Engraved dog tags: pros, limits and an alternative
An engraved tag is simple and cheap. But what happens when the engraving fades or you change your number? An honest look, and when to switch to a QR tag.
It's the oldest and most widespread form of identification: a small metal tag with the dog's name and a phone number. It has real strengths… and flaws that people often discover too late.
Its advantages
- Simple and understood by everyone: there's a number, you call it.
- No technology: no link, no server, no battery.
- Inexpensive and available everywhere.
Its limits
- Very little space. A name and a number, sometimes two. There's no room to mention an allergy, medication or a second contact.
- The engraving wears away. With rubbing against the collar, sand and seawater, the digits become unreadable, sometimes within a few months.
- It's fixed. New number, moving house, dog left with a relative over the holidays: you have to re-engrave it or buy a new tag. Lots of dogs wear a tag with a number that no longer answers.
- Only one contact. If your phone is off or you're abroad, nobody else can be reached.
- Noise: some metal tags jingle constantly against the collar buckle.
What to engrave on a tag?
If you go for an engraved tag, stick to the essentials:
- your phone number first, with the +216 country code if you travel;
- possibly a second number;
- the dog's name isn't essential (some owners prefer to leave it off, so a stranger can't easily call the dog over);
- avoid your full address.
And check it's still readable every few months.
The QR tag: the same simplicity, without the flaws
A QR tag keeps the simplicity of a classic tag, but the content lives online:
- several contacts and useful information;
- editable at any time from your phone, with no re-engraving;
- readable by any phone, with no app;
- a page that can clearly show your dog is lost if you report it.
That's what a Homy QR tag offers, with no subscription. For the full explanation: QR code tags: how they work, pros and limits.
Key takeaway: an engraved tag is better than nothing, as long as the number is readable and up to date. If you want identification that keeps up with the changes in your life, switch to QR.
A tag that brings them home.
Waterproof QR tag. No app, no subscription. Whoever finds your pet scans it and alerts you in one tap.
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