Do vets do tattos or do you have to go to somewhere else? also could anyone tell me how much it costs?  is it like freeze marking horses, not sure you see as i have never seen a dog with one, my dogs are micro chipped but i think tattoos would be better.  thanks for any replies, frank

i am interested to learn about this too!

Have a look a this site http://www.dog-register.co.uk/
Certain vets do it, you can search for one near you, we are considering having ours tattooed as they are only microchipped at the mo and I'v eheard stories of dogs having chips gouged out and in a smooth breed, as our girlies are, the chips are really obvious. But equally I have heard of 2 seperate dogs who had their ears tattooed only to have them CUT OFF to hide their real identity :(
Beggars belief really, we have some responsible decisions to make as dog owners :)
Emily

Emily If you have actual proof of a dog having a NDTR tattoo cut off please contact Jill the Registrar ASAP as she will need to check these stories. To date NO dog has been proved to have had an NDTR tattoo cut off(please note the NDTR do not do the tattooing for the National Racing Greyhound Register)

The Tattooists on the whole are NOT vets but dog people trained to tattoo. It is nothing like freeze branding & is done with a single application of the tattoo clamp with the ink applied afterwards & the whole think takes a couple of minutes from cleaning the ear & clipping off any hair on the inside of the ear appyling the clamp & ink & each number is unique to the dog

The NDTR tattooing fees are £20 per adult dog

Well, one, if I remember rightly, was the greyhound that someone tried to 'euthanise' with a captive bold pistol and the other was abroad, a vizsla who had one of his ears cut off, don't know anymore details I'm afraid. Don't know whether it was  NDTR tattoo tho, would have to check on that.
I've never seen a dog being tattooed but am i right in saying that they can be done on their belly too, or is it always ears now?
Always willing to learn :D
Emily

NDTR tattooes have never been done on the stomach & has always been put in the ear It is based on the SV tattoing system in Germany which has been successfully in operation for well over 40 years(they too have never had a proven case of a tattoo being cut off). A very very old system using National Insurance numbers where on the inside of the thigh, but that scheme has been defunct for many many years

So one would not be in the UK & neither NDTR tattooing, cutting off a dogs ear is hardly disguising a dogs ID as not many people would want a dog that was stolen to order with one ear

I have seen dogs with a tatoo on the inside of the back leg - should that not have been done?

That won't have been done by the NDTR - which is the organisation generally used by people other than the racing greyhound and hunting fraternities; they have their own systems.

Thanks emily rose just had look it's great i will be getting my dogs done. thanks frank

I have all my pups tattooed by the national Dog Tattoo registry's tatooists.  You contact them for your nearest one.  If you have a litter of pups they come to you otherwise you take your dog to them.

I have pictures of older pups where you can see the tattoo in the ear, and if pucture was clearer probably read it too.

My dog's sire was tattooed (sp) and you can't see the tattoo at all. Mind you, the ears are black and very hairy ;) The breeder has stopped tattooing her pups now as she felt it wasn't worth it. I suppose it depends on the breed of dog and whether they have a lot of hair in their ears of not.

As long as you can see that there is a tattoo it is easy enough to clip the hair from the inner ear when you need to read the number, or efen better keep it clear.  a wipe with surgical spirit will make it clearer also.  All the ones I have had done for the last 7 years are very easy to read as they are done with the small calipers which give a clearer result on the growing tattoo.

All my dogs are tattooed my late Brett had both hair & black skin in his ears & the tattoo was still visible to the day he died 12 1/2 years after he was tattooed & he was done in Green ink, the black ink(now used) actually even clearer on black skin.

Until now I've always had my pups microchipped, save for one that went to Sweden and had to have a specific id number put into his left ear (done by vet under anasethetic).

However, I've just got a new pup, who has been tattooed, it was done about 4 weeks ago and he is still a little sensitive about the ear but it is definately much more obvious that he has permenant ID.

the real question is ............. how many baths before I have a nice white puppy rather than one with a bright green ear and face!

Your puppy has been tattooed in Green ????? NDTR have been using black in for years now My GSD is 9 & hers is in black & she was done when she was a puppy

It is better just to leave the ear alone & not clean it, the excess ink  it will come off quicker if left

Edited to add the swedish KC will accept the NDTR tattoo & don't have to have different one If the vet did it under GA it might not be as effect if they use the method used for the Pitbulls

Is their any down falls from having the dog tattooed can the ear be damaged at all? my dog ears stand up i wouldnt like it to damage it

I have never had a problem in fact I often ahve found that ear up faster, but I am sure that is just chance. :D

Some of the long standing tattooists still use the large calipers and green ink.  In my opinion the small calipers and black ink give much better results, so insist on it.  all the new ones use it unless asked otherwise.