Tattooing a dog?

Here is what we do...
 
I have a tattoo gun that looks similar to a square whole punch. I insert the design piece, and paint on the ink.  I roll the dog over, and pinch the skin on the inner thigh.  Place the pinched skin between the sides of the "gun".  Sqeeze firmly; the gun makes one pop and that's it. 

OK, I was wrong, and I guess the gal at Animal Control was wrong.

They use a "pincher" type of deal that pokes holes in the dog's skin, and then they apply the indelible ink into the holes. So you'd have to hold your dog still for that part of it.

They also said they don't recommend it because the tattoos aren't that readable, and that microchips are far more reliable.

Mic seems to know of a better method, so I'd find out about that one. Sorry for causing confusion, I just trusted that the animal control person knew what she was talking about! [&:]

I agree the more ID the better, but micro chips are so commonly checked now in a place that dogs are brought when lost of whatever, but I have to say that if someone stole your dog, the tatoo would be useless, they dont care... and in a case where it was found a microchip would be fine.  The only case I would see this helping is if someone stole your dog, took the collar off and later just dumped it onto the street and then was found by someone who was not going to take it to a shelter or try to find the owner - THEN maybe they would see the tatoo, but again, if this person was going to make no attemp to check for an owner through microchip or advertising I dont see where the tatoo would become handy. 
 
Im not opposed to it at all tho, just a thought.
 
Then again many people who find dogs like that dont even think of the microchips and see no collar so decide to keep it I guess.  Ahhh thats me talking before thinking all the way through[]

But most people who find strays or missing dogs wouldn't and neither would a theif.  How can you see the tatoo on inner thigh?  What if you have a nefie or other really hairy dog?

I am a fan of microchipping as well.  I microchipped my dogs, but a number of scanners aren't picking them up. 
 
I was at Petsmart the other day, and I asked the tech at the Banfield to scan my dog.  Low and behold...no chip. I was kind of peeved at my vet, because I thought maybe they had forgotten to do it on my newest dog.  I took this dog up to my vet and there scanner read the chip. 
 
P&G is working toward an affordable universal system, but I think we are still a ways away.

But most people who find strays or missing dogs wouldn't and neither would a thief.

 
Most people don't have microchip scanners either, but the pros they take the dogs to normally do.  Most shelter carefully look over a dog for a tat. 
 
A thief isn't going to look for a tat, I just don't want them to sand off, acid wash, or cut of the dogs ear.

What brand of microchip was put in your dog?

The scanner thing is what I'm worried about.  I've heard that a few of the smaller shelters don't even have scanners.
 
She's short haired, so it could be seen.  I read on one site that there are addition decales/tags you can put on the collar that states that the dog is perminately identified.
 
I guess I would just like to make her as unattractive a target as possible, while at the same time giving her a make which can be read even without a scanner in times of disaster, or in the event that the scanner won't read the chip.
 
She would still have her tags on always, and obviously her chip...

Mine was Homeagain.

There are two different chip technologies: 125 kHz frequency chips (AVID and HomeAgain), and 134.2 kHz frequency chips (Crystal Tag).  There is no universal scanner to read both types due to patent rights.  Most of the original chips are 125 kHz, but alot of the newer chips are the 134.2 kHz.  Be sure to ask your vet which one they are using.  The new technology is being pushed as better, but the thing the reps are not telling the vets is that the original scanners will not read the new technology.  And, of course alot of the vets aren't questioning the reps - they just take it as being what is best. Sound familiar?

All my dogs have Avid and I also have the avid MiniTracker MultiScan 125 it reads Avid, HomeAgain, Destron.