Pet ID Tag Guide: What to Actually Engrave (and What to Leave Off)

If you're ordering a pet ID tag right now and just want the answer: engrave your pet's name and one working phone number, and think twice before adding your full home address. That's the combination most vets and lost-pet networks recommend, because a tag has to do one job well — get your pet back to you fast — without handing a stranger more information than they need. Everything else below is about getting the size, material, and shape right so the tag actually survives collar life long enough for that information to matter.

Need the quick version?

• 🐾 What to engrave → pet's name + your phone number (add a second number if you have one)
• 📍 Address → optional, and we'd leave it off — see why below
• 📏 Size → match it to your pet's weight, not just "small/medium/large" guesswork
• 🔩 Material → stainless steel for lowest maintenance, copper or brass if you like a metal that ages with character
• ✏️ Engraving → laser engraving fits more text and works on both sides; hand stamping is usually one side only

What information should actually go on a pet ID tag

The point of a pet ID tag is simple: whoever finds your pet should be able to reach you in the next five minutes, not go looking for you. That means the information on the tag matters more than how it looks. Here's how we'd split it:

• Essential — always include: your pet's name, and at least one phone number you actually answer.
• Worth adding if there's room: a second phone number (partner, family member, or a neighbor who's usually home), and the word "REWARD" if that's genuinely true for you — it noticeably increases how fast people call.
• What we'd leave off: your full home address. A lost pet with an address on its tag tells a stranger exactly where you live and, often, that you're not home right now looking for it. A phone number gets your pet back just as fast without that risk. If you want a location reference for a shelter or vet, your city or area name is a safer middle ground than a full street address.
• A medical note, if it matters: something short like "on medication" or "deaf" can help whoever finds your pet handle them correctly in the first few minutes, especially if you're not reachable immediately.

None of this replaces a microchip — a tag is what gets your pet home in the first hour, a chip is the backup if the tag ever comes off. The two work together, they're not a choice between one or the other.

What size pet ID tag fits your pet

Tag size should follow your pet's actual weight, not a guess. Across our pet tag range, sizing generally breaks down like this:

• 25mm — kittens, puppies, and very small cats
• 30mm — cats and small dogs (roughly 10–26 kg for dogs)
• 38mm and up — medium to large dogs (roughly 26–45 kg and above)

Going too big isn't just about looks — an oversized tag on a small cat's collar swings around, jingles constantly, and is more likely to catch on things. Going too small on a large dog just means you run out of room for the phone number that actually matters.

Which material actually holds up on a collar

A pet tag lives a rougher life than most jewelry — it gets licked, rained on, dragged through mud, and knocked against food bowls every day. That changes which metal makes sense:

• Stainless steel — the lowest-maintenance option. It doesn't oxidize or tarnish, handles constant moisture well, and is a sensible default if you don't want to think about the tag again after you put it on the collar.
• Copper — ages into a natural patina over time, which some owners like for the character, but it will darken and can occasionally leave a faint green mark on light-colored fur where it rubs, the same oxidation process we cover in our copper care guide. Fine for a pet that isn't in water constantly; not our first pick for a dog that swims a lot.
• Brass — sits in between: it tarnishes rather than greens, and gives a warm gold tone if you want something other than silver. See our full brass vs copper vs stainless steel comparison for the metallurgy behind why each behaves differently.

If your pet is a swimmer, a puppy that chews everything in reach, or just lives outdoors a lot, steel is the one we'd point you to first.

Hand-stamped vs laser-engraved for a pet tag

This matters more for pet tags than for most personalized pieces, because pet tags are small and get read in a hurry. Hand-stamped tags are usually stamped on one face only, since stamping leaves a slight impression on the back — fine for a name and one phone number, tighter if you want more. Laser engraving cuts finer text, fits more characters, and can go on both sides of the same tag, which is genuinely useful here: name and "I'm friendly!" on one side, two phone numbers on the other. Our general Hand Stamped vs Laser Engraved guide covers the durability and look differences in more depth if you're deciding between the two for the first time.

Round, bone-shaped, or bar tag — does the shape matter?

Mostly it's personal taste — a bone shape reads as "obviously a pet tag" at a glance, a round tag is the classic, low-key option, and a bar tag (engraved on all four edges) fits noticeably more text if you want two phone numbers and a name without cramming. The one practical difference: round and bone tags usually only take an engraving on the flat front and back faces, while a bar tag gives you four separate lines to split information across, which is handy if "essential" and "nice-to-have" from the list above won't both fit on one small round tag.

Not this — if you're looking for military-style dog tags

Worth a quick note since the names get confused constantly: "dog tag" as a military term refers to human identification tags, not a product for your pet — the resemblance is where the nickname came from, not the other way round. If that's actually what you're after, see our separate Guide to Dog Tags / Army Tags / Military Tags. Everything in this guide is about the pet version.

Found the right details? Here's where to put them

• For a dog → Pet ID Tags for Dogs
• For a cat → Pet ID Tags for Cats
• Not sure yet, want to see everything → Gifts for Pets

Send us the wording on WhatsApp before you order if you're unsure it'll fit — we'd rather tell you to trim a phone number down to digits only now than have you find out it's cramped after the tag is made.

Frequently asked questions

Should I put my address on my pet's ID tag?
We'd leave it off. A phone number gets your pet back just as quickly, without telling a stranger exactly where you live and that your pet is currently loose without you. If you want some location context, a city or neighborhood name is a safer middle ground than a full street address.

Is a tag enough, or do I still need a microchip?
Both, ideally. A tag is what gets your pet home fast in the first hour because anyone can read it immediately; a microchip is the backup if the tag ever falls off the collar. They're not competing options.

What size tag should I get for a medium dog?
Around 38mm is the usual fit for dogs roughly 26–45 kg. If your dog is right on the edge between sizes, we'd size up rather than down — a slightly larger tag is a minor annoyance, a tag with no room for a phone number isn't useful.

Which material is best for a dog that swims or plays outside a lot?
Stainless steel. It doesn't oxidize or tarnish and handles constant moisture without any maintenance, unlike copper or brass which will change color over time.

Can I engrave both sides of a pet tag?
Yes, on laser-engraved tags — that's where we'd put a name plus "friendly" or a medical note on one side and phone numbers on the other. Hand-stamped tags are usually one side only, since stamping leaves an impression on the back face.

How do I know what to actually write if I have more information than fits?
Prioritize in this order: pet's name, one phone number, second phone number, then anything else. If it doesn't all fit on a small tag, the phone number is worth more than the name in an emergency — send us your exact wording on WhatsApp and we'll tell you honestly what fits before you order.