When you bring home a puppy, you will include a new member of your family. Puppies and dogs have become special members of many families, whether those families include children or not. To make things more exciting, you can celebrate the birth of your puppy using a dog birth certificate. Getting or even making one is very easy. There are plenty of birth certificate templates you can download or you can create one from scratch for a personal touch.
Dog Birth Certificates
What is a dog birth certificate?
Getting a dog or puppy birth certificate might not be something you would have thought of. For most people, they don’t think they will use it anyway. Pet owners who raise purebreds know the importance of birth certificates because these dogs don’t share the same commonality with “lesser breeds.”
But even if your dog isn’t purebred, having a birth certificate is important. You can use it as proof of ownership. This is not the only reason why you should get your furry friend a birth certificate. For instance, if you will travel, authorities might ask for documentation for your dog.
In some cases, the document is even a legal requirement. There are also some cities that require a birth certificate and other identification documents for a dog before they will issue a license. This is especially true for dogs that serve as service dogs or therapeutic companions. You may just want to get the certificate for sentimental reasons.
The purpose of this document will also depend on the state you reside in. Some states require the document as proof of ownership for a pet before they will issue you a license for the dog. But there are some states that don’t even consider birth certificates for dogs as legal documents.
Getting a certificate for your pet isn’t that much of an issue. It’s as easy as accomplishing an online form. If you request a certificate online, the certificate makers will just ask for your dog’s information. Then they will print out the certificate, put a stamp on it, then mail it to the address you provided. Anybody who has a pet dog can order a birth certificate online easily.
When do you need a dog birth certificate?
A birth certificate is one of the dog papers that verifies a dog’s birth. A person’s birth certificate acts as proof or documentation as to their family or The birth certificate of pets functions in a similar way, except that instead of people, it pertains to pets. The birth certificate of pets works in a similar way, except that instead of people, it refers to pets.
A dog’s birth certificate can also contain your pet’s familial lineage information even though it won’t be as clear. An animal that’s transported to another country will require an official birth certificate. This is a standard practice done of border control. It ensures that there isn’t any illegal trafficking of prohibited and endangered animals.
There are also cases where authorities use a birth certificate to monitor all animals that are legally sold as pets. In such a case, your pet’s birth certificate will prove that you own them legally.
Puppy Birth Certificates
What information does it contain?
A typical pet birth certificate usually includes the date of birth, the dog’s breed, birth weight, the owner’s address and contact number, and the information of the veterinarian. This information will prove useful, especially when someone has stolen your pet or it has escaped.
It will allow you to prove that you own your dog, should the local dog pound find it. The information on the certificate will also save your dog if you get injured or incapacitated. In such a case, you won’t have the capacity to share important health information with a vet.
The pet certificates today feature a picture of the pet printed at the time when the certificate maker printed the document. This document includes the identification information on the front along with the owner and vet’s details at the back. There are some certificate makers that include critical health details like allergies, medical conditions, or any medications the dog needs to take. This will ensure that your dog’s needs are always met should you ask someone else to care for your pet.
How to make a dog birth certificate
For pets, birth certificates can come from online certificate makers or you can make one yourself. Here are some steps to do this:
- Find out the exact date of your dog’s birth. If you don’t know this important detail, your veterinarian can help you estimate the date of birth. If you have a pregnant dog, make sure to take note of the date when she will give birth. This will give you accurate information to add to your dog’s certificate.
- Gather all other basic information. This includes the name of your pet, the time they came into the world, and the names of your dog’s parents. You may also include details like weight, height, and birthplace. If your puppy has a microchip include the microchip number too.
- Use software you’re comfortable with. If you want to make your dog’s certificate, you can use any design software you’re used to. Add all of the details you have gathered. Make sure to leave some space at the bottom for signatures.
- Print out the certificate. After printing, it’s time for the parents of your dog to sign. Of course, dogs can’t affix their signatures on the document. What you can do is to dip the paws of the puppy’s parents in ink, then imprint their paw prints on the lines meant for signatures.
- Make the template reusable. Saving the template will come in handy if you plan to own more dogs. It’s even more useful if you work at an animal shop, pet clinic, or for the government’s animal husbandry department. If anyone asks you to create a dog birth certificate in the future, you can use the saved template.
Just make sure that the template you develop has a reusable format. In doing this, you can reuse the template for anyone who wants one. You may also consider creating various templates using different formats so you can offer these to others. This will make it easier for other people to edit the templates themselves and print them at home.
Preparing for puppy birth at home
Puppies are always adorable but when they come into this world, they will need plenty of preparation. As a dog owner, you will play an important role when your puppies come into the world. First, you need to provide the mother dog with a warm and safe place to deliver her puppies. This is the same place where she will care for them for the next few months. You must commit yourself to the preparation of the birth of your dog’s puppies.
It’s recommended to consult with a vet if this is your first time to have a pregnant dog. The vet will make sure that your dog has a healthy pregnancy and she will deliver her puppies without having to undergo an operation. There are some dogs who might have issues delivering without the assistance of a veterinarian. You can also have a sonogram halfway through your dog’s pregnancy to determine how many puppies she has. When it’s time to prepare for the birth, you can follow these steps:
- Build or buy a whelping box. The size of the whelping box will depend on your dog’s breed. It should be big enough for the mother to move around and lie down comfortably with the new puppies. The sides should be high enough so the puppies can’t escape but low enough for the mother to leave easily. You should line the inside with a folded blanket and soft towels that you will wash regularly.
- Find a quiet spot in your home. The mother dog will need an isolated and calm space to deliver her puppies and nurse them. This special place should have a heated temperature (around 80 degrees), especially during the first few weeks after delivery. To provide this needed temperature, you may need a portable heater. Don’t use heating pads as might burn your dogs.
- Designate someone to help you out during the delivery. Puppies may need some assistance to breathe when they come out of their mother. Usually, you can do this by rubbing the puppies with a towel to clear away their birth sac and stimulate breathing. This is where you would need help, especially if another puppy will come out of the mother right away. Without assistance, you might get overwhelmed with everything that you need to do during delivery. These include tying off the umbilical cords using dental floss, cutting off the cords using scissors, and clearing out the mouths of the puppies with a bulb syringe. You should keep these items close to the box for easy access. If you want to record the weight of your puppies, you can use a digital scale. You can use this information to keep track of your puppies’ weight gain or weight loss as they grow.
- Research and consult with your vet to know what to expect. It’s also important to keep in touch with your vet throughout the pregnancy. Make sure to keep the room where your dog and her puppies will be both warm and quiet. You also need to make sure that the mother dog eats and drinks well. Act like a parent to your dog and her puppies for several days to keep track of their progress. This whole process will be much easier if you do some research beforehand.
Do you need to have your dog registered too?
Having your dog registered will provide you with proof of ownership along with the birth certificate. As a pet owner, you should be responsible enough to take the necessary steps to ensure your dog’s well-being.
You can start by having the proper dog registration papers and documentation necessary to maintain the integrity of your dog’s bloodline. This is especially important for purebred dogs. The registration papers of your dog are the first documents that you must present when needed. The registration of your dog will ensure that you will keep their pedigree traceable and protected. Then you should document any offspring in the future too.
What else do you need?
Another great way to keep your dog secure is by getting a microchip implant for them. This is very helpful for identification purposes. The microchip is an identifying integrated circuit placed under the skin of the dog by a licensed vet. It’s about the size of a big grain of rice and it makes use of a passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Here are some things to know about these implants:
- Microchips are commonly used by rescue groups, veterinary clinics, trainers, registries, and kennels to identify dogs and other animals.
- You can use the chip to show proof of ownership or for identification purposes. But you can’t use it for tracking purposes.
- You can use the microchip to return a lost pet that you have found.
- Many prefer microchips over tattoos because the vet has to sedate the dog first before getting a tattoo. Also, a tattoo could become unreadable as time goes by and the dog’s skin ages.
The procedure for implanting microchips is quite simple. Here are the steps involved:
- After checking that your dog doesn’t have an existing chip, the vet will inject the chip using a syringe. Then the vet will record the unique ID of the chip.
- The vet will perform a test scan to make sure the chip was successfully implanted.
- You will accomplish an enrollment form that includes details like the ID of the chip, your contact information, the name of your dog, a description, and the contact details of the vet.
- You will then send the accomplished form to a registry, which could be the distributor or manufacturer of the chip or an independent entity.
- You will then receive a registration certificate with the chip ID along with recovery service contact details.