longshot
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Mar 2006
Location: Southwest Missouri
Posts: 2057 |
John Cole is the best ever at it... Here's an Interview clip I did with John a few years ago on the subject:
Mark::::: John , Your well known all over the country for your expertise in Freeze Branding of dogs and I’m sure it has prevented hundred’s of dogs from being stolen or lost. From all the the hunters out there including myself , I want to say thank you for the great service you have provided all these years.
How long have you been branding dogs anyway ?
John:::::::: I started doing it in 1973 as a way to identify lost and stolen dogs.
Mark::::::. Do you have any idea how many dogs you’ve branded in all these years and do you keep any records of your branding ?
John:::::: I believe I have branded over 8000 dogs since I started. I have tried to keep a record of all the brands over the years to help someone out if a dog gets lost or stolen.
Picture of a typical John Cole Freeze brand
Mark:::::: How did you get started in branding ? Did you start with Cattle or other livestock ?
John::::::: A man by the name of Doc Kelly starting doing it years ago and he help me to learn how. He branded mostly horses and only did it now and then.
Mark::::::: I believe on my last brand , you charged only $5 , which in my opinion is ridiculously inexpensive for such a talent. You always seem to have a lengthy line of people waiting for brands. How have you kept the price so low ?
John:::::::: I started out charging $3 per dog , then later went to $5 per dog. I have lost my rearend and never made a profit on any of it. I only have did it as a service for my fellow hunters. By the time I buy supplies and travel , there hasn’t been any profit for me. I was just glad to help out other hunters all these years.
Mark::::::. Why is it that a freeze brand works better than a hot brand , such as is used on cattle and what are the differences in the hot and cold brands.
John::::::: The goal with a freeze brand is to damage the color pigment in the hair follicle so that the hair grows back in as white. The big secret is timing , and experience comes into play here. If you leave the branding iron on too long , it will cause a scar and the hair won’t come back , just like a hot brand does. Hot brands burn in much deeper and leave a scar with no hair. A freeze brand done properly lets the hair grow back in white. People that own white cattle and horses generally use a hot brand , but others with darker colored animals use the freeze brand. A freeze brand is much easier to see with the white hair.
Mark::::::. I’m sure there is a lot of knowledge that goes into branding. I’ve noticed that you keep a close track of time on the branding iron. Are all dogs about the same or is there differences in them , such as skin thickness or other traits ?
John::::::: Nearly every dog is different . You have to adjust the timing according to skin thickness , fine hair or course hair , color pigment of the hair or skin , and even the age of the dog. This takes some experience and if not done correctly , you can scar the dog if left on to long , or if not long enough the brand won’t come out right.
Mark::::::. I’ve heard of a few people trying to do it on their own at home. Is that something that you think can be done , or do you think it should be left for an expert ?
John::::::: I think it should only be done by an expert. It is to easy to make a mistake. I think a person should have 300 to 400 dogs worth of experience before doing it on their own.
Mark::::::. I’ve seen pictures of some detailed and fancy brands you have done in the past on your own dogs. What are some strange request you have had for brands from people ?
John:::::: I’ve only used numbers and letters. The irons have to be uniform for thickness also.
Mark::::::. Are the brands always done on the hip of the dog ?
John:::::: No , I have branded in just about every location on the dog. Most are done on the hip , but I’ve done rib cage and ears also. The ear location really takes a lot of knowledge and can be messed up if not done right.
Mark:::::::. Is a licence required to do branding ?
John:::::: I guess all states have different laws ,but most don’t require a licence to my knowledge. Like I said earlier , I never did it for profit. Most people don’t know all the hassle I’ve had to put up with , even from animal rights people. Some people have been real rude to me about it.
Mark::::::::. I know you generally muzzle dog before branding , but have you been bitten and how many times have you been pooped on ?
John::::::: I have been bitten a few times , but that’s why we muzzle them now. I’ve actually had more trouble in shearing them getting them ready to brand. Sometimes it will surprise or scare the dog and they will reach around and snap at you , but most take it just fine. I’ve been pooped on more times than I can count , but still most dogs don’t do anything at all.
Mark::::::. When you retire from branding , is anyone set to take your place ?
John::::::: My son Vaughn has been helping me for about 35 years and will take it over when I’m done. I don’t know if he will be able to travel to all the hunts like I have done in the past though. I’ve had some health problems and not been able to do it lately.
Mark::::::John , again I want to thank you for the great service you have done for so many hunters all these years and I’m sure there is a lot of people that will be delighted to hear from you in this interview. I do hope that your health is better and things get back to normal for you.
John::::::: Thank you for having me and tell all my friends hello.
I hope that helps answer your questions.....Mark.
__________________
 Mark Reavis
Southwest Missouri
Dual Grand Champion Super Sambo
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02-17-2013 10:44 PM
