Whats the best age to chip a litter of pups? I have been told so many conflicting ages im now confused.

I was trained to do them @ 8 weeks, however I have Chip & Pinned(my assistant's words for chipping & tattooing)several litters @ 6 weeks & none of the chips have moved todate(I don't use Bayer chips though)& the tattoos are still visible.

Depends on the size of the breed as well the smaller the breed the older the puppy should be

i  have done my spanish water dogs and fcr at 7 1/2 just before they go

I did a course yesterday so i could chip any future litters a may have but was told to chip between 8-10 weeks but i have had other people telling me 6 weeks is ok, so i guess its just use your common sense and if the pups are small wait til they are bigger.

> but i have had other people telling me 6 weeks is ok, so i guess its just use your common sense and if the pups are small wait til they are bigger.

Quite right(IMHO of course)

I also register the chips online saving the postage of course & you know that they registered

I prefer to do  mine about a week before they leave, so just after 6 weeks.

Interesting thread, I would love to know where I could go to be trained to do microchips? I live in Hampshire.
Also I have been told by some that they don't do their chipping until pup is at least a year old due to the chip moving??
I would prefer to chip pups before they leave to their new homes though

I did my course through pet-detect they teach all over the country

but you can chip a ferret so that show how small an puppie could be plus you only put the needle half away on a puppie or kitten

> Also I have been told by some that they don't do their chipping until pup is at least a year old due to the chip moving??

I had to have Rjj done for his Pet Passport & the chip used was a Bayer, I subsequently found that this is the chip with a poor record of staying put. So I did a lot of research & found a chip that has the best record for nor moving & a company in the UK that markets them that does not say that chips do no move(the only one that did BTW).

At my training session there was a young DDB boy who was used to show chipping a live dog & he was well under a year. Some chip companies that say their chips don't ever move, advise against chipping "loose"skinned dogs like DDB or Shar Peis until they are a year old.

I did Jessie & my two kittens at the session & their chips are exactly where I put them. I also chip & pinned Wukee's litter @ 6 weeks & his chip is right were it was put.

I tattooed some lab pups, but did not chip them, this was done by someone else & the puppy going to France chip was checked just before it went & it had moved :-( (& yes it was a Bayer chip), so for this breeders next litter(different breed)I chip & pinned them the same day @ 6 weeks & went back to check the tattoos & chips two weeks later & the chips were exactly where they were put !

Google Pet Detect & you will find their website(I think it under the Pet Chip Company)they hold sessions all over the UK

Can i ask what chip do you use and who do you get it from? I did the course yesterday and want to use the best chips not ones that will move.

I've sent you a PM

Thank you :-)

My DDB bitch was done as a pup and hers has moved to under her elbow took ages for the vet to find. My biy was done at 10 weeks and his hasnt moved, so i think it depends. I have had a look at the course and i think its a good idea, i may consider doin it in the future. I just need a dog that isnt chipped as you have to take your own chip free pooch. Pet detect i think it is, very good saver of your own litters and i know breeders prefer to use privately trained people rather than going to the vets, as they can have a whole litter done at once in their own home and it keeps the cost down for them too. I'd recommend the smaller the breed the older it should be to be chipped? Large breeds like mine just before they leave for there new homes, and small breeds at 2 vac maybe. Doesnt really matter too much if it migrates does it? aslong as it doesnt come out. Expensive pups should really be done before a year to prevent loss and help during theft, less likely to run off with a year old DDB really.

Louise

Only helps in the case of theft is someone suspects something and has the dog scanned. 

I prefer the visible ID the tattoo gives me (though mien are all chipped too, for PET passports), as it only needs a pair of eyes and perhaps some surgical spirit to notice it, and maybe with very hairy ears clippers to show the whole number if first letters obscured.

If a dog is picked up and taken to a shelter on Vet on routien exam should be looking in ears.

I'm with you Barbara & only did the chipping course because so many of the breeders whose puppies I tattoo want them also chipping as a belt & braces security for their dogs.

I did so much research I was appalled by the number of chip companies who claim their chips never migrate, including the one that markets the chip Rjj has(now in his chest !)& at least the firm I decided on are up front & say yes they can, which is why the whole animal has to be scanned before chipping. If I know the dog & that it isn't chipped than I just do a quick scan to comply with my training. I did this for a friend who got a rescue dog that the rescue had claimed to be chipped by them-I couldn't find a chip & when she was spayed, the vets scanned her whilst she was under GA, they scanned her entire body & zip nowt at all. I have already tattooed her & will be chipping her next week @ dog club-again for a belt & braces safety aspect.

I have a giant breed that don't have a lot of loose skin, they are usually chipped at 8 weeks cos they need to be chipped for id purposes for the required liver shunt tests...

as far as I know, most of the chips have migrated, down to the chest/forarm area...

they were chipped in their scruff....does anyone know if there is a better area to chip?? Should it be further back between the shoulder blades??

I'm just trying to think if there's a way to chip later when they have more skin on (if that makes sense??) whilst still providing id for the necessary tests....any suggestions??

Chips are meant to be implanted between the shoulder blades, a good technique is to place the thumb & middle finger on the top of the shoulders & then bring the index fingerbetween them to make a pocket & then the chip goes into the skin of the pocket. A bit difficult to describe online I should really video myself chipping & tattooing a litter. The Border Terriers I did had enough skin to use this method

For the ID does it have to be chips, will a tattoo not be acceptable?

That crossed my mind too Barbara