Pictures of your hounds.. necessary??

[Mo. Beagler 5000]

After a rash of thefts I have heard on this board we decided to photograph the face and both sides of all our dogs for identification..

Do any of you guys do this or are we paranoid? Also have a security system on my house/kennels now. I guess growing up in Las Vegas and also having a dog stolen made me jaded to the world!

[Buckeye Blues]

I don't think the precautions you are taking are too paranoid at all. The pictures are a must in my book, and the security system is a great idea.

[wireman252]

A buddy of mine has gone as far as getting his coon dogs branded with his initials. He said it's done by freezing his initials and the fur grows back white. Kind of a good idea, but not sure where he had it done or how much.

[Ky. Hunter]

I have started putting a tattoe in the ear of mine while they are pups but I also like the idea of taking pictures of them.

[Ohiohntr]

I have a security system on the house and kennels, photo every dog the day it comes to my house, photo pups at different stages, and have a lab outside that can't stand strangers....you better know her name if you walk towards the house or barn.

I am very paranoid. Although, nothing will stop a thief if they really want something.....

Heck, here at work everyone of our company vehicles had the catalytic converters cut out of them last weekend. This was done under a spotlight right next to a major highway.

[littlewoody]

A good guard dog out side the kennel alway works. If anyone comes by my house the hounds go crazy I jump to the window to see whats out there. + on the pictures

[Norshore]

http://www.coondawgs.com/freezebrand.html

[bluegrass]

A good guard dog out side the kennel alway works. If anyone comes by my house the hounds go crazy I jump to the window to see whats out there. + on the pictures

Yep...I have a bloodthirsty Dobermann just for that reason...NO ONE comes in my yard uninvited.

[gwyoung]

I had about 15 beagles freeze branded at one time. I like this method of idenification. If someone does steal your hounds while you are out running ,( most common type of theft around here) or wherever they get them from they realize real quick that they cannot keep them. Nobody will buy them from a thief either. Also, it actually prevents theft because they are so easily identified. If you see a beagle with a Y freeze branded on it around here , you know it belongs to me. if you do decide to freeze brand them do not hold the brand on them as long as you would for a big hound.

[johns03272008]

That's what our GERMAN SHEPHARD IS FOR and a lock on the privacy fence!

[Bull_357]

I have pics of all my dogs and my female coyote hound if you even step on the property she will let me know. Only about 3-4 people she wont bark at.

[lebro]

if you do find someone with your dogs will pics and tatoos really help get them back if they dont want to get rid of them? does the tattoos make any diffrence if you want to sell them? i do take pics but dont want to tatoo unless i know that will get my dogs back for sure.

[gwyoung]

Lebro, Freeze brand, tatoos, and pictures will certainly be a big help in getting your dogs returned. I do not freeze brand a dog that I have any intention of letting go. But, I have let some go with the brand on them it doesn't seem to bother the buyer If it is a good hound. I have only let one go that the person I let have him, sold to someone else. The person who was going to buy him got on the phone and called me seeing as how my brand was on him ,to make sure everything was on the level. One more thing for everyone to consider, If you do not pay your County taxes on your dog and he gets Killed or Stolen, and you end up in Court, Some Courts will not entertain the idea that you even owned a dog, registration papers with your name as the owner will not help you. Something to think about!

[Ky. Hunter]

Lebro, Freeze brand, tatoos, and pictures will certainly be a big help in getting your dogs returned. I do not freeze brand a dog that I have any intention of letting go. But, I have let some go with the brand on them it doesn't seem to bother the buyer If it is a good hound. I have only let one go that the person I let have him, sold to someone else. The person who was going to buy him got on the phone and called me seeing as how my brand was on him ,to make sure everything was on the level. One more thing for everyone to consider, If you do not pay your County taxes on your dog and he gets Killed or Stolen, and you end up in Court, Some Courts will not entertain the idea that you even owned a dog, registration papers with your name as the owner will not help you. Something to think about!

If you freeze brand, tatoo or take pictures it only helps with honest people but a thief doesn't care. I know a fellow that had a dog stolen once and a year later while hunting he came up on a man in the field that was hunting his stolen dog. All he did was to tell the man to go look in the dog's right ear and told him what to look for and the man told him who he bought the dog from and gave the dog back to him but I don't know if the man got his money back or not. He said the man had the darnest look on his face when he told the man what to look for. The man had the dog a year and never paid any attention to the tatoo in his ear.

[KYRABBITHUNTER]

Pictures are a good idea, I think they do two things: 1) they give you something to circulate if one comes up missing 2) If you find one, they help prove that it's your dog.

Not sure about the branding, but the tattoo helps. You can also get the microchips that have you registered as the owner.

I think a guard dog works better than anything, and my 85 boxer doesn't like anyone around my beagle kennels (including me). I think he thinks they're his beagles. He barely lets me get one out...so I'm sure it's going to be hard for a stranger to.....but I'd love for one of these low lives to try.