TATTOO'S ON DOGS

[chris fuson]

HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS TATTO YOUR OWN PUPS OR ADULT HOUNDS? ALSO I ASSUME BUT AM NOT FOR SURE WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO DO THE TATTOO? WHEN THEY ARE A VERY YOUNG PUP? ALSO HAVE YOU EVER TATTOOED DOGS THAT WHERE 3 OR 4, DID THE OLD DOGS GIVE YOU ANY TROUBLE? ALSO WHAT COLOR OF INK IS THE BEST TO USE? BLACK OR GREEN? I JUST GOT A TATTOO GUN IT CAME WITH BLACK INK, WAS WONDERING IF GREEN WAS BETTER? WHICH ONE SHOWS UP AND LAST THE LONGEST, BLACK OR GREEN? ALSO HAVE YOU RAN INTO ANY PROBLEMS WITH THERE EARS GETTING INFECTED OR ANYTHING? IVE NEVER DONE THIS SO IS THERE ANY TIPS THAT WOULD BE USEFULL FOR ME TO KNOW? I HAVE 2 5 MONTH OLD PUPS AND A COUPLE OF OLDER DOGS THAT DONT HAVE A TATTOO, I JUST DIDNT WANT TO GO AND BUTCHER THERE EARS UP OR ANYTHING, SO I FIGURED I WOULD GET SOME OPINIONS ON IT AND HOW AND WHEN IS BEST TO DO IT. THANKS FOR ANY HELP

[Boomerx]

In Canada, we've been required to tattoo our hounds for many years (more than 50) and just recently have been allowed the choice of tattooing or microchipping. In my opinion, throw away the black ink. The green is far better (longer lasting, easier to read). Most of us tattoo pups when they're 6 weeks old. Best way is to carefully check the tattoo number first (by pressing it into a piece of cardboard or paper), then dip the entire pliers with tattoo letters into a cup of boiling water to sterilize it. Apply the tattoo (with no ink), then rub ink into the tattoo letters. Rub hard for a minute or so, and you're done. This way, you don't get ink on the tattoo letters, making cleanup easier. Apply the tattoo in the inner part of the ear that has little or no hair. It should be clear and readable for many years. If you need to see it better, as the hound gets to be 6-10 years old, , clean the ear and put a flashlight on the backside of the ear. Terry McBride

[LaMarr Rhoades]

you do not use a tattoo gun to tattoo a dog,the device you use looks more like a stamp

[chris fuson]

THANKS ALOT TERRY FOR YOUR ADVICE ON THE COLOR OF INK AND THE FLASHLIGHT DEAL. ALSO THANKS ON YOUR OPINION ON AGE OF PUPS AS WELL. AND I OWN THE TATTOO DEVICE SO I KNOW ITS NOT A ""GUN"" THAT ITS MORE LIKE A STAMP.

[LaMarr Rhoades]

i dont know what they make you guys pay for ink and stuff but i can get all that stuff really cheap

[chris fuson]

i can get the green ink for about 4 or 5 dollars, 5 or 6 oz tube, how much can you get the ink for ? also has anyone ever tried any other colors than black or green ? the green ink that i can get is not a real dark green its got a light tint to it. i wonder how a neon green would show up in the ears

[Farmerwells]

is there any kind of "code" you guys use for the numbers /letters tattooed in the dogs ear. I have seen somewhere there is a letter that corresponds the year we are in. I want to do this but not sure what to put in the ear. When we raised rabbits for show we would tattoo all of them with whatever we wanted

[chris fuson]

i put my inititals and the month and day they were born, just i guess whatever you want to put. i dont know of any requirments but i could be wwrong.

[Ryan]

Has anyone had trouble with the letters/digits looking "funny" after a dog really scratches up his/her ears in the briars?

[redpup]

here is a link that will tell you what is required by akc. each hound has to have it's own number. if you keep sussie,daisy,and jenny out of the same litter. akc has to be able to identify each of them.
http://www.akc.org/enewsletter/akc_bree ... entity.cfm