Older Dog Tattooed?????????? - Page 2

I don't know about the vets, but I have the new microchip reader :-)  I microchip my own puppies, you know, it saves me hundreds with every litter.  $15 a pup as compared with $40 a pup!  Easy to do.  Vets--- so happy to charge me $440 to microchip a litter of eleven puppies, when I could have purchased 25 microchips for about half that amount and done it myself!

I will also bring the reader to club trials, for those dogs that are not tattooed. 

I sure do hate tattooing, even though I do it!  I feel like crying almost as much as my puppies do!  The whole practice of tattooing is headed towards Obsolete-ville, in my opinion!

Veronica

In answer to your question.

I have tattooed quite a few dogs without problems.

I would recomend that you never put the dog under to do a leg tattoo as you are risking it's life for nothing.

The Hauptner or ketchum type pliers come with various size numbers and letters so you won't have the problem of pup sized letters in an adult ear.

Best

Chris 

I had my 3 year old tattooed in her ear (pen) when she was spayed

I had my male's ear tattoo re-done (very faded) when he was OFA'd at 5 yrs old.

No problems having them done in the ears on an older dog, although with a pup 8-9 mos I would wait till he's a little older and the ear cartilage is harder...just in case.   Maybe when they have his hips done at 2yrs.

I personally would never tattoo on the inner thigh... you have to show it before you compete, the last thing I'd want to do right before my dog tracks is force him on his back to show the judge his belly (inner thigh)~!!!

Microchip is good but you must bring a reader if the club you are competing at doesn't have one, and most don't.  I think they're like $200-$300.

Yellow Rose, In the hound people I know, ears have been cut off stolen dogs to remove tattoo's.  Part of the reason we do both tatto and micro chip. Many working houndsman brand their dogs, now that's an ID that's difficult to remove or change.

Nice to hear chip readers have come down in price. We've been thinkig of getting one for when we travel.

To show a thigh tattoo to a judge you do not have to roll the dog on it's back.  You can teach the dog to stand up on hind legs, putting front legs on your arm - the judge can lean down to see the tattoo.  I would never roll my dog over for anyone - and it is not necessary.

molly

I also think the Microchip is an added bonus.......I know this last time, when my dog came back home from Germany, they checked his tattoo AND microchipped him for his "passport"...the microchip ID number is also in his passport.

Robin

Molly, good to know thanks!

one more thing about showing a thigh (or ear) tattoo to a judge -make sure it is visible!  Hair grows in, on dark dogs if hair is over the tattoo it can be impossible to read.  Especially with the thigh tattoo, where the judge isn't going to want to put his face down there to get too close - have the dog's tattoo cleaned and hair shaved before the trial.  Make sure it is as easy to read as possible.

molly