Dog collars and dog medals

I just finished a product review (that you can read here) about dog collars and it made me think about a very important aspect of dog-ownership that is sometimes forgotten.

A few weeks ago, a neighbor's dog escaped. He was caught a few houses down but, because he didn't have a proper collar - the collar was only closing with a snap - he ran away and was never found. Because he was - and I am sure, still is - a beautiful dog, I am certain that he found another home. But who knows? Nobody knows, and that is my point.

The importance of a proper collar is too often overlooked when, in fact, it should be the first accessory that a new dog owner should be looking for.

Not only the collar is important, but what you HAVE to put on the collar is important too. I cannot press the importance that a simple dog medal can do.

My dogs have more than one medal on their collar. They have :

- Rabbies shot medals (changed every year)
- Registration medals (of our city, changed every year)
- A cute non-necessary medal with their name and our phone number
- And a plastic tag with their registration number with a micro-chip company

And if you think that having that many medals make a lot of noise, you are wrong. You see, I tape their medals together. Yes, I tape them. This way, I don't have to hear them (without taping them, you would only last one hour before going crazy) but I know that they are safe should they run away and be found.

So make the effort to protect your dog, to protect your family. Make sure that they have their own identification.