What should I put on my new tag for my dog?

[2025willbemytime]

We are moving house so need to get a new collar tag. I know not to put her name on it but what should I put on it? On her current one I have my landline and address. I realised my mobile would have been better. I'll be living alone and need to protect my whereabouts but should my dog get lost..

legally it has to be attached to a collar not a harness

Surname, house number and postcode and mobile numbers.
Chipped and neutered.

I have a separate tag for when we're on holiday and he's at his boarders with their contact details

I have my dog's name on his tag as I've always thought that if anyone did steal him (which they'd be able to anyway if they were close enough to handle the tag), I'd much prefer it if they did know his name.

My dogs have embroidered collars with their name, my postcode and house number and my mobile number.
My dogs will not just go with anyone. Lost my pup once, he went back to my car, DH arrived in his car to help look and dog would not get in his car. Just waited for me. Other dog won’t walk to car with dh whilst I have a wee when we’re out. Plants her feet and won’t move. Not easily picked up either.

I’ve got I’m chipped and spayed on one side. Have a breed of DDog that are often bred by puppy farms and sometimes stolen.

I really don’t think anyone is going to be fined for having a legal tag attached to a harness and not a collar.

I am pretty sure anything called in the right tone will bring a curious friendly dog to you. My own dog has good recall but I’ve seen him blank someone else that calls his name - it doesn’t sound the same so doesn’t register for him. Similarly I’ve seen respond to friendly people calling him generic terms of endearment. I really don’t think knowing him name is of any benefit to someone trying to take him.

I seemed to have a spate of finding lostish dogs a few years ago. One had no details at all so we dropped her at the vet. Two (names but no numbers) were collected from our garden after a bit of local Facebook 'anyone know a Smith family with a lurcher called Bob, or anyone called Bob with a lurcher called Smith?' And one very cute little chap (phone number and postcode) ended up touring the village in the back of my car after I rang the phone number on the collar and a distant male voice said he didn't have a dog.

When I found a frantic woman out searching for her dog, she had no idea why her husband had said that.

Exactly - I always think it’s a bit odd when people say not to include the name because it might make stealing them easier. People rename dogs all the time.

Shit mine just has her name and my mobile on

Mine have their names, my name, address and mobile number. Youngest also has chipped and spayed on her collar. Oldest is chipped but not neutered so he doesn't have that.

I don't worry about their names on the tag. I don't know if mine are just not very bright but they both respond to each other's names so I don't think it'd make much difference what someone who found them called them!

I found a straying dog the other day without a collar. I just squatted down and called to her in a friendly tone and she bounded over.

After a bit of fruitless searching, I handed her over to a lady in a shop, and her friend went and got a collar and lead, and the little dog then led her home. She'd managed to escape from the garden.

I took a lost dog home recently as he had his house number and postcode on his tag so I'd highly recommend that! I was visiting a town I'd never been to before and just put it in Google maps. The owners didn't answer the phone when I called the number and hadn't realised he'd escaped.

Yep, I've found a few straying dogs over the years and every single one has responded to a friendly voice and a biscuit, lol.

My dog has his name on because I’d rather even a baddy dog thief calls him by his name.

We have mobile numbers and our surname on our dogs tag.

Mine had my mobile and a family members number. No names or anything. The other side said 'I'm on medication daily, if found please call'. She wasn't on any medication and totally fit and healthy but was a pure breed so figured if anyone attempted to steal her or keep her this would maybe put people off.

It was the man in the engraving place, that said not to put the dogs name or address on the tag. I would have put it ALL on .

You have to have the address on there by law.

I have my post code on his collar the tag just has numbers and our name .

House number , postcode and mobile.
should be chipped in any case where all this data will be.

Just the postcode? You're meant to have the actual address on there.

Not that it probably matters, I've never known anyone to get a fine for this, ever!

Mine is in accordance with the law.

My surname.
My house number / postcode.
My mobile number.

It also says "Microchipped & neutered". Not a legal requirement (on a tag) but helps deter thieves to know he's no use for breeding.

It says collar but no one is going to get fined for perfectly visible ID being on a harness instead of a collar.

Mine is also on a harness, dog doesn't wear a collar.

Of course my dog is chipped but if she's found near my house it is easier to get her back with an address in her tag than taking her to a vet etc.