way back. Escapes boarding facility.

How does name on tag help dog thieves? Just a question, not an argument. I`m just not seeing something, or because my dog is not outside without me, maybe.

[simba]

I had a leash fail on me unexpectedly, just recently- looked down to see an extremely reactive dog had just trotted quietly past two other dogs despite not being attached to anything.

 

I've also had someone 'rescue' my dog out of my own field- we managed to find her. I also had a neighbour take a collar off my dog and then lose her, while they were minding her, without telling me- without the 'taking the collar off' bit that could be somewhere a tag could come in handy.

 

I've known enough "Holy crap how did that happen?" or "Why on earth did you do that?" scenarios to be paranoid about chips and tags.

[Tommy Coyote]

A surprising number of my clients take their collars off their dogs because the jingling of the tags either wakes up the baby or disturbs them at night.

 

If those dogs get loose somehow they have no identification on them at all unless they are chipped.

[Cass C]

A surprising number of my clients take their collars off their dogs because the jingling of the tags either wakes up the baby or disturbs them at night.

 

If those dogs get loose somehow they have no identification on them at all unless they are chipped.

It may be worth reccomending the collars with flat tags riveted on them or the ones with information sewn onto the collar if it's the noise they worry about.

[Luana]

my dog still has the tag I got him when he was a puppy...a bone shaped metal rhinestone tag (very girly thing I guess).

it has his name on the front, and the info on the back. I also use an additional tag bag for the rabies and city tags to avoid noise.

he is suspicious with strangers so I did not think about a possible thief; my worry is if he gets loose, so I thought with the name on the tag it would be easier to recall him.

[Islanddog]

Clear tape or an elastic band wound about the connections will end the jingling; a temporary fix but cheap and easilly re-applied.

I only put on 1 tag, so the dog license tag stays home.

[Hobo]

Mine has a collar with a riveted plate that has my name, my number, and "dog is microchipped."

He does have tags, one is his rabies shot tag, the other is his microchip tag (it has a smaller number you can punch in if the chip fails to scan) and his license tag.

Jingling doesn't bother me, his collar comes off at night.

[waffles]

I don't really think a name on a tag helps dog stealers. They are just going to sell the dog on the street or FB/craigslist immediately anyway. i know many dogs who respond to their names just as much a "puppy!".

 

I just think if a name is going on my tag it makes more sense for it to be mine. If I find something that is lost, knowing who the owner is makes sense and/or is helpful. Especially if someone moves or gets a new phone and doesn't update their phone number, a name could help find the owner.

[geonni banner]

Clear tape or an elastic band wound about the connections will end the jingling; a temporary fix but cheap and easilly re-applied.

I only put on 1 tag, so the dog license tag stays home.

I use those little colored plastic rings that go on keys so you can tell the keys apart at a glance. They come in a couple different sizes and cost about a quarter. If you have 3 tags, put the ring on the middle one, and no more jingling.

[D'Elle]

I have collar-slide tags (from Boomerang) for my border collies, but decided that I rather like the jingling sound on the small dogs, as it helps me to know where they are if we are outside off leash. They only have one ID tag each, but I put something else on the ring to make a jingle sound. I can always take it off again if I need to silence the jingle.

[Islanddog]

I use those little colored plastic rings that go on keys so you can tell the keys apart at a glance. They come in a couple different sizes and cost about a quarter. If you have 3 tags, put the ring on the middle one, and no more jingling.

That would look posh. Love the idea, thanks.