Dogs go missing for a variety of reasons, they may be frightened by a sudden noise or chase off after a tempting quarry, they may be accidentally let out of the home or may be deliberately stolen, dog theft is a significant and increasing crime with pets being held until a "reward" is offered for their return or a ransom being demanded. In the past some dogs were identified by tattoo but the tendency of tattoos to fade or be obscured by hair growth and the reluctance of Dog Wardens and Police to handle the heads of unknown dogs meant that they were frequently not read at all or incorrectly read and owners remained untraced. Today the Government, dog rescue oganisations and the Kennel Club prefer microchipping as a method of identification, unlike tattoos, microchips are painless to insert and can be applied by any trained implanter. In the UKPet ID is the system that incorporates an implantable RFID transponder (microchip), which has a unique number programmed into its memory. The microchip is implanted into an animal, usually under the skin between the shoulder blades in a dog or cat, the owners details together with information about the animal is logged onto the central database.
Benefits of Microchipping
In addition to the unique chip number, Pet-ID supplies a collar tag, also with a unique number which is fitted to the animals collar, the number is also put onto the database. The register operates 24hrs and can be accessed by vets, local Authority Dog wardens and animal welfare groups such as RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Cats Protection in the case of the dog becoming lost or straying. Pet-ID creates a package which is attractive to the pet owner and gives value for money and will normally include 6 weeks free veterinary health cover, whilst most importantly giving peace of mind, that should a pet go missing then there is a very good chance it will be re-united with its owner. All microchips come with lifetime registration on the world-wide Pet-ID database and in the UK on the national PetLog database, managed by The Kennel Club. All databases using Pet-ID can be accessed 24 hours a day 365 days of the year. As additional benefits, Pet-ID provides a collar tag with the PetLog 24/7 telephone number, to aid reunification. The Pet-ID microchips are the latest ISO standard FDXB format and can be read by any ISO FDXA/B scanner world-wide. The microchips come in a pre-packed sterile format and simply pushes onto the specially designed Pet-ID implant gun. The gun is designed to offer the easiest means of implanting the chip quickly, safely and with control into the implant site.
A dog with a microchip is permanently identified for life, if your dog is stolen or strays its microchip can be read and your pet can be traced back to you. Microchipping is the preferred animal identification method of the UK Government, Animal rescue oganisations, local authorities and the police. Microchips don't fade are very difficult to remove, painless to insert, anti-migratory and highly effective. 
Microchips are small RFID transponders, they are about the same size a grain of rice, they are very tough and resilient and are covered with an anti-migratory coating that helps them to stay where they are inserted. The microchip is coded with a unique identifying number that can be read with a scanner without the need to manhandle or even touch the dog. Once the Microchip is inserted it is invisible and safe for life. 
The short answer is that any dog can be microchipped once it is large enough. We microchip Border Collie and Golden Retriever size puppies at 8 weeks of age, whilst smaller puppies such as Jack Russell size are best left until they are 12 to 16 weeks. 
Microchipping is as simple as giving an injection, although the risk of infection is very small, the dog's neck is wiped with a little surgical spirit to disinfect the area. The microchip is loaded into the injection device (gun) and inserted into the skin between the shoulder blades where the microchip is deposited. The gun is withdrawn leaving the microchip in place. Finally the chip is tested by scanning.
Before carrying out microchipping the implanter must be trained and approved by a recognised microchip provider or approved organisation. Graham Everitt, Training 4 Dogs senior instructor is a qualified Microchip Implanter who has to date microchipped over 100 dogs and puppies. We carry out Microchipping at our classes at Wield Village Hall or we can arrange to Microchip your pet in the comfort of your own home. 
If you have a litter of puppies that you would like to know are safely identified before they leave for their new homes please contact us to see if we can help. We have microchipped many litters of puppies and are are very experienced at handling young pups. Typically we prefer small or medium breeds to be 7.5 - 8 weeks of age although larger breeds can be microchipped form 7 weeks. 
The Pet Passport scheme which allows dogs to travel between UK and some overseas countries without quarantine requires the dog to be microchipped. So if you are planning to take your pet abroad on holiday this Summer please contact us to arrange for your pet to be microchipped either at one of our regular classes or in your own home.
In the first instance please contact Graham Everitt on 01420 562119 or 07970 298532 or to send us an e-mail 