Dog Tags Bring Fido Home!

Make sure your pup wears his dog tags every day!

Jingle, Jingle, Jingle! What's that? No, not reindeer up on the roof - this time it's your dog coming up for a pat on the head. That jingling sound is from his identification, license and proof of vaccination tags all making beautiful music together!

Every dog should wear dog tags in case he is lost or injured. The most basic tags for a dog's collar are simple identification tags, giving the dog's name and home address and phone number in case he should get lost.

If you're thinking about having identification tags made to put on your dog's collar, consider putting your name (in case you move or your phone number changes and you forget to update his tags) and "REWARD!" so that folks know there's an incentive for them to do their best to get your adorable puppy back to you quickly!

If you don't want to have ID tags on your dog, consider a personalized collar with the pet's name and your phone number woven into the collar strap!

Other types of dog tags your pet may need to wear.

There are other types of dog tags required in some areas. These are vaccination tags and licenses.

In some states you are required to register your dog (and maybe pay tax for having a dog!) and he must be wearing his license on his dog collar at all times. The DMV or local dog shelter is a good place to check about licensing regulations in your state and town.

The other type of dog tags you see some dogs wearing are vaccination tags. When my dog Kera got her Rabies shot at the vet, he gave us specially-imprinted metal tags indicating that she had been vaccinated. This type of proof-of-vaccination could save your dog's life if he runs away and bites someone while he is out of your control. It's a good idea to keep your dog's tags on his dog collar and have him wear them every day as a matter of course.

Some dogs are geniuses at slipping out through the gate or sliding by you when you open the door for the delivery man, so keeping his dog tags on him at all times can keep him safe, no matter what!