How old does a puppy have to be before you can micro chip them?

Question

My puppy is almost 12 weeks and a local store is offering the service for $10 and I wasn't sure if he is too young or not.

Answer 1

You dog is old enough and I really think everyone should get their dog chip. I am concern about a store doing it for 10.00 though. That I wouldn't trust. Here is some information for you to consider before you chip you dog. I hope it isn't to long but it is a must for people to read if they are going to chip their dog. Have your vet chip your dog not a store. Hope this helps.

The best thing you can do for your pet is to
place an identification microchip in them.

Microchips used in pets in theUnited States
safely comply with a standard chosen by Animal
shelters and animal control officers.
Veterinarians also use microchips that comply with the United States standard.
When choosing what type of chip and or scanner
you want to buy, here are some points to consider:

Scanner Type:
AVID Multil Scanner
Chips this Scanner Reads:
AVID Friend Chips
Avid Multi (Euro)chips
HomeAgain chips.

(This is a good choice if you do rescue, shelter or vet work.
Also a good choice if you want to read ALL chips)

AVID ‘Only’ Scanner:
Reads Only the AVID Secure (Friend) Chip

(A good choice if you own animals with AVID Secure chips
or want to get started with a widely accepted and cost effective microchip system)

Destron (HomeAgain) Scanner:
Reads Destron (HomeAgain) and AVID Universal chips
(A choice if you already have Destron (HomeAgain) chips)

NOTE: Shelters have Multi equipment.
So if a pet is lost, the shelter can detect
and read the microchip - AVID or Home Again.

There has been a foreign made chip being
implanted in Banfield Pet Hospitals, at PetSmarts locations,
that does not comply with the United States Standard for pet recovery
- due to it's non-standard frequency the chip can not be read by shelters.
It is recommend that you do not have this chip implanted in any pet.
Shelters cannot read it, as it operates at a different frequency
from chips used in America.
If you have this chip in your pet it is basically worthless
and needs to be replaced with an AVID or Home Again chip.

Answer 2

He is not too young. One thing I would consider is if you are going to have your puppy spayed/neutered. If so, think about waiting until that happens, and they can microchip the puppy while under anesthesia. The microchip needle is rather big, and even though it isn't dangerous or hurtful for a long time, if you can avoid the puppy from feeling the chip go in by doing it during neutering, then I would consider it.

Answer 3

It is safe to have done now. I have heard of 6 week old puppies being microchipped.

You're doing a fantastic thing by having him chipped!

Answer 4

Get it done. We do it as soon as we know the litter is going to survive. The needle is bigger but it is fine!! My 14 year old daughter has been microchipping our dogs for over two years and its never hurt any of the dog enough to snip at her.

Except for the rott puppy we have now that is just a butthead anyway. It took three tries to get the needle in his thick skin. He just didn't want to be held he wanted to play.

Bubba

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7306205

Answer 5

12 wks is not too young at all. Most breeders will microchip before allowing anyone to choose from the litter.

Answer 6

12 weeks is good, mine got it with 8 or 9 weeks, but be prepared, he will yelp, the chip is pretty big

Answer 7

it depends on the size of the puppy, but my staffordshire bull terrier was micro-chipped at 8 weeks

Answer 8

I chip my puppies at birth. That way I can tell them apart when the litter is all white.

Any age is fine.

Answer 9

12 weeks-old is old enough. Kudos to you for doing a wonderful thing for you and your dog :o)

Answer 10

Good for you!

I wish more people would do this, it is a great preventative for losing your dog, and even more important for identifying them, if they do become lost.