Best Dog Tags 2026: Engraved, Slide-On, and Silent Options Reviewed

The jingling. That constant, metallic tinkling that follows your dog from room to room, wakes you up at 3 AM when they scratch their ear, and drives you slowly, quietly insane.

Traditional hanging dog tags are effective identification, but they come with baggage: noise, snagging, wearing smooth until the text is unreadable, and occasionally falling off at the worst possible moment. The good news is that tag design has evolved significantly, and there are now options that solve every one of these problems.

Here’s a breakdown of the best dog tags available right now, organized by type and ranked by what actually matters — durability and readability along with whether they’ll still be legible in a year.

Types of Dog Tags

Standard Hanging Tags

The classic. A metal or plastic tag hangs from the D-ring of your collar via a split ring or S-hook. Available in countless shapes: bone, heart, circle, rectangle, paw print.

Pros: Inexpensive, universally available, easy to swap between collars Cons: Jingles constantly, can snag, wears against other tags, text fades over time on cheap options

Slide-On Tags

Tags that thread directly onto the collar webbing. They sit flat against the collar and move with it, eliminating the dangle and jingle entirely.

Pros: Silent, can’t fall off, won’t snag on anything Cons: Harder to transfer between collars, limited to collar widths the tag supports, less text space

Collar Plate Tags

Riveted or screwed directly to the collar. Permanently attached with zero chance of loss.

Pros: Won’t come off under any circumstances, completely flat and snag-proof Cons: Can’t transfer to another collar, requires specific collar compatibility, replacing info means replacing the plate

Silicone/Rubber Tags

Flexible tags made from medical-grade silicone. Lightweight, silent, and usually embed the text rather than engrave it.

Pros: Silent, lightweight, comfortable, waterproof Cons: Less durable than metal, can tear if snagged, text may become harder to read over time

Best Hanging Tags

GoTags Stainless Steel Pet ID Tags

The bestselling dog tag on Amazon, and it earned that position honestly. GoTags offers deep laser engraving on mirror-finished stainless steel in bone, circle or heart-shaped shapes. Stainless steel doesn’t rust, and the deep engraving stays readable for years.

You get up to eight lines of custom text (four per side), which is more than most competitors. The edges are smooth and deburred, and the included split ring is sturdy — not the flimsy type that pops open in a week.

Price: Around $5-$8 Material: Stainless steel Best for: Owners who want reliable, affordable engraved identification with no gimmicks

Red Dingo Tags

A premium option with a lifetime engraving guarantee. Available in stainless steel, enamel or titanium. Red Dingo uses diamond-tipped engraving for deep, permanent text that the company guarantees won’t fade.

The enamel designs are the standout — dozens of colors and patterns that look genuinely good, not like the generic bone-shaped tags at the pet store checkout counter.

Price: Around $10-$18 Material: Stainless steel, enamel, titanium, or brass Best for: Owners who want a tag that looks good and has a lifetime readability guarantee

Providence Engraving Pet ID Tags

Another strong stainless steel option with deep laser engraving and a wide selection of shapes and sizes. Providence tags are consistently praised for engraving quality , the text is sharp and deeply resistant to wearing smooth.

Price: Around $6-$10 Material: Stainless steel or anodized aluminum Best for: A solid alternative to GoTags if you want different shape options

Best Slide-On Tags

Boomerang CollarTags

The original slide-on tag. These stainless steel nameplates thread directly onto your collar webbing and sit flat against the neck. Diamond-engraved text is deep and permanent. Available for collar widths from 1/2 inch to 1.5 inches.

The biggest advantage: these tags are completely silent. No jingling, ever. They can’t catch on crate wire, branches, or furniture. And because they’re riveted to the collar webbing, they physically cannot fall off.

Price: Around $15-$25 Material: Stainless steel with diamond engraving Best for: Owners who are done with jingling, snagging, and lost tags

ScruffTag Slide-On Tags

Similar concept to Boomerang but with a simpler design that slides onto the collar without tools. The tag has a channel that the collar webbing passes through. Available in multiple sizes to fit standard collar widths.

ScruffTags are lighter than Boomerangs and easier to install, but the engraving depth is slightly less aggressive. Still readable after a year of daily wear, but not quite as deep as diamond-engraved alternatives.

Price: Around $10-$15 Material: Stainless steel or aluminum Best for: Owners who want slide-on convenience without permanent attachment

Best Silent Tags

Silicone Pet ID Tags

Multiple brands offer silicone dog tags in various shapes. These tags are completely silent, lightweight, and waterproof. Text is typically debossed (pressed into the material) or printed.

The tradeoff is durability , silicone tags are softer than metal and can be chewed, torn, or gradually lose text clarity. They work best as secondary identification rather than the sole tag.

Price: Around $8-$15 Material: Medical-grade silicone Best for: Noise-sensitive dogs (or owners), secondary identification alongside a microchip

Tag Silencers / Pouches

Not a tag type itself, but worth mentioning: rubber or neoprene pouches that wrap around traditional hanging tags to dampen noise. If you already own tags and just want to reduce the jingling, a $5 silencer pouch is the fastest solution.

Price: Around $3-$8 Best for: Owners who like their current tags but hate the noise

Engraving Methods Compared

Method	Depth	Durability	Cost	Best For
Laser engraving	Medium	High	Low ($5-$10)	Most owners
Diamond engraving	Deep	Very high	Medium ($10-$25)	Long-term readability
Hand stamping	Variable	Medium	Low ($5-$12)	Artisan/boutique look
Printing	Surface	Low	Low ($3-$8)	Temporary or backup

Our recommendation: Laser engraving on stainless steel is the best value. Diamond engraving is worth the premium if you want text that’s still readable in five years without replacement.

What to Engrave on a Dog Tag

Front side (minimum): - Dog’s name

Your phone number

Back side (if space allows): - Second phone number (partner, family member)

City and state
“MICROCHIPPED” (if applicable)
Medical alert (e.g., “NEEDS MEDICATION,” “DIABETIC”)

Skip: Your home address. A phone number reaches you faster and doesn’t reveal your location to strangers who find your dog’s tag.

How to Attach Tags Securely

The tag itself is only as reliable as the attachment:

Split rings (like tiny key rings): Most secure for hanging tags. Difficult to bend open accidentally. Upgraded stainless steel split rings from GoTags and others are the best option.

S-hooks: Come with many tags but are the weakest option. They bend open over time and lose tags regularly. Replace S-hooks with split rings immediately.

Locking carabiners: Miniature carabiners provide a quick-release option that’s more secure than S-hooks. Good for owners who switch tags between collars frequently.

Direct slide-on / rivet: The most secure attachment possible. The tag physically cannot come off without tools.

Tag Maintenance

Check your dog’s tags monthly:

Readability: Run your finger over the engraving. If you can’t feel the letters, the text is wearing down.
Attachment: Wiggle the split ring. If it moves easily, replace it.
Contact accuracy: Make sure the phone number on the tag is still your current number. This sounds obvious, but it’s the most common failure point.
Tag collision: If two metal tags hang together, they wear each other down. Add a silencer pouch between them or switch one to a slide-on.

For digital tag alternatives, see our dog ID tag comparison which covers QR code and GPS options.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do engraved dog tags last?

Laser-engraved stainless steel tags last 2-4 years before text becomes difficult to read. Diamond-engraved tags can last 5+ years. Aluminum tags wear fastest , expect 6-12 months of readability. Replace any tag when you have to squint to read it.

Should I get one tag or two?

One at minimum with your phone number. Two is better if you want to include a city license or rabies tag. If you’re worried about noise, get one slide-on tag and ditch the hanging tags entirely.

Can I machine wash a collar with a slide-on tag?

Stainless steel slide-on tags handle machine washing fine. Remove the collar from your dog first (obviously), put it in a mesh bag, and wash on delicate. Air dry. The tag won’t be affected.

My dog chews their tags. What should I do?

Switch to a slide-on or rivet tag that the dog can’t reach with its mouth. Dogs chew hanging tags because they dangle near their jaw. Eliminating the dangle eliminates the chewing.