# Ear tattooing



## *Sarah* (Apr 19, 2005)

I was just curious who's considered having their chi tattooed? especially in the UK with the amount of theft, I'm taking Stitch and Zero down to get it done in the next couple of weeks, from what I saw it was a pretty quick procedure and appeared to be as painfull as chipping is. Besides the asthetics of it, who's actually considered it and does anyone think it's a better deterient to chipping when it comes to theft.

I've decided to get it done mainly due to there NOT being a law that vets MUST scan every new dog that comes into their surgery after all what use is a chip if no one scans it and at least with a tattoo they will see it and ask why the dog has it.


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## Katie (Apr 9, 2005)

they dont really do that over here but it sounds sort of painful. ears are so sensitive ya know. the idea of covering up those pretty little ears with a doggie tattoo kinda makes me sad. i guess if you think theres a chance of theft and that it would really help in getting them back then maybe it is necessary. it just seems a little extreme to me but maybe because its just something im not used to.


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## chichime (Jan 30, 2005)

In the US Greyhounds get their ears tatooed, but not a lot of other pets, usually the microchip for pets.


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## Nine (Mar 29, 2005)

I'm with ya I Love My Cheese! I don't think I could put Milo through being tatooed. Seems like it would be painful to me, especially on the ear. Is theft really that big of a problem there? If so, I guess we should consider ourselves pretty lucky here in the United States. I know that we have furbabes stolen here, but I wouldn't say that it is a huge problem. 

Chipping is the craze here. I know alot of vets and animal control facilities in the area have scanners that can detect the chips. I haven't had Milo chipped. I have thought about it though.


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## kitty (Dec 29, 2005)

my Husband had his cat done when he got her spayed! so it was already done before I got here, really is no more painful than chipping!


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## Gypsy (Feb 13, 2006)

I would prefer microchipping just because I've seen several older chis who had been tattoed. They were constantly messing with the ear and it would get sore and eventually not stand. I've also seen others who had no problems but it's just not something I would not want to do. Microchipping seems to be pretty good right now. Our AKC has a lost and found option when you register your dog where they'll put out a number for them too and they recover alot of dogs every year, does the KC have anything like that?


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## Bijou (Aug 6, 2005)

Tatoos are very painful anywhere that there is not a lot of fat. I would reconsider. Besides that, it would be really ugly in the ear.


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## *Sarah* (Apr 19, 2005)

In the UK theft is a huge problem at my local park and I live in a pretty affluent area just outside of london we get at least 2 dogs a month get stolen and the number is going up, people will take dogs out of peoples back gardens over here and if it's a pedigree thats extremely sort after i.e. chihuahua's they steal them to resell. I sometimes cant take my dogs out without fearing someone will take them off me and sadly in this country dog theft is the fastest growing crime as criminals just see our pets as money on a leash, but also the police wont do anything about it if a dog goes and I have heard far to many horror stories. Most dogs over here are chipped but it doesnt do anything to get dogs back as chips can be removed and the dogs can still be sold on, Also for a chip to actually work they need to be scanned and it isnt compulsary for every vet to scan every new dog they see in their practice so even if there is a chip what use is it? 

Over here Tattooing seems the way to go mainly because it is an identifying mark to be honest I really dont care how it looks if it stops someone taking my dogs, Also the tattoo database is run by dog owners who've had enough of the chipping system that doesnt seem to work unlike the microchipping system which is run by large corperations who dont seem to care about individual dogs just money. Also I"ve seen the procedure for tattooing and it is just as painfull as chipping but appears to be a lot quicker the number is just quickly clamped on the ear and it takes a second to do unlike chipping can take quite a few seconds and often vets lose the chip or have to try to put it in twice because it doesnt come out first time.

I have to admit I never would have imagined we'd have to tattoo our dogs just to keep them but due to theft levels being so high and it becoming to worrying to even walk your dog sometimes (this has all escalated in the last 2 years) we're going to get all 4 of our dogs tattooed. Sadly it seems as the police dont seem to want to do much about it, it's up to the pet owner to try to prevent it from happening. I'd also like to add I've had at least 2 people try to take my dogs off me when I've been carrying them when I was out and it isnt unheard of over here to be threatened with a knife over a dog. Please bear in mind with chi's as people have become so stupid in the prices they are charging to a thief my dogs are worth over £1000 each if they get hold of them for resale, well either resale or they are shipped over to Ireland for puppy farming


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## Rubyfox (Jul 11, 2005)

I will have to think about that one, I was bad enough when mine got the chip implanted. I made my hubby go in.
If it was a fast procedure then I might?


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## Ory&C (Mar 20, 2005)

Mine is micro-chipped and tattooed, because in EU that's the law. All dogs have to be chipped and as for tattoos, they only do it to pedigree, registered dogs. I'm not sure how it's done, because he already had it when he came to my house (breeders tattoo all the puppies at the age 1 month or so). They don't tattoo Chihuahuas ears though, because it looks ugly......Billy has his tattoo done on his lower tummy.

nemochi, I'd keep a pepper spray in my pocket or one of them stun guns in my pocket at all times if it's really that bad in UK :evil: . I think that might help......


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## kidd24 (Feb 15, 2006)

I must say that I am getting quite paranoid about theft, as I hear so many stories( obviously they even managed to steal dogs at Crufts). I do hate overcrowded places, where I feel I need to be extra careful, and I just have one puppy tucked in a carrier bag under my arm. Also, I try and not take her for a walk at the same time at the same place and disliked it when someone was taking distant photos of us once. I feel so much more confident when I am not walking Kara on my own. I have not heard about tattooing before, but it sounds pretty reasonable......, especially having in mind the circumstances


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## *Sarah* (Apr 19, 2005)

http://www.dog-register.co.uk/ thats the NATIONAL DOG TATTOO REGISTER website in the UK, I did ask about having them tattooed elsewhere other than their ears but apparently I was told that would involved sedation, I saw how they tattoo ears it's pretty much like getting an earpierced it's a quick clamp on and off and the number is there, it isnt the same as when we get tattoo's and have a needle put in every dot.

I'd feel safer knowing people can see they're tattooed and the reason why it's on ears is because usually unless you have a drop eared breed they tattoo is visable by all it acts as a deterent but also if the dog goes missing you put the number on the Missing adverts and anyone in the general public can spot the number and the dog would be returned, It would be inpossible to sell on the dog and then someone take it out as the tattoo would be seen by someone and reported.


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## Nona (Mar 27, 2005)

I have been VERY worried about the number of dog thefts in the UK recently, apparently 2000 dogs a month are stolen in the UK.

People will be walking their dog in the park at any time of day, and the thief will walk right up and hold them at knife/gun point and demand they hand the dog/s over. 

So, although I think that tattoo looks quite ugly, I think that it is a better method than microchipping from what I have read in Nemochi's posts. It makes more sense if the vets will not routinely scan every new dog that comes through their doors. The tattoo is very noticeable and I would definitely do a double take on a dog in the street if I saw it's ear tattoo'd.

I don't know if i'll get either method done, I'm quite scared of both procedures and where I live it's less likely that Lexi'd be stolen. Luckily this area is not so bad....but I think the idea of pepper spray is brilliant! Any idea where to get them? 

At the moment, I take a huge maglite out with me to the park at night, if anyone were to come near me I'd thump their lights out with it.


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## *Sarah* (Apr 19, 2005)

sadly in this country pepper spray is illegal if you use it ur as likely to get arrested as the culprit is even if you use it in self defence


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## chimama (May 14, 2004)

I have tatoos and they hurt and take a while to heal. I microchip dogs myself and it is not a problem and doesnt take any time at all.


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## Nona (Mar 27, 2005)

nemochi said:


> sadly in this country pepper spray is illegal if you use it ur as likely to get arrested as the culprit is even if you use it in self defence


 :roll: Typical!
I think it's totally rubbish that you can't defend yourself in this country, ok i'm not saying we should go around with guns but I think it's stupid that we can't defend ourselves!

My dad walks lexi in the park often at night, because I'm a chicken at night on my own, but I'm 100% positive nobody would even dare think of taking lexi off of him! He's pretty big and mean looking, although a softy at heart.
This whole dog-napping thing is really worrying, it's getting me quite nervous.
Especially since there's no way you could stop someone taking your dog off you, if they have a weapon.

I guess the only thing we can do, is be careful.
Don't walk our dogs in the dark hours alone, don't go off the path, don't wear anything that'd draw attention to you, etc, etc. Still doesn't make me feel any better :?


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## Ory&C (Mar 20, 2005)

It's illegal in UK?? So how do women defend themselves? I'd buy it anyway though. It's not like stealing dogs and threatening people is legal and they still do it :evil: . What is the guy gonna do? Report me to police for defending myself while he was trying to attack me?


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## Nona (Mar 27, 2005)

Ory&C said:


> It's illegal in UK?? So how do women defend themselves? I'd buy it anyway though. It's not like stealing dogs and threatening people is legal and they still do it :evil: . What is the guy gonna do? Report me to police for defending myself while he was trying to attack me?


We have very little ways to defend ourselves, one of the few reasons I would emigrate! I love my country but I think it's ridiculous that there's no way we can defend ourselves from attack.

And sadly yes, you probably would get arrested for defending yourself if you hurt the attacker.... :roll: that's the level of stupidity we deal with in the UK!
There have been real cases where people have used a makeshift weapon to defend themselves against an attacker, and they've been sue'd by the attacker!


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## SunnyFLMum (Apr 21, 2005)

I am so happy we don't have those issues here..I would be paranoid to take my baby out :shock: 

While yes they aren't cosmetically appealing, if it aids in protecting your baby then I say go for it... :thumbleft:


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## Bijou (Aug 6, 2005)

nemochi said:


> http://www.dog-register.co.uk/I saw how they tattoo ears it's pretty much like getting an earpierced it's a quick clamp on and off and the number is there, it isnt the same as when we get tattoo's and have a needle put in every dot.
> 
> I'd feel safer knowing people can see they're tattooed and the reason why it's on ears is because usually unless you have a drop eared breed they tattoo is visable by all it acts as a deterent but also if the dog goes missing you put the number on the Missing adverts and anyone in the general public can spot the number and the dog would be returned, It would be inpossible to sell on the dog and then someone take it out as the tattoo would be seen by someone and reported.


Good thing they do it that way with the clamp on/off, done! It sounds really awful what's going on there with the thefts :shock: . That makes me sick. And it makes me sick that dog owners are left with no other choice but to tatoo their dogs ears to protect the dog and themselves!

Do whatever you need to do. :wave:


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## myparentskid (Dec 27, 2005)

chimama said:


> I have tatoos and they hurt and take a while to heal. I microchip dogs myself and it is not a problem and doesnt take any time at all.


I raised rabbits for a number of years. there is no microchipping in rabbits, so the only way you can identify them is to either tattoo them or put a leg band on them, and in the US, we don't use leg bands, so we have to tattoo.. the tattooing process is quick and easy and is over before they really know what happened to them. it is nothing like getting a tattoo for a human. they have a clamp with numbers and letters in it that have sharp points, you make a sequence of these numbers or letters to however you want and then you clamp the ear and put some ink and some hemmorid cream on it. and that's it, it's over. yes it hurts for just a little bit, but it is more like getting your ear pierced. ok, to explain the hemmorid cream, the way the cream works on hemmorids is to draw the blood away from the area, this helps with the bleeding and draws the ink into the holes to create a cleaner looking tattoo, the hemmorid cream also has a pain reliever in it which helps with the pain. if I had a choice between losing my pet forever or having her suffer a couple mins of pain to be permantly marked, I would go with the couple mins of pain, and if done young enough, or while under for surgery, like spay or nuter, they won't even remember it.


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## chimama (May 14, 2004)

Wow that is very informative and sounds fairly quick. I would consider it if it is done that way.


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## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Hiya...

I personally think Tattoos are ugly and would not really consider it :roll: 

Scruffy is chipped and I would just hope that if he did ever go missing, he will be returned. That said, he is always by my side and never left unattended outdoors.

I guess the only way he could get taken is if someone breaks into my house.

I hope none of us are ever in this situation.


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## kitty (Dec 29, 2005)

you cant even really see Storm's tat unless you really look in her ear it doesnt even show in her pix!! as you can see in her pic below do you see the tat in her ear? nope! an yes its in that ear!


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## Gypsy (Feb 13, 2006)

Wow, I had no idea theft was such a problem there. I hear about it pretty rarely here, though I'm always super careful when I'm out with my girls. I would definitely get the tattoo then if I were you. 

If someone held me at knifepoint I'd just have to let them stab me or something before I'd give up my babies! :evil:


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## Seren (Apr 22, 2005)

I personally would never ever have my Mel tattooed. My ex partner had his terriers ear tattooed and although it was a quick process...she was definately traumatised by the experience and i felt ashamed that i had let her go through the shock and pain of it. She momentarily lost control of her bodily functions in her distress. Also i know that they cut off greyhound and other breeds of dogs ears to remove the tattoo, so as not to be detected as stolen dogs. I would imagine this could be done if a Chi was stolen to be used in a puppy farm? Im dead against tattooing animals and had Mel microchipped when she was being spayed.


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