Greyhound ear tattoo meaning

Have you ever wondered what tattoos mean and why they tattoo greyhound ears 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 puppy’s actual tattoo must be on a “Litter Registration” form and must be turned in 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 registration number of the litter.

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 rear 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 year of birth (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 in the letter, one puppy 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 in dog personalities, others I have heard as to which was born first, second, last.

Tattoos on your greyhound, however, are useful after you have adopted your greyhound so you can verify where it ran, its ancestry, and its littermates. You can find this information at http://www.Greyhound-Data.com. It is great fun and very interesting to see where your greyhound comes from.