When Should You Microchip a Puppy?

The legal answer: by eight weeks old

In England every puppy must be microchipped by the time it is eight weeks old, and it must be chipped before it goes to a new home. That duty sits with the breeder. A buyer offering to "sort the chip out later" doesn't change it.

There are two exceptions. A vet can certify a puppy as unfit to be chipped yet for health reasons, and the chip is done once it is well enough. And a puppy a vet has certified as a working dog, with a legally docked tail, has until 12 weeks.

Who goes on the record first

The breeder must be recorded as the puppy's first keeper on the microchip database. When the puppy goes home, the new owner updates the record into their own name. Until they do, a scanned puppy leads back to the breeder, not the family it lives with.

If you are buying, ask for the chip number and the name of the database before you leave with the puppy. A breeder who can't give you either hasn't done the job properly.

Why most breeders chip the whole litter in one go

The puppies are the same age, they are all in one place, and the paperwork can be done in a single sitting. On a home visit, four or more animals are £15 each, so a litter costs far less per puppy than booking them one at a time. Chipping a week or so before the first puppy is due to leave gives you time to get every record straight.

What to have ready

A way to tell the puppies apart that won't change on the day, such as coloured collars or ribbons. Your name, address, phone number and email exactly as you want them on the database. A table or worktop with good light. If you can, a second person to hand puppies over and keep the rest settled.

If you are collecting a puppy

Get the chip number in writing, find out which database it is registered with, and transfer the record into your name once the puppy is home. Some databases charge for the transfer. It is still worth doing straight away: the chip is only useful if the details on it reach you.