In the past few years, I've occasionally read that your dog's name should not be on their collar/tag. The reasoning is: if they are ever lost, a person who finds them will have an easier time making them obey commands, so the person can try to sell them. Or the finder might feel like they are bonding with the dog, making them tempted to keep him/her. This might sound strange, but I would be afraid of someone finding my dog and thinking that I don't care enough to name them. I wouldn't want the dog to seem like a "number" who escaped from a puppy mill or a "lonely dog chained up in the yard all day" life.
I doubt there is any factual basis for that advice. It doesn't make sense that someone who steals a dog will use the dog's real name when selling it. And having done rescue for years, a dog will quickly start responding to a new name if used consistently. And a well trained dog will respond to commands without the need to use their name (general exception is the recall, but even that can be worked by using a friendly voice and/or treats). For me, having the dog's name on the tag gives the finder a tool to help calm down the dog. By not using their name in a found post, the finder could ask anyone claiming the dog to verify her name against what is on the tag for proof of ownership. It could also be used in the reverse. The finder could simply post "I found Tornado-dog" and ask for a description to verify ownership. My dogs wear ID tags 24/7 as does Looney1 (as he goes outside - sometimes without permission). The other cats have ID tags on their harnesses which they wear whenever I take them to the vet, etc. All the tags contain the same info: Name - REWARD Phone number Vehicle lic #xxxxxxx Trailer lic #xxxxxxx The last two are because if we are camping or go hiking, etc, we are often outside of cell phone range. If someone finds the animal, they can look for my vehicle and/or trailer in the campground or trailhead to reconnect us quickly.
I think they mean that a thief will use the name to make the pet obey/follow them; so the pet is easier to catch before making a sales ad.
They have to catch the dog before they can read the tag, so it still doesn't make any sense that putting your dog's name on the tag makes it easier for a thief. And whilethere aredog thieves out there, they aren't going after any and all dogs. Frenchies seem to be the most popular breed to thieves - and I suspect that is because they are so difficult to breed. With most breeds, it is cheaper and easier to just become a backyard breeder and sell the puppies.
UK tags must have the name of the owner and the address by law. You can abbreviate to the house number and the postal code. I always use my surname and full address as the dog is hopefully still in the locality. I add a mobile number, (as I would be bound to be out searching for her). That doesn't leave much room for the dog's name too, especially if you add, 'Chipped' to the B side. If they are a thief they would throw away the tag anyway.
Unfortunately, so much advice out there is based on faulty premises like this. Which is why it is good to examine it and discuss it so we can see past the "emotional response" and view it objectively. I think it's human nature to read/hear such advice and try to make the logic fit. Especially nowadays with so much AI generated info on the internet, things get repeated over and over without a real person ever examining it to see if it really makes sense. And the more we read it, the more we think it must be true because it is everywhere so we don't question it.
Not only is AI a problem, but there are so many wannabe social media stars who are trying to turn their YouTube channel/Tiktok/Instagram account into their full-time job. Sometimes they offer ridiculous advice for the sake of trying to go viral, and even seem to invent new "problems" for us to prevent.
My sister owns 40 acres of property in a rual area. Last october she took her pug to the property with her grandson and a few other people so they could winterize the trailers she has up there. Others also took their dogs all of which were big dogs. One day all of the dogs took off after a deer and when they returned ollie the pug was not with them. They all searched the entire property but with so many lots and acrage bordering my sisters property there was no way to search it all. Her daughter told her to make a facebook page dedicated to ollie and through that she found someone who saw another ad for a dog found in the area. Long story short after about 24 hrs she got ollie back. Since then we made the decision to put his name and her cell number on his collar. If he had been wearing a collar with his name/number on it she could gave gotten him back much sooner. The guy who found him found him 7 miles from my sisters property.
I'm glad she got him back. That is one of the problems with dogs that normally wear harnesses. Unless they are left on all the time the dog's only identifier is his microchip. In a remote area, not everyone has access to a scanner.
