What Should Be Engraved on a Dog Tag? (UK Law + What Actually Matters)
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What Should Be Engraved on a Dog Tag? UK Law + What Actually Matters
A jeweller's honest guide to getting your dog's tag right — what the law says, what we'd actually recommend, and the small details that matter when your dog goes missing.
We make dog tags for a living. Bella, our 13-year-old chief product tester, has worn one of ours every day for years. She also went missing once — and that's the reason Tag A Paw exists.
So when someone asks us "what should I put on my dog's tag?", we don't just quote the law at them. The law is the starting point. What you actually engrave is what gets your dog home.
Here's how to think about it.
What UK Law Says (The Short Version)
By UK law, every dog in a public place must wear a collar with a tag — or an inscribed collar — showing the owner's name and address.
That's it. That's the legal minimum.
The law is the Control of Dogs Order 1992, and the fine for non-compliance can reach £5,000. Your dog still needs a tag even if they're microchipped — microchipping is a separate legal requirement, not a replacement.
But here's where the law and reality part ways: the law was written before mobile phones were in every pocket. It was designed so a stray dog could be returned by post. Today, if a dog walker finds your scared spaniel in the park, they're not going to write you a letter. They're going to call you.
Which is why what the law requires and what you should actually engrave are two different things.
What Should Actually Be Engraved on a Dog Tag
Here's what we'd put on, in order of importance:
1. A mobile phone number
The single most important thing on the tag. If someone finds your dog, this is what gets you reunited in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours. The law doesn't require it. Common sense does.
If you can fit two numbers (yours and a partner's, or a family member's), even better — in case your phone is dead, on silent, or you're unreachable.
2. Your surname
Not your full name. A surname is enough for the law and enough for whoever finds your dog. "Hi, is that the Hendersons? I've got your dog."
3. Your postcode (and house number)
A full postcode plus house number identifies any UK address. You don't need the street name, town, or county — they're already in the postcode. This saves valuable engraving space.
4. The word "Microchipped" (if they are)
A small detail that does a big job. If the finder takes your dog to a vet, this tells them straight away the dog can be scanned. It's free, takes one line, and speeds up the reunion if your phone isn't being answered.
5. (Optional) Medical info
If your dog has a condition that matters in an emergency — epilepsy, diabetes, allergies — adding "Needs meds" or "Diabetic" can genuinely save their life. Only include this if it's clinically important. Otherwise, skip it.
What NOT to Engrave (and Why)
This is where most guides go quiet. We won't.
Your dog's name — think twice
It's the most personal thing to put on a tag, and most people do. But there are two reasons we'd ask you to think about it first:
- Dog theft. Around 2,000 dogs are stolen in England and Wales each year. A thief who knows your dog's name can call them by it, gain trust, and convince a buyer the dog is theirs.
- Recall risk. A stranger calling your dog by name can lure them away from you in a park.
That said — most owners still want their dog's name on the tag, and we get it. It's part of how a tag feels like theirs. If you do include it, make sure your phone number is bigger and more prominent. If your dog ever ends up on someone else's lap, you want the number to be the first thing they read.
A nice middle ground: just an initial. "B" on a tag for Bella works — personal, but not a giveaway.
Your full home address
Many people instinctively engrave their full street address. Don't. House number and postcode is enough — and it leaves a stranger with less personal information than a full address would.
Phrases like "Please call my mummy" or "I'm lost without you"
These are sweet, but every word takes engraving space away from the information that actually gets your dog home. A small tag with three lines of "Please call mummy thank you ❤" and a half-finished phone number isn't going to help anyone.
Skip the filler. Use the space for the number.
Real Engraving Layouts That Work
Here's what good engraving actually looks like on a tag.
The minimum (legal compliant + useful):
HENDERSON
12, CB1 2AB
07XXX XXX XXX
Our favourite (no dog name, two numbers, microchipped flag):
HENDERSON
12, CB1 2AB
07XXX XXX XXX
07XXX XXX XXX
MICROCHIPPED
With dog's name (front and back tag — what we'd recommend if you want the name on):
Front: BELLA (with a design — paw print, flower, mountain) Back:
HENDERSON
12, CB1 2AB
07XXX XXX XXX
MICROCHIPPED
This is the layout we make most often at Tag A Paw. The name on the front is decorative and personal. The information that matters is on the back, where the finder will look anyway.
Why "Deep Engraving" Actually Matters
Here's the bit most blog posts skip: none of this matters if the engraving has faded.
We've heard from hundreds of customers who came to us after their old tag became unreadable. Cheap tags use shallow surface engraving — a thin layer of ink or laser marking that wears off in months. The information on the tag at the moment your dog is actually lost is often the information that's no longer there.
Tag A Paw tags use 2.5D deep engraving — cut deep into solid brass or sterling silver and filled with hand-painted colour. The colour wears in slowly over the years; the engraving itself doesn't. We guarantee it for life.
That's not a marketing line. It's the entire point of the tag. A tag your finder can't read is no tag at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a dog tag legally required in the UK? Yes. The Control of Dogs Order 1992 requires every dog in a public place to wear a collar with the owner's name and address — either inscribed on the collar itself or engraved on a tag. Failure can result in a fine of up to £5,000.
Does a microchip replace a dog tag? No. Microchipping is a separate legal requirement (since 2016). Both are required. A microchip needs a vet to read it; a tag works in 30 seconds with a phone.
Should I put my dog's name on the tag? It's optional. Many owners do, but there's a small theft and recall risk. If you want the name on, put your phone number on more prominently — that's what gets your dog home.
Is a phone number legally required on a dog tag? No. Only your name and address are legally required. But a phone number is by far the most useful piece of information on a modern tag, and we'd always recommend including one.
Do I need to put my full address on the tag? No. House number and postcode is enough to identify any UK address.
What size of tag is best for engraving? A 25mm tag fits four lines comfortably. A 30mm tag gives you a little more space for medical info or a second phone number. Smaller than 25mm and the engraving gets cramped — readability suffers.
How long should engraving last? On a properly made tag, engraving should last as long as the tag itself. Cheap surface engraving fades in months. Deep engraving (like ours) lasts decades. If you've replaced your dog's tag more than once, the tag was the problem — not your dog.
The One Thing to Take Away
If your dog gets lost tomorrow, what's on the tag is what brings them home. The law gives you the floor. Your job is to think about the actual moment someone is standing in a park holding your dog's collar, squinting at the engraving, looking for a way to reach you.
Make that moment easy.
A clear surname. A postcode. A phone number that's still readable five years from now. That's the tag that works.
Tag A Paw makes solid brass and sterling silver dog tags by hand in our Essex workshop. Every tag is deep-engraved with a lifetime guarantee on the engraving — because we've seen what happens when a tag fails.
Home is just a tag away.