How to Silence Dog Tags

Dog tags keep dogs street legal. They show identity, rabies vaccination and licensing. Dog tags are noisy. They keep people awake at night, alert barking dogs when another dog is walking, interrupt conversations, and jingle-jangle during quiet time. Dog tags rub against each other and wear down the engravings. Some dog tags also discolor dog fur on light-colored dogs. Silencing your dog's tags can solve all these problems. Here are ways plain and fancy to quiet those noisy janglers.

Instructions

    • 1

      Grab a rubber band for a quick fix on noisy tags. Hold the flat sides of the tags together. Wrap the rubber band around the tags and strap them together snugly to stop the noise. This is a temporary solution but is very effective. The rubber band can be easily put on and taken off. This is handy for tags that only need to be quiet part of the time.

    • 2

      Raid the sewing basket or utility room for sticky hook and loop fasteners. These fasteners are often used to replace shirt buttons. They have a loop side, a hook side, and sticky adhesive backs. Make sure the backs of the tags fit together neatly. You may need to take one tag off and turn it around on its ring to be sure the tags are back to back. Put the sticky side of one fastener on the back of a tag. Put the matching fastener on the back of the other tag. Be sure the two fasteners match up and the two tags have their engraved sides visible. Press the fasteners together. The identification marking are visible but the fasteners silence the tags. This keeps tags quiet all the time.

    • 3

      Attach a plastic tag silencer. Silencers are sold at pet shops, hardware stores and locksmith or key-making businesses. These inexpensive plastic devices fit around the tag. They come in various colors and shapes. Install by taking the tag off the collar hook or ring. Stretch the plastic silencer around the outside of the tag. Put the silencer and tag back on the collar. A silencer stays on the tags all the time.

    • 4

      Bag those tags. Small fabric or suede bags are designed to fit over the tags. Elastic or cord keeps the bag in place. The bag can be easily removed after a walk. Styles and designs are available to match dog outfits.

    • 5

      Use a collar pocket for dogs that get tag-trapped. Dogs that are in crates, around fences or who sleep on vents sometimes get their tags caught. They are trapped until someone finds them. A collar pocket fits on the collar and the tags are kept inside the pocket. Choose a collar pocket big enough to hold the tags and with non-metal snaps. Metal snaps can rust. Now enjoy your walk without alerting the neighborhood yappers.