Product Review: Freeze Tag

Freeze Tag is the perfect holder for dog tags. I've been looking for the ideal tag holder for years, and I've finally found it. This amazing little device holds tags securely and silently, without dangling too far from the collar. It's fast and easy to change from collar to collar without losing any tags, and it's easy to add new tags as well. Freeze Tag comes in three bright colors.

Photo by Erin Koski

As you probably know, I own an infinite number of dog collars and like to change them often. Obviously a standard split ring wouldn't do for all those wardrobe changes. We've been through a bunch of different tag holders, and along the way I've come up with six requirements for my perfect tag holder. It must be:

• Quiet
• Reliable
• Holds tags close to collar
• Easy to change collars
• Easy to add/remove tags
• Tags don't fall off when switching collars.

Doesn't seem that hard, right? Wrong. Every single product was missing at least one of these...until now. The Freeze Tag people gave this to me at SuperZoo 2016 to try out, and it is amazing.

Tiny Hardware

Freeze Tag has a little screw that runs through the holes in the tags, and a nut that attaches to the end. It's long enough to accommodate multiple tags, as long as you don't have anything super chunky like the Bog Tag. (Which doesn't fit, I tried it.) This holds the tags together securely, keeping them quiet and also preventing them from rubbing together and wearing the engraving off.

A silicone loop attaches to the screw on one end, and then pops over the nut on the other side. It's easy to get on and off, but also takes enough effort that I'm not worried about it falling off on its own. The loop is wide enough to fit around any collar hardware, but keeps the tags up close and doesn't allow a lot of movement. Of course, the tags are all still readable with this holder.

It Has Everything

The Freeze Tag dog tag holder is pretty amazing. It fills my entire wishlist. I can add or remove tags at will, but I don't have to worry about them falling off when switching collars. It holds the tags close to my dog's collar, so they aren't flopping around or making a racket when she herds sheep. It has a reliable design, and has stayed on through six months of herding, hiking, and cattledog gymnastics. What more could I ask for? I need to order one for Zip, who is still wearing a noisy tag holder.

For some other innovative ways to attach tags to your dog's collar, check out my reviews for the Rubit, Tagnabbit, and LINKS-IT.

Dog Tag Silencers

There are a lot of different ways to prevent dog tags from making noise. Working at a daycare and boarding facility, I have seen a ton of creative ways to silence that jingling. I've even employed one or two of these methods in the past, but I don't anymore because I realized something. The sound of my dogs' tags don't bother me when they are just bopping around the house.

Photo by Erin Koski

The only time the sound of jingling tags starts to bother me is when a dog is scratching. Most tags are attached to the collar right beside the buckle, and when they start scratching really good with a back foot, the tags whack into the buckle and make a ton of noise.

The solution for this is not to make the tags quieter. The solution to noisy dog tags is to figure out why the dog is scratching and then fix it.

I have seen tag holders that consist of little neoprene bags that velcro around just the tags. Some wrap around the collar with a little pocket to hold the tags without attaching them to the collar itself. Many high-end collars now include a little rubber disc that goes on the split ring between the tags to keep them from banging into each other. At work I have seen a number of dogs with their rabies, identification, and license tags all taped or rubber banded together. Brisbane's Dog Tag Art tag came with a little rubber rim. There exist flat ID tags that slide or rivet onto the collar, and I've also seen regular tags riveted on.

Many of these products and hacks help reduce wear and help keep the tags readable for longer, which is a reasonable goal. I also see a whole lot of completely unreadable tags worn flat from rubbing against their neighbors on the dog's collar. However I'm pretty sure that the itchiest dogs have their tags duct taped together to keep them quiet.

Dogs itch for a lot of reasons. They may have fleas, a food allergy, or an environmental allergy. Figuring out the problem may be as simple as a dose of flea medication, a change of food, or may require a trip to the vet. Still, it's worth solving. If your dog is keeping you up all night scratching and jangling their tags, imagine how unpleasant it must be for them! Muffling the tags just makes them suffer in silence.

How do you attach your dog's tags?

Product Review: Ollydog Nightlife II Collar

The Ollydog Nightlife II Collar is a flat buckle collar with an incredibly reflective strip down the middle. It features durable nylon webbing, a quick-release buckle, and a rubber tag muffler. This collar is available in nine colors and three sizes to fit dogs with necks 8-29" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

When it comes to visibility, this collar is tough to beat. That wide reflective strip is pretty impressive at night. It picks up flashlight beams and car headlights and throws them back in a way that makes it look like the collar itself is glowing.

Ollydog makes some neat outdoor dog gear, and while I'm not as madly in love with them as I am with Ruffwear, I still like the company a whole lot. These collars last a long time, can handle anything from beach sand to serious mud, and are really nice collars for active outdoor-enthusiast dogs.

I especially like that little rubber tag silencer. It goes between the ID tag and county license, rabies tag, religious symbol, etc, and keeps the tags from clanking together. I don't find dog tag noises to be particularly annoying, but obviously a lot of people do. There are a ton of different products intended to solve this problem, and I think this is one of the simplest and most durable solutions.

Pros: High visibility in low-light conditions. High durability. Stays bright and colorful for a long, long time. Comes in tiny through ponydog sizes.

Cons: That reflective tape is the same width on every collar, so it looks a whole lot skinnier on the larger sizes.

Bottom Line: An excellent utilitarian collar, and probably my favorite reflective piece of dog gear.