How to put a tag on a collar (and keep it on)
Updated 1 November 2026 · 4 min read
An ID tag only helps if it's still on the collar when it's needed, and the small ring that holds it is often the weakest part. Here's how the common fittings work, how to fit one properly, and the two-minute check that keeps a tag where it should be.
The ways a tag attaches
- Split ring: the double loop of wire, like a keyring. A common fitting and one of the most secure, because it has no opening to come undone, but it's fiddly to get on.
- S-hook: a small S of metal you squeeze shut with pliers. Quick to fit, but it can be pulled open again, so check it's fully closed.
- Clip or lobster clasp: easy to swap between collars, but a clip can snag and come undone, so it's the least secure for everyday wear.
- Slide-on tag: threads onto the collar itself and sits flat, so it can't swing, catch or fall off. It has to be the right size for the collar.
- Riveted plate or embroidered collar: nothing to come off at all, which is why they're popular for dogs that swim or play rough.
How to fit a split ring without breaking a nail
- Push the edge of a coin, a small flat-head screwdriver or a butter knife between the two loops at the end of the ring to open a gap. Split-ring pliers, which cost a few pounds, make it much easier.
- Slide the tag's hole into the gap, then turn the ring round until the tag has travelled all the way along the coil and hangs from the ring properly.
- Put the ring onto the collar's D-ring, the metal loop the tag hangs from, the same way.
- Give the tag a firm tug. It shouldn't be able to slip back out through the gap.
If the ring is small and stiff, work slowly. Split rings are hardened steel, and it's easier to lever them open a little at a time than to force a fingernail in.
Where on the collar it should go
Hang the tag from the collar's D-ring. If the collar has two rings, keep the tag on the one you don't clip the lead to: the lead clip rubbing against the tag's ring on every walk wears it through faster, and the tags knock together less. Our guide on stopping a dog's tag jingling has more on that.
For a cat, use a quick-release (snap-open) collar, which Cats Protection describes as the safest kind because it pops open if it gets caught. Hang the tag from the collar's ring so nothing stops the clasp releasing, and keep the tag light. You should be able to fit two fingers under the collar. See should my cat wear a collar?
What the law asks for dogs
In a public place in the UK, a dog must wear a collar with the owner's name and address on it, or on a plate or badge attached to it (the Control of Dogs Order 1992). A harness on its own doesn't meet that, so a dog that walks on a harness still needs a collar and tag, and a microchip doesn't count either. Our UK dog collar and tag law guide has the detail, and the what to put on a dog tag page lays out what to put on the tag.
Putting on a PetTag
A PetTag hangs from a ring like any other tag, so fit it with a split ring on the collar's D-ring. Your name and address go on its back if you personalise it, or on an engraved tag or collar plate alongside. Anyone who finds your pet can then scan it with a phone camera to reach you straight away. See the tags.
Quick answers
What's the most secure way to attach a dog tag?+
A split ring is the most secure fitting that hangs, because it has no opening to come undone. A slide-on tag, a riveted plate or an embroidered collar can't come off at all. S-hooks and clips are quicker to fit but easier to lose.
How do you open a split ring easily?+
Push the edge of a coin, a small flat-head screwdriver or a butter knife between the loops at the end of the ring to open a gap, or use split-ring pliers. Feed the tag's hole into the gap and turn the ring until the tag is all the way on.
Can I attach a tag without a split ring?+
Yes. An S-hook, a clip, a small screw-gate link or a slide-on tag that threads onto the collar all work. A split ring or a slide-on tag is the most secure. A clip is the easiest to swap between collars, but the most likely to come undone.
Should the tag go on the same ring as the lead?+
Better not, if the collar has a second ring. The lead clip rubs against the tag's ring on every walk and wears it through faster.
How do I put a tag on a cat's breakaway collar?+
Hang it from the collar's ring with a small split ring, or thread a slide-on tag onto the band away from the clasp, so nothing stops the clasp popping open if the collar gets caught.
How do I take a tag off a split ring?+
Open the end of the ring with the edge of a coin or split-ring pliers, as you would to fit it, then turn the ring the other way so the tag travels back along the coil and out of the gap.
How often should I check my pet's tag?+
Once a week, and after baths and swims. Replace a split ring as soon as it looks bent or worn.
Sources (3)
This guide is general information, not legal or veterinary advice. How we write our guides
