Who's That Good Boy? Solving the Mystery of Dog ID

Most people keep identification tags on their pet's collar which is great.  Unfortunately, sometimes tags fall off, collars get taken off, or tags can get too scuffed up to read.  This is why it's a good idea to have a back-up plan.  These days microchipping is a great option.  Microchips are placed under the pet's skin.  Most veterinarians and shelters have a hand held scanner so they can check for a microchips.  Another option that is becoming popular is tattooing.  A tattoo with a series of numbers that are registered with a national database can be put either on the pet's inside flank or the ear.  Tattoos work very well as they will not move to another part of the dog's body as microchips sometimes do.  Finally, one more option that is more high tech is to put a GPS device o n your pet's collar which will tell you the pet's exact location.  Again, this can easily be taken off of the pet, so my suggestion would be to use two options together.  The GPS device in order to find the pet quickly, and just in case it fails for any reason, an identifying microchip or a tattoo.  This way your pet is protected twofold.