Have you ever wondered what tattoos mean and why do greyhound ears tattoo on you? All greyhounds that are racers must do so and be registered with the NGA (National Greyhound Association). They are usually tattooed between the ages of 2-1/2 to 3 months. Each pup’s actual tattoo must be on a “Litter Registration” form and submitted to the NGA at the end of 3 months. The NGA then assigns a new litter registration number with each new litter.
The tattoo on the left ear is the litter’s registration number.
The right ear tattoo is a combination of letters and numbers that identify that particular dog. On the right ear, looking from the dog’s back to its nose, the first number is the month the dog was born (2=February, 11=November, etc.). The second number is the last digit of the dog’s birth year (1=2001, 3=2003, etc.). Then follows a letter that identifies how many dogs are in the litter. So, for example, if there are 5 puppies on the letter, one pup would have the letter A, another would have the letter B, another C, another D, and the last E. Different breeders have different methods of choosing who gets tattooed. first, second, last. Some choose it on dog personalities, others I have heard as to which one was born first, second, last.
Tattoos on your greyhound, however, are useful after you’ve adopted your greyhound so you can verify where he ran, his ancestry, and his littermates. You can find this information at http://www.Greyhound-Data.com. It’s a lot of fun and very interesting to see where your greyhound comes from.
