# How many tags is your dog required to wear?



## storysunfolding (Aug 26, 2008)

It's taken me awhile to realize this but my dog is required to wear 5 dog tags!
-Id tag- required by rescue
-Rescue id tag- required by rescue
-County Dog License- required to be on the dog when outside
-Rabies Tag- required to be on the dog when outside
-HOA tag- required by HOA to be able to use the neighborhoods dog facilities.

I'm trying to consolidate anyway that I can. After looking through the forum, I decided to have two boomerang tags made to replace the ID and Rescue tag. The HOA tag isn't as strict so I can probably get by leaving it attached to the leash. So far I haven't found a way around reworking the county or rabies tag but at least that's just two clanking around instead of five.

How many tags does your dog have to wear?


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

Wally only has to wear the county license and his rabies tag. He has an ID tag as well. 

So, two required by law, 3 total.


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## melaka (Mar 31, 2010)

KBLover said:


> Wally only has to wear the county license and his rabies tag. He has an ID tag as well.
> 
> So, two required by law, 3 total.


It's the same here.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

KBLover said:


> Wally only has to wear the county license and his rabies tag. He has an ID tag as well.
> 
> So, two required by law, 3 total.


Same here, except ours is a city rather than a county license and we have a separate off-leash park tag in order to use the city-run dog parks. So 4 total, although technically only 2 are _required_.


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## MusherChic (Nov 6, 2010)

The pet dogs wear their rabies tag only. I also will write my phone # with a permanent marker on their collar. 
The sled dogs only have the # written in marker on their collar. To keep tags on them would be to much of a risk of a dog getting loose at a race ( or at home...) from a handler or somebody clipping a neckline or drop chain to the little tag ring (which are extremely easy for an excited sled dog to break) so I keep those in my kennel book. 
I'm looking into getting name plates put on all of my collars though.


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## 3Lab (Jun 4, 2010)

As far as I know, there are no laws requiring our dogs to wear any tags, in our county. However, mine wear ID tags on their collars with their name, mine, town name, and phone number. The backs of the tags also say 'special needs dog,' just in case someone would want to keep one of the girls should they find them, it may deter them from doing so.
They also wear their rabies tags.


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## BrittanieJo (Sep 23, 2010)

Aggie wears entirely too many I've been debating taking some off...she wears an ID with my number on it, a second ID with her daddy's number on it (he made it at work and for some reason didn't think to put both numbers on), her rabies tag and her microchip tag. We are supposed to get her county dog license as well but since we are military it's not required as she's registered on base with the military so I'm not getting one (take that NC dog taxes!). I'm just trying to figure out a way to not break her daddy's heart by taking that big old tag off....has anyone used the little pouches that you shove all the tags into? I was thinking that may work as well. It doesn't bother her at all and the sound doesn't bother me I just think it's too much.


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## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

Uallis has 3 that he currently wears. Rabies, county license and ID tag. Uallis used to wear 4 with the other one being some AKC missing dog hotline thingy...I thought it was pointless and tossed it. He had/has 3 other ways for him to be identified with his other tags. lol Eddie is currently wearing only 2 (Rabies and county license)...He lost his ID tag, I have no clue where...so I have to replace it as soon as I get the chance. So like KBLover...2 required but 3 total.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

Same as most others: Rabies (it has the vet's address and phone number on it too) and county license are required. She also has an identification tag with her name, our address and my and my SO's phone numbers.

I'm thinking about buying a collar that has a phone number printed on it and then attaching the license directly to the collar so only the rabies dangles. We'll see.


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## Trillian (Jan 17, 2011)

At the moment they wear three:

ID tag
Rabies tag
Micro chip tag

Jetta's ID tag has "Therapy dog" on the back to help deter people from stealing/keeping her as pitbulls are highly sought after dog here, and besides she's in therapy training


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## tirluc (Aug 29, 2006)

mine have rabies, license and CGC/ID tag...the ID is their micro chip # (i used that instead of phone/address b/c mine changes so much that it's stupid to keep replacing tags)

that said, we are not actually "required" to have them on our dog at all times but we better be able to produce them if we're out and about


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

Our county and rabies tag is rolled into one.... But that tag resides on my keychain since my dogs do not wear collars. 
Other than that, they are chipped and tattooed.


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## sarahspins (Apr 6, 2009)

Mine are only "required" to wear one, and that is their rabies tag. County licensing ($5 for an altered animal, $10 for intact) only serves as a means to enforce rabies vaccination, but there is no fine if your dog is not licensed so long as they have a current rabies vax. 

All of our dogs wear ID, rabies, and microchip tags. Any one of the 3 could get them home, but it's nice to know there is some redundancy if one or more tags falls off - which has happened several times, the split rings just don't hold up with our dogs.


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## Jare (Aug 12, 2009)

Two.

Rabies and ID tag.


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## Darkmoon (Mar 12, 2007)

One by law Rabies.

3 by my house rules:
Rabies
Home Again microchip information
CGC tag with His name, my name, and my parents phone number on it (because they haven't changed their phone number in 25 years and won't)


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

I don't know if mine are required to wear any tags. I keep their rabies tags on my keychain (I always have my keys with me when we're out) because I hate listening to tags jingling as the dogs walk. They just have ID tags with their name and my cell phone number.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

My dogs are required to wear one tag, which is the council registration tag, but I haven't registered them and it's not enforced. Australia is rabies free, so don't need a rabies tag. They wear a tag with their name and our home number on it.

They are both microchipped, which is more important than tags imo.

I was going to get boomerang tags, but their site seems to not be working, so oh well.


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## JuneBud (Feb 17, 2010)

One tag - the county rabies tag, but he also has a stainless steel ID tag. I had the ID tag done on both sides: name, address and phone number on one side, and Home Again info and vet phone # on the other side. I can't imagine having him wear 5 tags.


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## storysunfolding (Aug 26, 2008)

JuneBud said:


> I can't imagine having him wear 5 tags.


That was my thought. In the past I was able to keep things like county tags on the leash but for some reason they changed the rules. It's now on his person or not at all. I also have the option of adding his microchip tag, but I think I'll just incorporate that info with the boomerang tag.


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

Buster wears 2, microchip tag & rabies/ID (my vet engraves my info on the tag). Only the rabies tag is required.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

I honestly have no idea if they're required to wear any tags by law. In the house, no one wears collars. When walking, their collars only have their Boomerang tags. Their rabies tags are stapled to the rabies certificate; I don't put them on. Should the dogs get loose (hasn't happened to us in ten years & different dogs) and they get picked up, i can bring in their rabies stuff then. IF I'm breaking some law by not having them wearing rabies, guess I'll pay the fine! My dogs are licensed (two of them anyway) and their licenses are stapled to the certificates, same as the rabies. All three of mine are microchipped, which would help as well should they get loose


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

License and Rabies. I rivet the license to the collar (no hanging tags) and an ID tag to the collar (again not hanging). Hanging tags I put on a "Tagnabbit" from Pet Supplies Delivered and I can swap it from collar to collar or take it off b4 I go in the AKC ring (no hang tags allowed in the AKC obedience ring). 

They both HAD Avid ID tags but Questa lost hers... both dogs are microchipped.


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## melaka (Mar 31, 2010)

I guess I should've said that a lot of times when we go out, Buffy only wears an ID tag and I just bring her collar with her other tags. Sometimes she wears her plain martingale collar (walking) or her breakaway collar (playing), and her tags are on her nice, flat collar. Or, sometimes she wears two collars. She's also microchipped.


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## XelaTheChi (Nov 3, 2010)

Only ones required where I am I believe is the rabies tag which doubles as the county tag. But I keep it on my key ring as Xela hates it on her harness.


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## Everyday Miracles (Nov 14, 2010)

2 by law: ID tag and rabies tag. But of course she's too young for the rabies shot, so right now she just as one.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

I don't really know by law what he's supposed to wear. I don't live in a neighborhood, we live on 3 acres with 90 acres of farmland behind us... the farmers dogs are loose all the time with no tags at all.

But he only wears one tag with his name and my phone number on it. His rabies tag stays on my keychain. He's also microchipped.


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## Deron_dog (Feb 21, 2009)

Roxie wears her ID Tag with Her Name, Her Picture, Phone Number and my name, Rabies Tag, County Tag and AKC Lost/found tag (and that's only on there cause I can't get it off LOL)

Ianto wears an ID Tag with his Name, His Picture, Phone Number and My Name, Rabies Tag, County Tag, and AKC Lost/Found Tag (again only on there cause I can't get it off) 

Wally wears ID Tag with his Name, His Picture, Phone Number and My Name, Rabies Tag, County Tag and CGC Tag with his name my phone number on it and a SD Tag just saying he's a Service Dog.

The Cats both wear Nam Tags with Names and a Phone Number sewn into the Fabric.


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## PiperPuppy (Nov 28, 2010)

County/rabies tag is required. I have a boomerang tag that has our phone numbers and the microchip number on it (that way she doesn't have to wear the HomeAgain tag, too).


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## mom2molly (Jan 3, 2011)

Molly has 2 right now...her Name tag which has her name and our home phone # on it. and her Rabies tag. we havent registered her with the city we live in yet. need to do that soon! as far as what is legally required by law i dont even know. i guess i need to find that out!


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## BeyondBlessed (Jan 25, 2011)

I've done some checking into this. I plan on having my dog microchipped, but I'm sure I'll have some kind of ID tag. The city requires an off-leash license to use the dog parks, and at the groomers and surely everywhere else a valid off-leash tag will suffice for a rabies tag since they have to have proof of up-to-date vaccination to get an off-leash tag. I've talked to the humane society, not animal control, and from what I understand, especially since they call it an "off-leash" license, nothing is needed as long as your dog is on a leash.


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## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

Apparently, Rabies vaccinations aren't mandatory in Ohio. (Just looked it up) I figured it was by now...so I guess legally they only need to wear one tag...county license. I think I'll keep the tag on them anyway because it is required in WV and we are right on the border and we go over into WV all the time, or maybe I'll just attach it to their leashes. Uallis rabies vacc. is up this year, so he'll get a new tag shortly. Eddie's is due next year.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

Mdawn said:


> Apparently, Rabies vaccinations aren't mandatory in Ohio. (Just looked it up) I figured it was by now...so I guess legally they only need to wear one tag...county license. I think I'll keep the tag on them anyway because it is required in WV and we are right on the border and we go over into WV all the time, or maybe I'll just attach it to their leashes. Uallis rabies vacc. is up this year, so he'll get a new tag shortly. Eddie's is due next year.


I didn't know that. Cool. From what I know of vaccines they are effective long after their expiration date and Sydney just got her rabies is late 2010 so I don't think I'm going to get it again when it expires unless the law changes by 2013.


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## doginthedesert (Jun 18, 2010)

I actually called animal control when we first got our dog cause the rabies tag we got at the shelter turned green and started to smell really bad after we went swimming once. Turns out here dogs need only to be able to show proof of vaccination with a certificate if they ever bite someone or anything like that, the tag means nothing at all. Dogs are required to be identified in some way, either microchip or collar tag, so really my dog is not required to wear any tags at all. I am in unincorporated county, so there are no dog licenses either.

Right now he has a name tag with my number, spouses number, and his name. We should be getting his AKC CAR tag soon, I was thinking of putting that on there, but can't exactly see the point, if he is found with his tags he has our number on it anyway.


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## railNtrailcowgrl (Jul 24, 2008)

We are required by law to wear one (our county dog license) and rabies varies from county to county in Ohio. Pebbles wears 3 currently and will have 4 once she gets her rabies booster. She has her id tag with DH & I's cell phone numbers, county license, and a red medical tag that reads "I need medication please help me home".


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

PiperPuppy said:


> County/rabies tag is required. I have a boomerang tag that has our phone numbers and the microchip number on it (that way she doesn't have to wear the HomeAgain tag, too).


thats a really good idea, I'll have to keep that in mind, we havent gotten a Boomerang tag for Ginger yet, waiting til she's full grown to buy her girly collar lol


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## PiperPuppy (Nov 28, 2010)

InkedMarie said:


> thats a really good idea, I'll have to keep that in mind, we havent gotten a Boomerang tag for Ginger yet, waiting til she's full grown to buy her girly collar lol


Ya, I got Piper a boomerang tag for her collar, knowing I will be buying another one when she is full grown. I think of it as money well spent, though.


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## Chikyuu (May 1, 2010)

I had no idea tags were required by law. Is it different per state? If so... a lot of my neighbors are screwed XD

I just have River wear a nametag with phone number, and her rabies vacc tag.


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## storysunfolding (Aug 26, 2008)

Chikyuu said:


> I had no idea tags were required by law. Is it different per state?


It seems to differ by county in Va. They've also changed things around a bit in the last two years. Our state required rabies vaccinations, but our county is the one that enforces the tag, and county license to be on display. For me the rest is covered with by my rescue contract or my HOA contract. I could probably fight those one way or another, but I don't see it being worth the effort.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

PiperPuppy said:


> Ya, I got Piper a boomerang tag for her collar, knowing I will be buying another one when she is full grown. I think of it as money well spent, though.


Ginger was 4mos 3 weeks when we got her, a Brittany so pretty close to full grown. So, we got her a cheap tag at Pet Co but I can probably buy her a cool collar soon!


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## BrittanieJo (Sep 23, 2010)

Just wanted to share that boomerangs site is back up and Aggie now has a slide on collar tag on the way with all her info so we can get rid of all the tags but her rabies hanging! We also go her a small plastic tag that says special needs (for her allergies). So we are going from 4 tags to two and then the one on her collar that doesn't hang. That will make a lot less stuf getting in her way! I'm also switching from a split ring to an s ring so it stops getting caught on junk! How exciting!


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## Charis (Jul 12, 2009)

Each of my dogs wears:
ID tag - Their name, numbers, address (the address turned out to be priceless when Misty escaped - one person brought our Siberian Husky right back to our door)
Rabies tags - I'm not sure if the tag is required to be on the dog but the vaccine is required and I would rather have proof on me at all times as the rabies vaccination rate is low in our county and you have to be able to prove vaccination to use the dog parks
AKC CAR tags on two of the dogs. The third dog doesn't care if the gate blows wide open - he's going to continue sunbathing.


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## Pareeeee (Sep 29, 2009)

Here you are only required to have a rabies tag. Fidget has that and her ID tag ordered from Ebay


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## Toabster (Nov 16, 2010)

Not sure whether this was mentioned above, but we got little Max a QuietSpot. It's still in the mail, so don't know how well it works, but it sounds like it'd be good. Otherwise, having all his tags (name, rabies, microchip, city tag) is just too loud.


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## LisaM (Mar 1, 2011)

I am another who didn't know some countries, states, counties, etc required dogs to wear certain tags. I'll have to look up the rules for here. My dog wears a Boomerang tag - the jumbo bone with double-sided engraving.

Side 1:
Dog's Name
Home #
My Cell #
If I'm Alone, I'm Lost!
More Info on Reverse

Side 2:
Dog's Name
License #
Rabies Tag #
Avid Chip #
Vet #

I love the Boomerang tags that go directly on the collar, no jingling!! But I love the look of the rolled leather collar on my dog, so I need a hanging tag.


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## Charis (Jul 12, 2009)

I recently added one more tag to two of the dogs. Dawson now wears a medical alert tag that reads "elderly dog - requires medication" and Sierra (still in mail since this is a new development) a tag that says "*ALLERGY* Catnip." I love that I was able to find medical alert tags at a good price (under $4),


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## RubyFeuer (Mar 30, 2010)

My dogs are only _required_ to wear two, a rabies tag and a license, but I require them to wear an extra one which is their ID. tag with all their info. I'm thinking about getting a tag with their microchip numbers on them.


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## Syrina (Jul 9, 2009)

We only have one tag we have to wear - the county license. It counts a rabies tag, too, because we can't get a license without the rabies shot. 

We also have an ID tag with his name and our phone number, but that's just in case he ever gets lost.

I keep them attached to his collar. He has to be on leash outside anyway (no yard), so he has to wear his collar.


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

Just 1 is required where I live, the proof of rabies vaccination tag. I plan to get another tag w/his name and info on it in case he gets lost, though.

Wow, 5 tags is a LOT. I'm just imagining how noisy that would be, LOL, it'd be like having a live wind chime!


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## BlueChaos (Mar 29, 2010)

I cant stand the tags jingling to be honest, so Uno just wear a nametag and his avid microchip tag since its plastic it doesent make any noise. But I also use these to help with the noise:
http://www.dogtagart.com/additional-products/dog-tag-silencer


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## Deeken (Feb 14, 2011)

Deeken has a bunch of tags but only his license is required by law. I've actually copied his license information onto a few tags and attached them to different collars as he doesn't always wear the same one (I still have to be able to produce the issued license if he's ever picked up as a stray- extremely unlikely). He also has tags with his name and my phone number on most of his collars, and on his main walking collar he also has his insurance tag (it gives our information and the vet permission to treat the dog if he's brought in and I'm not there). He doesn't wear a collar in the house though so the tags wouldn't be of much help if he was ever let out accidentally He doesn't need to wear a rabies tag as it is not taken as proof of vaccination and I would have to produce his vet records if he ever bit someone. The rabies tag is only an additional way to get my info if he's ever lost so I figured it was redundant.

He is tattooed (which is more useful than microchipping in BC since that's what all the vet's do and people don't always remember to check for a microchip). When I was working at the shelter, tattoos were way better at re-uniting dogs with their owners than microchips. However, I think that BC has a different tattooing system than anywhere else.


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## Puppy_love_122 (Jul 20, 2007)

My dogs have their ID tag with our phone#s, and their rabies tag. But I don't think either are required by law. 

ID is def not required and I'm preeety sure rabies isn't. I googled and in MO apparently whether or not the rabies vaccine is required by law varies by local ordinances (nothing state wide), we're unincorporated and its not required for the county, so I'm guessin wearing the tags is not required but they do anyways. Welcome to missouri...:doh:


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## upendi'smommy (Nov 12, 2008)

Two that they are required to wear, a county dog license tag and a rabies tag. All of my girls have an id tag too, so they only have to have two, but wear three.

That being said, they only have collars/tags on when going outside.


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## Charis (Jul 12, 2009)

Maggie Girl said:


> Wow, 5 tags is a LOT. I'm just imagining how noisy that would be, LOL, it'd be like having a live wind chime!


I actually like the noise - it helps me keep track of everyone around the house.


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