Gun Dog Forum

I have heard of many people putting several things on their dog collar tags to increase their odds of getting their dog back. Obviously we all know if someone is going to steal your dog they will steal it. But I have heard the thinking if you put needs medication then maybe there is a chance they may not want that dog so bad, on the same note will good people leave the dog because they think it may be sick. I have heard other things as well do you have anything you put on your tag to potentially increase your chances of getting your dog back. I am definitely putting my name and number should I leave it at that or put more. Is it a good idea to put the dogs name on it (In my mind I can come up with pros and cons to that)? Ideally she will be trained well enough this wont be an issue but that is ideally.

Also I will be putting reward on it. There is room for one more line any recommendations.

The only thing that matters is a phone number. If you use a vet or friend or relative's number for a backup contact, then your number and a description of the animal will be enough fir them to recognize. All dogs are named Wanna Cookie in my experience. Microchipping helps get dogs home.

My state requires my name and phone

I have two tags fastened directly to the collar and my dogs are microchipped
1st tag
My name and the word REWARD
My Address
My Cell
Husband's cell
2nd Tag
Mircochip #
Home Again toll free number
Sister's cell
Home number

My collars have:
My name and my wife's
"REWARD"
My cell #
My wife's cell #

My rationale for cell numbers is that I will likely be on a trip or at work when the dog is found and someone calls. My wife's number is just in case I'm not reachable.

Anything else is extraneous.

My dogs are chipped. Putting that fact on the tag is redundant since the chip database will point them to contact numbers on the tag.

Does anyone worry that putting "reward" on the tag could entice someone to steal the dog only to try to return it in order to get a reward? There are already too many dog thieves out there and I could see that possibly creating more for people not actually interested in the dog but rather a quick buck.

Obviously it would take someone actually seeing the dog's tags to realize the reward option but I know dogs generate a lot of attention in public and people are always approaching and trying to pet other people's dogs.

She is micro chipped but I really like the idea of adding another phone number that could be really helpful because sometimes my phone does not have service where I am at.

K.I.S.S. - I quit putting my dog's name, or my name or REWARD for the following reasons. Collar can be reused, so having a dog's name on it makes no sense. I do not want my name on it for obvious reasons, REWARD "could" entice thieves, but also every Tom, "bleep" and Harry in the neighborhood that finds your pup is wanting cashola. I have had a dog run off from the yard multiple times and if I had to give a reward to everyone who found him, I should have just let them keep him and buy a new one

If found call
XXX-XXX-XXXX
XXX-XXX-XXXX
XXX-XXX-XXXX

MY Name
Phone Number
"Needs Daily Meds"

Using your contact name is not a problem because anyone who knows anything can just do a reverse lookup on the net and have more info then just name and number. I also would never put the word "reward" on my tags. There is a higher chance that the dog got lost rather than stolen and anyone who spends the time to call was doing so out of kindness and not for a reward.

This doesnt apply to a dog that comes up missing from a secured situation but in those cases, other means are available that are more effective than name tags or what is on them.

When you travel, use a temp tag to list any relevant local numbers.

I do not think putting the Microchip info is redundant, because if someone finds your dog that has no intention of finding the owner, just might have second thoughts if they know immediately the dog is chipped. Perhaps if you didn’t have the Microchip info they would not even think about a dog being microchipped. What do you have to lose?

How is having REWARD on the collar going to entice someone to steal your dog. If they are close enough to read the tag and see REWARD then they already have your dog. Having a reward might just get them to return the dog.

I put cell numbers mainly because everyone I know carries their cell phones almost everywhere. Better chances to get in touch with you quickly then to leave a message at a home. Plus cell numbers work when you are out of town.

The way I look at it, the more ways you provide to get in touch with you the better. I wanna do everything I can to stake the odds in my favor of getting my dogs back.

I put my cell#, my home number and the city, state where I reside, so they know it's an out of towner's/state dog

thedogmother wrote:
How is having REWARD on the collar going to entice someone to steal your dog. If they are close enough to read the tag and see REWARD then they already have your dog. Having a reward might just get them to return the dog.
.

Just because someone is close enough to read your dog's collar does not mean that they already have your dog. I can think of many instances where it could happen. Dogs attract attention and people like to pet them. If you are out running errands with the dog or out on a walk for example. Or if you live in a city and have the dog in a fenced in yard and have a neighbor on the other side of the fence. All it takes is one person. Now if you never take your dog out or never allow anyone anywhere near the dog you can reduce the chance. I'm not saying that its common or that it even takes place, I was just merely pointing out the possibility. I'm sure the likelihood of someone returning a lost dog is much greater than someone stealing a dog to collect a reward.

Ok here is one if you are on public ground and you see a dog running around and the dog clearly got away from its owner. At what point do you try to help the dog? I am torn on this because we hunt both public and private ground part of me says on the public ground I will find her (eventually), but another part of me says if someone finds her and takes her to the office that would be great. If there is a dog lost and it is not aggressive is there an issue with putting it on lead and taking it to a local office or shelter if you cant find the owner? I am not trying to stir up conversation but it does bring up an hunting courtesy question. I have game bird hunted for a while but these questions did not come up in my mind until I got my own dog.

Name
Address
home #
Cell #

onuhunter02 wrote:Ok here is one if you are on public ground and you see a dog running around and the dog clearly got away from its owner. At what point do you try to help the dog? I am torn on this because we hunt both public and private ground part of me says on the public ground I will find her (eventually), but another part of me says if someone finds her and takes her to the office that would be great. If there is a dog lost and it is not aggressive is there an issue with putting it on lead and taking it to a local office or shelter if you cant find the owner? I am not trying to stir up conversation but it does bring up an hunting courtesy question. I have game bird hunted for a while but these questions did not come up in my mind until I got my own dog.

I would not make an attempt to retrieve a loose dog.

I put my name and phone number and city or town I live In. I wouldn't put reward, people might screw you out of alot of cash. My vet even told me that. I also don't put the pets name because what use is a dog if they don't know the dogs name. It won't listen!

Reward and two cell phone numbers.

Microchip and a Garmin.

My cell#
Wifes cel#
Land Line#
Needs meds

Cajun Casey wrote:

onuhunter02 wrote:Ok here is one if you are on public ground and you see a dog running around and the dog clearly got away from its owner. At what point do you try to help the dog? I am torn on this because we hunt both public and private ground part of me says on the public ground I will find her (eventually), but another part of me says if someone finds her and takes her to the office that would be great. If there is a dog lost and it is not aggressive is there an issue with putting it on lead and taking it to a local office or shelter if you cant find the owner? I am not trying to stir up conversation but it does bring up an hunting courtesy question. I have game bird hunted for a while but these questions did not come up in my mind until I got my own dog.

I would not make an attempt to retrieve a loose dog.

Me either...

WillieELk78GSP wrote:I put my name and phone number and city or town I live In. I wouldn't put reward, people might screw you out of alot of cash. My vet even told me that. I also don't put the pets name because what use is a dog if they don't know the dogs name. It won't listen!

My dogs obey commands without the name. I still don't have it on their collars.

Mine are double tagged, with 4 phone numbers. Me, the wife, my Dad, and a close friend.

Cajun Casey wrote:

onuhunter02 wrote:Ok here is one if you are on public ground and you see a dog running around and the dog clearly got away from its owner. At what point do you try to help the dog? I am torn on this because we hunt both public and private ground part of me says on the public ground I will find her (eventually), but another part of me says if someone finds her and takes her to the office that would be great. If there is a dog lost and it is not aggressive is there an issue with putting it on lead and taking it to a local office or shelter if you cant find the owner? I am not trying to stir up conversation but it does bring up an hunting courtesy question. I have game bird hunted for a while but these questions did not come up in my mind until I got my own dog.

I would not make an attempt to retrieve a loose dog.

Really? You mean ever?

There are certainly cases where I wouldn't pick up a dog, for example in a field or woods. But what if it's running down the road? I picked up a Walker hound last winter in California after a quail hunt. The poor pup had been missing for 3 days. I put him in a dog box and delivered him to the owner who's name and # were on the collar. Boy, was that guy ever glad to get his dog back.

I have my Business name, 2 cell #'s and Call for reward on my collars. But this thread has made me consider removing the later.

Nate

I don't want my address on the tag because I don't want prejudices of where I'm from to enter into a person's decision to call or not to call. I put my name and wife's name on it because I want them to put a name to the dog's owner to personalize the fact that there's a family missing this dog and they have names. I put REWARD on the tag because I will pay a reward. I don't put how much I'll pay on the tag because don't want it to be a decision gate for the finder of the dog. My dog's are not left tied to a pole in front of a store or anywhere else alone in public. So, theft would have to occur from my house by entering my property thru gates or entry to the house itself or from breaking into my vehicle. Both are crimes in and of themselves apart from untying a dog from a pole and walking off with it. I'd trust my neighbors with a key to my house and have.

Everyone has their reasons and logic for their info, I have mine.

I don't put anything. Dogs just have regular plain collars. Haven't lost a dog and don't really plan on it.
When on public lands hunting I keep them in to keep an eye on them and out of respect of others who may be out hunting.
If someone is going to steal my dog all they would have to do is replace the collar with my address and number, etc. On it so defeats the purpose for the dog being stolen.
In all reality I wouldn't take a dog hunting or off leash with me that wasn't obedient to all my commands all of the time. When training a pup he's on a cc all the time, until I know come is significant.
My eyes are always on the dogs. Even when they think I'm not looking .

If I did I definitely wouldn't put the dogs name on it.

My name, address, and two cell phone numbers.

Nobody plans on it. But planning in case it happens may be worth it to you someday. "It can't happen to me" is just denial. My pointer is not much of a digger, but about a month ago she tunneled under my fence and got out in the neighborhood. The street is a culdesac. The neighbors put her up 3 times before they figured out where she was getting out. Needless to say I did something nice for them...some great bbq. 5 yrs ago, a termite service inspector left my double gates open and my lab wandered out into the center of the culdesac and layed under a tree waiting for us to return. A neighbor put her up.

My Name:
My cell, office and home numbers.
Put a chip in the dog.

roaniecowpony wrote:Nobody plans on it. But planning in case it happens may be worth it to you someday. "It can't happen to me" is just denial. My pointer is not much of a digger, but about a month ago she tunneled under my fence and got out in the neighborhood. The street is a culdesac. The neighbors put her up 3 times before they figured out where she was getting out. Needless to say I did something nice for them...some great bbq. 5 yrs ago, a termite service inspector left my double gates open and my lab wandered out into the center of the culdesac and layed under a tree waiting for us to return. A neighbor put her up.

Think this is directed at me.
I'm not in denial at all. Nor do I think it can't happen, but sir I am cautious. My dogs are never left unsupervised while loose. I or whomever is with me keeps an eye out. I treat my dogs like they were my flesh and blood. I wouldn't leave my son in the yard unattended and I'm not going to with my dogs. I'm sorry if my logics don't work for others but they work for me very well.
. To each his own. No pun intended.

Just thought I'd add that in my town if a dog is running loose its a $600 fine so be sure I'm making sure they are in the yard. $600 dollars down the drain just don't work for me.

-My name
- My cell #
- My parents home phone ( they can always get ahold of me)



And as for the question about picking up someone elses dog on public ground. Yes, depending on the situation.

I put my phone number and name.

I also put "needs medication". No one wants to steal a sick dog.

I buy the collars have a brass plate fastened to it, put my cell number and please call if found.

The wrong name with all the other right information. I figure if someone finds my dog and he does not listen well there is a better chance they will return him.

A guy stopped me on a country road and asked if I had seen his lost GSP. I had not seen the dog.
Then later I did find the dog. Called my dog in, he came along, put a leash on the GSP and walked back to the truck.

Now what to do? I did not know the guy, I had no phone number, etc. So I drive around a bit. Then I stop at a farm house and ask the owner if he knew anything about this lost dog. He said he to had spoken with the guy, and said he last saw him make a right turn heading into town.

Well it was lunch time so Dad and I head into town. At the cafe where we were going to eat sits the truck of the dog
owner. I go in and spot the guy and his buddy. He is thrilled to hear his dog is OK. We go out and transfer the dog to his truck, all is good. He then treats Dad and I to lunch and now we hunt together now and then. It would have been a big lose this is one fine bird dog. Maybe I should have kept him...

Mike

***REWARD***
My number and name
My husband's number and name


Dog is chipped as well - I'm a huge believer in that after having assisted in Joplin with the shelter dogs and cats. Having a chip can make the difference in getting your dog back or not - and can really, really shorten that wait time if your dog is picked up. I don't do hanging tags because they can and will break off. I do a nameplate.

That needs meds thing has been so over done I wouldn't pay any attention to that at all. Too bad to, since if a dog really does need meds it will probably be ignored. Not fair to the dog. Your name, address and home phone as well as cell phone is all I include.

Ezzy

Yeah, all three of us that puts need meds on it means its overdone. :roll:

In fact Im the only one I know that does that around here. But whatever.

ezzy333 wrote:That needs meds thing has been so over done I wouldn't pay any attention to that at all. Too bad to, since if a dog really does need meds it will probably be ignored. Not fair to the dog. Your name, address and home phone as well as cell phone is all I include.

Ezzy

I disagree, the last 3 times my dog busted out of my backyard I had people calling me all worried that he was not gonna get his meds!

V-John wrote:Yeah, all three of us that puts need meds on it means its overdone. :roll:

In fact Im the only one I know that does that around here. But whatever.

Good for you. I have been keeping count for the past few months since I became aware of so many lost dogs needing meds. My total as of now is 18 of the last 20 ads posted in the local paper for lost dogs are dogs that need meds. I probably just live in an area where the dogs are kind of sickly and what I see would have no bearing on what happens in Kansas.

Did you notice it was one of the first things the OP mentioned they had heard about and wondered if it was a good idea?

Ezzy

Anyone who would take the time to call a number off a tag would do so whether a note about "meds" was present or not and anyone who would steal a dog would not care what the tag says.

When I was making collars I was surprised at how many and who (i.e., very well-known pros) ordered name plates with something to the effect of "Takes Meds" punched in them. It would depend on how many lines, but a contact name, as many modes of contact as possible and something to the effect of "Takes Meds" is your best bet.

It sounds like there's no agreement on a "best" list of information to put on a collar. We have opinions from no information to fictional medical problems. There would be more agreement if the question was: English Pointer or GSP.

Elkhunter wrote:

ezzy333 wrote:That needs meds thing has been so over done I wouldn't pay any attention to that at all. Too bad to, since if a dog really does need meds it will probably be ignored. Not fair to the dog. Your name, address and home phone as well as cell phone is all I include.

Ezzy

I disagree, the last 3 times my dog busted out of my backyard I had people calling me all worried that he was not gonna get his meds!

I've had the same experience... It's also worried a large percentage of my friends, including hunting buddies that were worried I had a sickly dog.

Ezzy does know everything though...

roaniecowpony wrote:It sounds like there's no agreement on a "best" list of information to put on a collar. We have opinions from no information to fictional medical problems. There would be more agreement if the question was: English Pointer or GSP.

Is that even a question?

I found this dog (Zoe) this morning while running an errand. She is a wolf-mix and the nervous type. It took me about 5 minutes or so to approach her without spooking her. Her dog tag had name and phone number only. The owner arrived to meet me where I found her in just a few minutes.

(Don't let the pic fool you, she was just resting)

displaced_texan wrote:

roaniecowpony wrote:It sounds like there's no agreement on a "best" list of information to put on a collar. We have opinions from no information to fictional medical problems. There would be more agreement if the question was: English Pointer or GSP.

Is that even a question?

Nope!