All About Dog Tags

Did you know that in the UK, it is a legal requirement that your dog wears a tag showing the owner’s name and full address in any public space? If your dog isn’t wearing a legally compliant tag, you could be fined up to £5000!

Buying a new dog tag can be a minefield and shops often don’t advise what you legally must include. A tag should include, at least, your surname, and your address. This can consist of a house number and postcode, although I think including the first line of your address is sensible.

That’s the legal minimum sorted; not very much required! There might be other information you’d like to include as well.

If your pup has gotten lost, you’ll want someone to contact you if they find your dog, so include at least one contact number. You may also want to add an email address!

You can include your pet’s name if you like. Some people warn against this, with the idea that if someone knows your dog’s name, they might be able to more easily steal your dog. However, if someone is close enough to read your dog’s tag, they have already got a hold of your dog’s collar! On the other hand, if your dog has gotten captured after escaping or getting lost, having their rescuer know their name could be reassuring in a stressful situation for your dog. Including your pet’s name is personal preference.

Extra Dog Tag Tips

• Your dog must be microchipped by law, but some people like to include “Microchipped” on the tag as a reminder for any rescuers to scan your dog.
• If you travel far away from home on a regular basis, it can be a good idea to have a seperate tag (or collar/tag combination!) that you use for trips away. On this tag, you might put your secondary address (a holiday home or caravan park) instead or in addition to your usual address, or include your usual address but include a line such as “not local” or “on holiday”. Again, this can give a rescuer more information about how to reunite you with your dog.
• If you hate the noise of jingling metal or plastic tags (it can be annoying!), you can buy collars where your details are printed or embroidered onto the collar itself. These can still meet legal requirements if you include your name and full address!
• Be wary of dog tags that only display a QR code. These are a great idea for including further contact information etc, but it doesn’t meet legal requirements. It also requires a phone and an internet connection to be useful, which might not be available if your dog has been found in a remote location!
• Alternatively, you can buy tags which slip on to the collar and lay flat against the material instead of dangling. These can be particularly good if your puppy likes to chew their tags!
• Legally your dog tag should be attached to a collar! If your dog doesn’t wear a collar, or walks on a harness, there are options: you can buy “tag collars”, which are looser fitting collars designed solely to have tags attached to (rather than a lead). Having said that … it’s very unlikely you would be fined if a legally compliant dog tag is attached to your dog’s harness instead.
• Check your dog’s collar (or harness!) regularly to ensure the dog tag hasn’t disappeared. I often accidentally clip a lead to the tag ring and pull it off (oops!), or sometimes the tag rings can get caught on branches or when playing with other dogs. Having a few spare tags can be a lifesaver!