Dog collars have evolved from solely functional items for keeping the dog on a leash to fashionable accessories that reflect the dog's personality and its parents' style. Here are reasons why dog owners are transitioning from traditional boring collars and ID tags to personalized collars that have the dog's information embroidered or engraved.
The Benefits of Personalized Dog Collars for Active Pups
A personalized dog collar is like integrating your dog's ID tag into the collar design. Instead of just a plain collar, a personalized collar has the dog's name, your contact info, and a little message. The information can be embroidered on the fabric or engraved on the collar closers.
That means you won't need to attach a dog ID tag. The information on a personalized collar is permanent, and you can't change it unless you change the collar. These collars are customizable, and you can add images, colors, and patterns to your liking. Here are some benefits of getting your furry friend a personalized dog collar.
Increases Chances of Getting Back Your Lost Dog
More than 1 million pets get lost in Canada each year, and dogs account for a staggering seven out of ten reported cases. Puppies are the prime targets for thieves due to their high demand in the online pet market. In fact, Canadian pet owners have fallen victim to dog scammers to the tune of over $300,000.
These statistics show that dogs getting lost is a disaster that can strike at any time. Although you can enact some preventive measures, like dog fences and keeping the dog on a leash during walks, things can still fail.
For example, giant dog breeds like Greyhounds with strong prey drives can spot a squirrel, dash after it, the leash slips out of hand, and the dog wanders off. Or a strong and territorial breed like the German Shepherd spots another dog on the streets, jumps over the fence, and gives chase.
After the dog's emotions settle down, it'll probably start roaming around in the neighborhood. The most promising way to get back your lost dog is to ensure the finders have your contacts. There's no better way of doing this than getting your dog a personalized collar.
The finders can contact you through the phone number, and you can then go and pick up your furry friend.
While some dog owners prefer to engrave their home address on their furry friend's collar, we strongly recommend adding your contact information instead. Not everyone is comfortable handling a lost dog, and making a phone call is much easier.
Personalized Collars Are More Visible
It's one thing to say you should put your contact information on your pet's collar, but it's another to ensure that information is readable by a potential finder. A tiny phone number on a dog ID tag can be tough to decipher, especially when your lost dog is unsettled.
In fact, most traditional ID tags dangle under the dog's chin. Not everyone is comfortable reaching into a strange dog's mouth area. It's a serious barrier that could delay a happy reunion when the dog in question is a giant and aggressive dog breed such as the Tibetan Mastiff.
To the finders, it feels like a death wish to try and reach the tag under the chin. After all, it's not the finder's responsibility to make sure you reunite with your lost dog. It's all about generosity, and not many people will be generous enough to risk dog bites.
Personalized collars offer a game-changing solution to the readability problem with traditional ID tags. For instance, you can embroider the contact information in a bold, block font. This way, finders can read the writings from afar.
Another thing is the location. Traditional ID tags are like tiny, hard-to-read tags stuck under a dog's chin. Even with big letters, getting a good look is a challenge. For a personalized collar, the embroidered writings can be on the visible sides of the collar. That's much easier to read. You'll have eliminated the risk of a nervous dog snapping at a finder trying to get a closer look.
Reliable
Think of a personalized collar as your pet's insurance policy against getting lost. It's your last line of defense, so you want it to be as reliable as possible. For instance, your dog, propelled by a strong prey drive, chases a squirrel and disappears into the woods, taking their ID tag with them.
You scour the neighborhood, only to find damaged pieces of the tag. Your last hope has vanished. The broken ID tag doesn't necessarily mean your dog is in trouble. Maybe it was a poorly designed tag that snapped under pressure.
But the damage is a glaring red flag that your pet's safety net has failed. Even if your dog is found, the chances of them being returned to you without clear contact information are slim. It's a risk no dog owner should take. That's where a personalized dog collar shines.
Embroidering your contact details onto the collar webbing or engraving it on the buckle is like creating a permanent, unbreakable ID tag. Your dog's information stays safe and accessible unless the collar breaks and comes off, which doesn't happen easily.
In fact, you can take your dog's safety to a different level by eliminating the chances of the collar breaking. Instead of personalizing the normal collars, get a personalized, high-quality collar from Alpine Dogs. These collars are made of 1050D nylon and can withstand even the most adventurous escapades. It's the ultimate peace of mind.
Noiseless
One of the downsides of ID tags is noise. Most traditional dog tags are made from aluminum or stainless steel, which can transform your furry friend into a walking orchestra. Every shake, every playful leap, and even just normal walking can cause jingling.
This constant clanging can be annoying, not to mention potentially embarrassing in public. Let's talk about the noise pollution your dog is silently enduring. While we humans might find the jingling of metal tags mildly irritating, dogs live in a world where every little noise is amplified.
Research shows that dogs can hear higher frequencies up to 45,000 hertz, whereas we can hear a maximum frequency of 23,000 hertz. That means a dog can hear sounds up to twice as high as we can hear. Research also shows that dogs get annoyed by frequencies of around 25,000 hertz.
That means your dog might be hearing very annoying jingling sounds from the ID tags, but the sound is out of your hearing range, and you won't even know it exists. You might notice your dog barking and having destructive behaviors when you attach the ID tag, but you have no idea why.
A personalized collar solves all these problems without sacrificing the benefits of an ID tag. There is no noise since the information on a personalized collar is part of the collar, not a separate accessory.
Convenient
As we mentioned, your contact information on the dog's collar is your last line of defense. But have you ever thought what would happen when you are in a hurry to go for a walk or hiking, and you forget to attach the ID tag—then when you're miles away from home, you notice the dog has no ID tag?
Well, probably, you'll deny your dog the freedom to explore and smell the trails, fearing that it'll wander off. Even worse, in places like Montreal, you can get fines of up to $250 for walking in public places with a dog without ID tags. Law enforcers and animal control associations can even impound or detain your dog until you show the licensing.
That means you can easily land into legal problems simply for forgetting to attach the ID tag. A personalized collar eliminates these worries. As long as your furry friend has the personalized collar, he has the contact information with him.
Coordinates Outfits
Your furry companion is more than just a pet. He's a cherished family member and has a unique personality. When you're going on vacations and taking family photos, your furry friend should be part of the photo.
In the same way, you coordinate outfits for family portraits and special events, you should extend the fashion fun to your four-legged friend. But dogs are not exactly fashionistas like humans and won't be wearing jeans, sneakers, and cardigans, especially during hot summer vacations.
He will probably only be wearing a collar. But you can maximize on this collar. Instead of just wearing the traditional boring colors and patterns, you can use a personalized collar that complements your outfits. That way, people won't mistake your furry friend for a photobomber.
Customizable
A standard dog ID tag is about 1.5 inches long and 1 inch wide. These dimensions are well-calculated to make sure the tag is big enough to clearly display your dog's information but small enough to be comfortable and lightweight.
You'll need a larger tag if you want to add more information besides the basic dog name and contact information. For instance, military tags that are designed to hold more information are relatively larger, measuring 1.125 inches in width and 2 inches in length.
That means almost all the standard dog ID tags in the market can only hold the basic information. If you try to customize and add more information, the writing will be small and unreadable, countering the whole purpose of having the ID tag.
However, for personalized collars, you're embroidering the collar fabric and engraving the buckles. That means you have a massive surface area to play around with. For example, collars for small dog breeds range from 6 inches to 13 inches in length, while those for large breeds range from 18 inches to 26 inches in length.
Most collar widths range from 1 inch up to 2 inches for giant dog breeds. As a result, personalized collars allow you to add more information without compromising font size and readability. You'll have the freedom to add things like the critical health information of your furry friend. For instance, you can add I'm Deaf or I'm Blind phrases.
Durable
Collar customization is usually done by the manufacturer. You only need to give the information you want embroidered or engraved in the collar, and send a high-resolution image of the dog if you want it added. As you can tell, this personalization comes with an extra cost.
The alternative is to personalize the collar yourself using an embroidering or engraving machine. The latter is more expensive as it requires costly machines and, of course, skills. Regardless of the personalization route you choose, the collar will be more expensive compared to normal collars.
Personalizing a cheap, low-quality collar that will need replacement after several months is a terrible financial decision. You'll want to invest in a collar that can serve the entire dog's lifetime without needing replacement.
As a result, personalized collars from reputable brands such as Alpine Dogs are high-quality and durable. They are made of rugged nylon webbing and have machine-welded D-rings that won't snap under pressure, even if the dog is a heavy puller. In the end, personalized collars are known to be more durable.
Conversational Starter
We can't conclude the benefits of personalized collars without mentioning how they are great for starting conversations. Many people are used to seeing the normal collar designs, colors and patterns. Nothing unique, nothing to talk about.
But for personalized collars, you can add unique text, color, image and patterns to convey a hidden message. You'll be telling people about your personality, the personality of the dog, your backgrounds and unique bond between you, without talking about it.
For instance, you can add a text like—I'm not drooling, I'm just hydrating my chin or Good boys/girls deserve treats—to spark lighthearted banter. On the other hand, you can add something like Adopted, not Bought, to spark a conversation about adoption and rescue efforts.
Final Thoughts
Your furry friend is part of your family, and he deserves to look his absolute best. One of the best ways to elevate your furry friend's style is to get him a personalized collar. That way, he'll not have to walk with a noisy ID tag jingling and weighing him down. He'll also be able to complement the family outfits during vacations and events.