well, my pup came w/a microchip, which is fine, but to trial him i'll have to have a tattoo in his "right" ear (is this correct?)

at any rate, after talking to my vet, who said 1) he'll need to be sedated 2) he'll need to be a bit bigger due to the fact that he (the vet) only has a calf-size tattoo outfit---well, look at where i LIVE <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />. he WAS willing to wait until the pup's 12 months old for sedation for hip prelims to do the tattoo.

but i wonder if all this is necessary. i can get both a rabbit and/or a goat-sized tattoo outfit from the county extension office. i've tattoo'd dozens of goats, so the actual "tattooing" is no big deal.

the questions are: 1) should i go ahead and do this now (the pup is 15 wks old)? 2) what size of tattoo letters are the best to use? and 3) goats are really a lot easier to restrain, and they only have blunt bottom teeth. so 4) should i even attempt it?

can't wait to hear back from you guys <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Have your future decoy do it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

well, with some of the posts i've been reading, that might not be a bad idea--he's african-american, and i could call it part of his (Brix's) socialization, right???

just kidding. i have a warped sense of humor at times--as do YOU, Jenni <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Your dog does NOT have to be tattoo'd to compete in a schutzhund trial. A microchip will suffice, but you'll have to provide a chip "scanner" the day of the trial for positive ID.

 Quote:

well, with some of the posts i've been reading, that might not be a bad idea--he's african-american, and i could call it part of his (Brix's) socialization, right???

just kidding. i have a warped sense of humor at times--as do YOU, Jenni <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

what does that mean? maybe i misread something.......

well, i don't happen to have the $$ to buy my own chip scanner, so a tattoo is a lot cheaper way to go. and, double protection if he's lost/stolen.

shaun--PLEASE don't think i'm dissing african-americans!!! i'm NOT. i was reading a thread on socialization today that basically said, expose your dog to all races, nationalities, handicapped people--
everything you possibly can. i personally think your dog is awesome (and handsome too). so don't take it wrong, ok?

You can sometimes borrow a scanner from the vet for the trial.

Someone will quickly correct me if I'm mistaken. I've heard that tattoing an older dog's ear can cause the ear to be permanently floppy. Calf tattooers are probably way to big to use on the dog.

If you are a USA member, they can put you in touch with the person responsible for doing the tattoos.

My female didn't have a tattoo when I got her originally. As an adult, she had to be tattoo'd on her stomach. The vet told me the ear couldn't be done as an adult. The only reason I had it done was because she was going to be knocked out for her hip x-rays anyway. Two birds with one stone.

As far as cost goes, I'm not sure how much a scanner costs, but it can't be that much more than the costs associated with having to take your dog to the vet to undergoe a procedure that will most likely include full anesthetia.

I don't necessarily disagree with your decision to have your dog tattoo'd. I'm just saying....

Ok, I'm a tattooist and I've tattooed at least a hundred dogs. ( probably way more than that if I stopped to count....)

If you want a quick and easy method to get up to speed, I suggest picking up Ed's "How to Tattoo Your Puppies" Video 411 - I still review this video every time I tattoo a new litter or a friends dog.

Also, I bought my tattoo equipment from Leerburg ( a long time ago <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ) and it has always worked like a dream.
http://www.leerburg.com/hauptner.htm

Ann Freier wrote:
"i was reading a thread on socialization today that basically said, expose your dog to all races, nationalities, handicapped people-- everything you possibly can."

I read this article in the news once about a police dog with a small socialization problem. There was a situation where a caucasian perp was running away, and a police dog handler gave the dog the command to chase the perp down. However, the dog instead jumped on a black youth who was standing around, watching the scene. The handler called the dog off of the kid and redirected him at the perp, and exactly the same thing happened again: the dog targeted the kid for the second time. The news article said that the dog was going to have remedial training because of this.