What info is on your dog's ID tag?

[oneplustwo]

We just got a puppy, and I'm planning to order her an ID tag. What info do you have on your pet's tag? The Boomerang site where I'll probably order suggests putting your own name, phone # and street address along with your dog's name, but is all of that really useful or a good idea? Just wondering what others do and why.

[AngB]

I do, although the info has rubbed down so much I really need to order new ones.

Make sure you do a cell phone number vs. home number, IMO, because if you are out of town or out looking for your dog, you want them to call where they will get in touch with you.

I'm not so sure a street address is also necessary, although I have found and returned dogs before (pre-kids) and if I had had a street address, I might have just walked the dogs home vs. keeping them in my yard until the owner came and got them. That actually would have been easier because I had to keep my own dogs in the house and they were going nuts with two stranger dogs in our yard.

Edit to add: I don't think including your own name is necessary.

[crl]

I have my dog's name and my cell number. I do think it is worthwhile to put a street address on and I probably should get a new tag with that information. I once returned a dog who had managed to escape his backyard and was only a couple of houses away. It would have been much harder had he not had a tag with his address as I didn't have my cell on me or a leash.

Catherine

[StantonHyde]

Dog's name, address (including city and state--you never know), home phone, DH cell phone, my cell phone

He also wears his rabies tag and county registration tag. The vet can track us down by looking up the tag, as can the county. So he has a "3fer" on his tags!

[twowhat?]

We don't put an address on ours. We include:

Front:
Dog's name
2 phone numbers (DH and my cell)
chip ID number, and URL (e.g. www.24petwatch.com)
24petwatch 1-800 number

Back:
vet's name
vet's phone number
rabies tag number

I know it's controversial to include the microchip ID, but I decided better to have it than not.

I highly recommend boomerang tags! They engrave very deeply and I LOVE their colored plastic tags - they last YEARS and they are thick, strong, deeply engraved (with either black or white showing through the engraving depending on the tag color), and with a stainless steel rivet. The first set we ordered 7 years ago are still like new - no rubbing off AT ALL. I only ordered another set because I wanted to update the rabies tag number and because I wanted to change the color:) And they can engrave both front and back so we can get lots of info on the tag.

[miki]

Dog's name, cell number, and the words "Reward If Found" to encourage the finder to call us asap.

[L'sMommy]

Pet's Name
Street Address
City, State
My cell phone #
DH Cell phone #

We live in an area with lots of dogs on our street and our lab has been walked home by people several houses down many a time so I think it's helpful to have the street address.

[doberbrat]

Pet's Name
Street Address
City, State
home #
cell #

as an aside, the Boomerang tags are THE BEST. I had one slip off a collar after I used the hose to bathe the dog and it spent a year outside before I found it. Through the snow, rain etc. and its still just as perfect as all of the others (ie, basically look new)

Sadly, the tags outlast the dogs. :(

[o_mom]

We also had my parents' phone number on the tag since we visit them frequently.

[AngB]

Shouldn't a zip code be sufficient in lieu of city/state?

And as far as the microchip ID, our dogs are both microchipped, but they have a separate tag with the microchip number.

[AJP]

We have our dogs name and our phone number. She also has a tag with her chip ID # and URL.

[hellokitty]

First and last name of dog (she was my first baby!)
Address
DH's cell #
My cell #

Our dog was not micro-chipped, but if we get another dog, I will want to get the microchip as an added measure.

[AngB]

Our dog was not micro-chipped, but if we get another dog, I will want to get the microchip as an added measure.

You can still get it done. In our area, our local animal shelter/ "pound" will do microchipping for like $10 or $15 total. It can be done at any age and is no different than a shot, easier I think. It's actually in some ways better not to do it with a little puppy because the microchip can "slip" and be harder to find as they grow.

[hellokitty]

You can still get it done. In our area, our local animal shelter/ "pound" will do microchipping for like $10 or $15 total. It can be done at any age and is no different than a shot, easier I think. It's actually in some ways better not to do it with a little puppy because the microchip can "slip" and be harder to find as they grow.

She passed away 2 yrs ago, lol. However, if I get another dog, I am getting him/her microchipped. I'm trying to find a small dog to rescue right now and we are probably leaning more toward an adult dog again, since the puppies get grabbed up so quickly.

[twowhat?]

You can still get it done. In our area, our local animal shelter/ "pound" will do microchipping for like $10 or $15 total. It can be done at any age and is no different than a shot, easier I think. It's actually in some ways better not to do it with a little puppy because the microchip can "slip" and be harder to find as they grow.

Unless you have a big baby like our male dog who cried like a baby when he got his microchip:) Our female on the other hand barely noticed it.

Here, a lot of the larger rescue orgs also offer microchip days (like first Sunday of every month) where it costs just $15.

[AngB]

She passed away 2 yrs ago, lol. However, if I get another dog, I am getting him/her microchipped. I'm trying to find a small dog to rescue right now and we are probably leaning more toward an adult dog again, since the puppies get grabbed up so quickly.

Oh, I'm sorry! I misunderstood and thought you may have been thinking microchipping had to be done as puppies/young dogs.

[Clarity]

On my dog's tag, I have my first initial, my last name, my phone number and the vet's phone number. My dog's name is not on the tag, nor is my full name or address.

[MamaMolly]

Dog's name
my email address

We move a lot so getting him new tags every other year is a PITA.

[Blue Hydrangea]

We have our names, address, and cell and home phone numbers. NOT the dog's name. We now live in a very small town, so if someone didn't know our dog, our names would be enough to return him.

This is contrast to the very large city I grew up in, where having the dog's name on the tag encouraged stealing it- if a thief knew the dog's name, the dog would likely respond better to the thief.

That's not an issue where I live now, but we still don't have his name on the tag, as our info to get him returned to us is more important.

[hellokitty]

This is contrast to the very large city I grew up in, where having the dog's name on the tag encouraged stealing it- if a thief knew the dog's name, the dog would likely respond better to the thief.

That's not an issue where I live now, but we still don't have his name on the tag, as our info to get him returned to us is more important.

I had not thought of that, but I guess you are right that some ppl are big enough jerks to just steal the dog, esp if it's a purebred. Our shelter yesterday realized that a young couple stole a puppy! It was not a purebred puppy, but seriously, WTH steals a dog from an animal shelter? I have a feeling they will also be the type who are irresponsible owners.

[trcy]

Dog's name & cell phone number. I think having your street address too is a good idea but we move a lot. Hopefully we will be settled soon. She also has her rabies tag and microchip tag on her collar.
I saw these tags on Etsy and I really like them:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/82069023/copper-bar-dog-tag?ref=sr_gallery_24&ga_search_query=dog+tag&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_ref=auto1&ga_search_type=all
http://www.etsy.com/listing/62171594/dog-tag-perfect-aluminum-bar-id-tag-4?ref=sr_gallery_18&ga_search_query=dog+tag&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_ref=auto1&ga_search_type=all

[maestramommy]

Shep doesn't have an ID tag per se. But he has a town license, which has all our info. He's also chipped.

[oneplustwo]

Thank you! These are all so helpful. Still not sure what we'll end up putting on the tag. One thing I read elsewhere is that some people put "loose=lost" or something like that, along with "reward if found" as a PP mentioned ~ I think both are interesting ideas.

[AngB]

Thank you! These are all so helpful. Still not sure what we'll end up putting on the tag. One thing I read elsewhere is that some people put "loose=lost" or something like that, along with "reward if found" as a PP mentioned ~ I think both are interesting ideas.

I like the loose= lost idea.
Our neighborhood is really bad about people walking their dogs through our walking trails off leash...walking trails go behind our backyard so I have sometimes tried to be a nice person and "catch" a stray dog only for their owner to come strolling along 10 minutes later, not like trying to catch their dog but like taking a nice leisurely stroll "with" their dog that actually isn't lost.

[MamaInMarch]

Dog's name
Cell phone #
microchip notice

[Toba]

I use the dog tag printers at Petsmart and Petco. Both allow for the dog's name to be typed in large font (you get to choose the font too) on the front. On the back, I have my full name, full address and my cell phone number (best way to reach me). The selection of dog tags has gotten much better in the past few years ... my little girl has a metallic purple heart with a silver border of hearts. Funnily enough, the OTHER pet store has the matching collar and leash so she's all purpled out.

She's also chipped.