Tess's ID had broken so i need to get another one asap. now the info that on her old one is -name plus my surname-address-post code-tel number-chipped and spayed. now im sure i read a previous post saying what was needed but i cant find it , thanks all,,, its a bit warmer this week eh !!

Your name and address is required by law. Anything else is optional.

So longs you have address & phone number  also your surname your covered by law. I couldn't fit on postcode so address only on my dogs.

When I took Tinker for her bronze KC thingy that's all they wanted. I also never put the dogs name on their disc's as if someone wanted to steal your dog much easier to gain their trust if they know its name. :-)

Name and address of owner, which can be just the house number and postcode. Contact details are adviseable but not mandatory. I seem to recall some debate as to whether the name of the dog should be on it - some people said no incase dog fell into wrong hands etc.

Magica got in while I was looking at the kennel club website!!!!

Phone isn't required - Owner's name and full street address is. Some use only the house number and post code but I have been advised against this by our dog warden and someone specialising in dog law. Plus, if you find a stray it's far easier to get the dog home quickly if there's a full address on the tag.

As for the dog's name if you called them sausage they'd follow you anywhere ;-)

Copied from KC site:

"The Control of Dogs Order 1992 mandates that any dog in a public place must wear a collar with the name and address (including postcode) of the owner engraved or written on it, or engraved on a tag. Your telephone number is optional (but advisable).

"You can be fined up to £5,000 if your dog does not wear an identification tag.

"Exceptions

"Dogs used on official duties by the armed forces, HM Customs & Excise or the police
"Dogs used for sporting purposes and packs of hounds
"Dogs used for the capture or destruction of vermin
"Dogs used for driving or tending cattle or sheep
"Guide Dogs for the Blind
"Dogs used for emergency rescue work"

I also have 'microchipped' on mine too and a friend has her vets tel no.

I like discs from here.  Someone else recommended collar tags from here

Really do you know anyone who has been fined £5,000 for not having ID on their dog?? :-)

The only people who bother- care about their dogs welfare.

You mention about not needing a phone number, but it is very irritating when you find a dog with only an address.
When I found one in the middle of nowhere I couldn't really pop him in my car and drive him home- as I had 3 dogs in my car already?

I have both my home number and my mobile on my dogs' tags and state that they are microchipped (as well as full address). But the OP asked what was legally required. A phone number is not a legal requirement. I think it's confusing for people sometimes when they ask what's necessary and they get a lot of opinions on what people think is important. They end up with things like they're name and a phone number - then would not be legal. I see it a lot at the training club.

> You mention about not needing a phone number, but it is very irritating when you find a dog with only an address.

Yes it's strange that they say a tel no is optional but the Control of Dog Order is clear that only the name and address of owner is required.  I would always put a tel no on mine, in fact I have home and mobile number. 

Some of the sites that supply tags though are quite good at explaining what is needed, and what is recommended.  Oddly enough the KC's own tag ordering page is not very good!!

Edited to add that: no I've never met, or heard of anyone who'd been fined BUT I did once see a dog warden all set up with a display stand at our local park.  He was explaining what his role was, handing out free dog poo bags, and giving leaflets with discounts on tags.  Seemed like a great idea and quite enterprising I thought!

My dogs don't have big tags but I manage to fit my name, full address with postcode and mobile no on one side.  On the other side I have 'I am Chipped' and the vets no.  Our vets say they will always take a dog in if someone finds it and keep them until we are contacted.

We were fined £20 for our dog being without id about 8 years ago. It wasn't very fair actually, as he had chased off after a bitch on heat, and we'd lost him, when he was with us he had his collar and tags, but when he was found several hours and miles away he didn't have them on.
I don't know whether someone took them off him, thinking they would keep him for stud, then decided not to bother as he was quite an old chap by then (he was a dalmatian, so didn't really look his age).

Sorry I don't agree with putting my full address on so I put my post code, my name, home number and mobile number on.  You never know who could pick your dog up and they could easily get to your house and even I suppose in some ways get access due to them knowing your name, full address etc. 

> You never know who could pick your dog up and they could easily get to your house and even I suppose in some ways get access due to them knowing your name, full address etc.

  but your house is sitting there anyway and a burgler could just walk by and case it anyway.  Why would finding your dog but still not knowing if anyone was home, or if any particularly valuables are in there, make it any more of a target to a burglar than otherwise and how does it give them access?   Rotten luck if your dog happens to be found by a burgler too :-D

On mine are........

My Surname...

My mobile number (no point in a house number if you  are out looking for your dog)

And...." I am chipped"

On my pets
Name, Address, Telephone Number, Allergy Alert information and Microchipped

Isabel because if your dog was missing, most of us would be out there hunting for it trying to find it so certain groups would realise that the house may more than likely be empty.  I know many people agree with me and don't put their full address on.  Maybe illegal, but it has enough and numbers where I or my family members will always be able to be contacted.

> Isabel because if your dog was missing, most of us would be out there hunting for it trying to find it so certain groups would realise that the house may more than likely be empty.

I would think it quite likely that someone was at home manning the phone, nor will they know anything about the security there or the neighbour situation and really what are the odds that someone nefarious happens to be the one that catches your dog.

> On mine are........
>
> My Surname...
>
> My mobile number (no point in a house number if you are out looking for your dog)
>
> And...." I am chipped"

But, as has already been said, that doesn't actually comply with the legal requirements.

>> And...." I am chipped"
> But, as has already been said, that doesn't actually comply with the legal requirements.

I would be astonished if a case was ever brought against someone displaying this after all the address is available via the chip. 
I imagine this law was brought in more to assist accountability rather than reuniting dogs but it does seem as though a little updating would not go amiss.

> after all the address is available via the chip.
>

Yes, I know - but I actually checked this when I did the Good Citizen Test with my two - because I don't like the idea of putting my address on their tags. According to the examiner (also a dog warden) even though we all know it's stupid, hiis authority has prosecuted persistent offenders. And yes, it's all about accountability should an accident be caused by a stray dog.

> hiis authority has prosecuted persistent offenders.

Do you mean people who persist in showing incomplete details or people whose dogs are picked up repeated with no identify? Either way I really don't believe a one off offender with a genuinely lost dog would be prosecuted if some sort of identification was there.

I ahve used these http://www.pettags.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=21 for years, in fact 3 out of five of mine are now 8 years old.  Had only lost two because the split rings broke.

> people who persist in showing incomplete details or people whose dogs are picked up repeated with no identify?

I assume he was referring to the sort of people whose dogs are picked up time after time with no identity.

I'm only repeating what I was told. This guy was quite adamant - if you don't have your name and address on the tag you are breaking the law. Whether the law is an ass is immaterial.The fact remains that if your dog is out on the street (even if you are with it) and does not have a tag that complies with the law you could be prosecuted.

So if you are getting tags made it makes sense to make them legal. You can just put your name and post code.

I am confused i know that they say to put certain things on the tag. Well we've almost completed all the good citizen tests and only had 2 phone numbers on the tag which all examiners were happy with.
I know what the law says about this but how can all these different examiners say it was fine to have just 2 different phone numbers on the tags?

We will get another one though with postcode and phone numbers and chipped on it. I don't see how a full address is going to help with anything though, cause if you've lost your dog you'll be waiting on a phone call not someone turning up with your dog..

This was published in DogWorld 31 Oct ...
"A court has quashed a fine imposed on an owner who did not attached an ID tag to his Siberian Husky. ***** ***** of Park Rd, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire was fined £1,200 by a court after Sheda was found roaming earlier this year. He applealed, had the dog microchipped and the court reduced the sentence to a 12 mth conditional discharge with £60.00 costs "

To be on the right side of the law you MUST have a disc with your name, address, & telephone no.  Even if your dog is microchipped you can be fined if your dog is not wearing the correct identification.  ALL KC good citizen trainers and examiners SHOULD check all tags are legal, an illegal tag SHOULD be result in a fail -- details listed in Excercise 1. Cleanliness & Identification KC Good Citizen Bronze Award.

Karen 

Even if I was out with 3 of my dogs any prospective burgler would have to deal with 4 more if they decided to have a look in my house!

I think it is very unlikely that someone who spends the time and energy to catch your dog and save it from harm is then going to let it loose to pop to your house to have a rumage around.

I run dog training classes and regularly hold Good Citizen tests and the local dog wardens who assess the dogs will very rarely pass anyone who doesn't have the 'legal' information on their dogs ID tag.