Stitches

Knitting yarn safe to use to keep track of puppies?

my girl has 10 on the way but i was told to use nail polish but i thought it might rub off. maby you can give my some ideas on how to keep track or whos who. there rottweiler pups

Public Comments

1. Get a bunch of small collars (Even cat collars) in different colors.
2. Many breeders use colorful ribbon. You may not be able to find enough different colored collars and they would grow out of them too quickly.
3. Rickrack ribbon works very well. Measure and cut a piece large enough to tie loosely around the puppy's neck. This is only necessary if your puppies are very similar. Other ways to mark the puppies include clipping bits of their fur on different parts of their bodies. Another option is writing their names (or a number) on their bellies with a laundry marker - but this will wear off over a short amound of time.
4. no no...dont use yarn. it's a choking hazard if it gets caught up on something or worse if one of the pups (or even momma dog) swallows it. nail polish is a great idea, they make fast drying nail polish for dogs too. it's non-toxic and dries super fast. OPI (it's a TOP nailpolish line *im a nail tech*) makes an entire line of polish for dogs called "pawlish" here are some links: http://www.pamperedpuppy.com/features/merryv/200306_pawlish.php http://www.petparkway.com/proddetail.asp?prod=721343036760 http://www.timsdiscountpet.com/servlet/the-1151/Top-Performance-Color-Paw/Detail you can even find some cheap polish at your local pet supply place. you dont paint all the nails, only one toenail.
5. the ribbon is a good idea, trying going to pet edge.com they sell id tags (like if you went to the hospital)
6. No I'd stick with the polish! It's made for the job and tying anything round a tiny pups neck can be dangerous!
7. It's a good idea, but it depends on how picky mama dog is as to whether or not it works. The owners did this with the litter we got our dog from and the mama dog about drove herself crazy trying to gnaw those little ribbons off. The toenail polish might have worked better in this case...
8. MINI CAT COLORS OR THAT CLOTH RIBBON BUT SOUDNT YOU BE ABLE TO TEL B THE DIFFERENT MARKINGS
9. I always used ric rack on all of my litters. Even if you repeat the collar colors twice, it's ok as long as you repeat them with male and female pups. Such as red collar b****, and red collar dog. Just make sure you check the tightness of them everyday and replace them as they grow, and they do grow fast! Of course, if you have 10 females that are all the same color of pup, you willl need to purchase 10 different colors. Use thinner ric rack for small breeds and the wider type for larger breed pups. Good luck with the new litter.