Just wondering, how do you identify your puppies, esp' when they are new born and all the same colour, so you can keep checks on their weight etc?

I know some people may use a kitten collar or piece of coloured wool/ribbon for each one, someone I know has put a small dot of tippex/nail varnish on different parts of the puppies body, but I'm just wondering what have you found to be the best way?

Ive used ribbon but they grow so fast you have to change it constanly,so dont do that anymore,ive used paper collars but again theyre fiddly and they dont break like they say they do so dont use them anymore,
last litter i had all one colour and just knew who was who they all came out different shades and as they grew i knew by face.
ive also had just two jet black but one male one female so...its a good question..i suppose if i had a mixture of colours and sex id not use nothing but weight records if they all came out same colour and sexes id probably for now use paper bands..i have to!

interested to see answers too

I started off using the disposible plastic coated paper ones,but didn't like them,I then bought some small puppy fabric ones that were each a diffeerent colour.However I had watch them carefully as very  occasionally they would ride over their front legs.Ok if you are watching your pups 24/7 for the first weeks as we were.
There are some really pretty whelping collars on e bay at the mo with stars and paws etc.

I used white nail polish on one nail on one front paw of each pup that I couldn't distinguish and kept a record of which was which, had to be redone a few times but worked well on black nails :-D

thanks everyone, I was thinkign that the nail varnish 'spot' would be the best idea, as I have heard other people who didn't like using the paper collars or ribbon, I guess you need to make sure the 'spots' don't disappear, but at least you can keep a tab on weight gain etc

When we had litters of labradors (which would either be black or yellow) we used a spray marker that was used for sheep/goats - a quick spray blob on l/shoulder/right shoulder/left thigh/right thigh would be sufficient to identify tiny babies until they grew enough to recognise differences - and mum couldn't wash it off.  

One time, with a particularly large litter (more boys than girls) we had to resort to double blobs!

We also used it, at about 5-6 weeks, when people were "picking" their puppies, so that they would know that they got the correct pup when they collected them.

Mind you, I'm not sure if the spray would still be available - check with agricultural/small holder suppliers.

My breeder makes her own plaited wool collars.  It works really well and means that the eventual owners will always be able to spot their puppy in the nest when looking back at the puppy pics.

Obviously they need to be replaced as the puppies grow but I like being able to spot certain pups even before the choices are made.  In years to come, once you know how those pups have developed, it's also very helpful to look back and see what they looked like each week.  It might even inform you when making your next puppy choice!

I use good old fasioned knicker elastic..and put blobs on with a perminant marker ie one blog girl, one blob boy, two blob girl etc... I just cut enough to go snugly round the neck and tie it. Works very well untill they are big enough to put proper little collars on (Not long in my breed !) If they get a paw through it there is plenty of strech so as not to hurt them. Someone is within 10 ft of them 100% of the time for the first 3 weeks anyway :-)
Aileen

I use nail poish, different colours on tips of the tails.

I always use nail varnish near the end of the tail so that when they are feeding I can identify them immediately.

I have in the past used the paper collars for a few days to identify my puppies.  I do feel the quality of them is not what it was and they do come off quite easily.  Someone recommended using these - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-Artist-quality-Oil-Pastels-Wax-Crayons-Pentel-/370319975436?_trksid=p4340.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DDLSL%252BSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%252BDDSIC%26otn%3D8%26pmod%3D150409209073%252B150409209073%26po%3D%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D2814763273924907204 - heat them gently and mark pup.  Works well although I do go to using fabric ones as they get older as I don't like to see pups with marks on them really.  Can recommend these - http://www.pup-id.co.uk/

I swear by tippex and all my litters I have used that. That becomes their name for the duration too. Right hip, tail etc.
My last litter was 14 and I thought I needed more help and introduced the paper collars when they were about 5-6 weeks. I found that as soon as I put them on they were tugging at each other and some snapped quickly so before I knew it I was back to my tried and trusted system. Might give nail varnish a try too another time after reading these posts.

Wool collars, changed every few days in first two weeks and then about weekly.

>I do feel the quality of them is not what it was

Which is why I never use ebay ones, or copycat makes.

I have used the original TabBands (TM) which most veterinary surgeries use in the states, for years.  Originally used in hospitals for humans. 

I have used them safely and successfully for Yorkshire Terrier litters.  Apart from the size, all Yorkie pups look like Rotties to me!  :-)

Can you post a link as to where you get them from - thanks

i had a litter of all white pups and used coloured nail varnish on their heads just a dab of it worked brilliant and the owners picked the colour when i explained to them why they said it was a brilliant idea as mum did not clean it off and it lasted until the pups where due to leave

i made my own collars by using diff colored fibbon that has velcro fastener, that way it was easy to adjust as pup grew. i ony had to renew twice.

I am blessed to have a breed which produces each pup with its own unique marking :-D :-D :-D

Interesting reading though ;-)

Me too, trialist!! thank goodness!!lol.
But.....once I had two girls with very similar markings (which change constantly) and I woke up one morning and one of them had an extra spot.  I couldn't tell them apart and they had both been booked.  I waited till the person came who had booked her and waited to see if they could tell.  They couldn't so he had to pick again from the 2 of them.  Very embarassing lesson learned from me! Now, If I get 2 similar, I use the nail varnish.

You can get all the gen on them from the american manufacturers at
http://www.tabband.com/

The only people in the UK that stock the genuine article are Petcetera.  I originally bought a pack of every colour that they stocked.  At £1.50 it was worth it.  I bought the smallest length, which still needed cutting down.  Would definitely be long enough for all small/medium breeds.  For chihuahuas I actually cut them lengthways as well, and so make 2 collars out of one tabband. 

I started with pink for a girl, blue for a boy, then used green etc.  I once had a particularly large litter and had to use colours twice, which was easy.  A red boy and a red girl etc.  I never, ever had any accidents with them.  When folk picked a pup, they knew which was theirs from the colour.  If they had also picked a name, I wrote it on the collar with ordinary biro.  It stayed on, and people knew for sure that they collected the right pup, as the collar wasn't cut off until pup was ready to leave home.

I would recommend without hesitation.  :-)

http://www.petcetera.co.uk/93005-tab-bands-pink.html

Many thanks - will try them whenever I have another litter