Yes, absolutely register the chip. It makes no sense otherwise (think about it)! And most vets and shelters and even police offices look for chips, whether they can read them or not. They can find ways to track the chip.
It is ASTOUNDING to me that chips are not mandatory in the US, how is that even possible this day and age? its such a simple procedure. Every dog in Switzerland is required by law to have one… I believe most of the EU is the same.
my youngest basenji is chipped, but it's moved so much that if she were picked up and scanned, there's a high probability that it wouldn't show up. 
I asked my vet's office to scan it. the vet tech didn't see it; the vet tried and didn't see it. it showed up when i asked them to scan behind her right elbow (where I thought i felt it) - sure enough it showed up there.
Nowadays most people do think to look for a chip. I know that around here it is common practice to scan for a chip and most shelters have universal readers that can read the most common chip types, Avid and Home Again, and indicate the presence of other chips. As for why it is not mandatory, laws to make microchipping have been fought on the basis of invasion of privacy and too much big brother in your business.
For those who are getting microchips, please register them. Shelters really do try hard to find owners and at least the microchips are linked back to the implanter so even unregistered the shelter can usually find the vet that implanted them. Most of the dogs at our shelter who go unclaimed are ones that arrive with no ID of any sort.
my youngest basenji is chipped, but it's moved so much that if she were picked up and scanned, there's a high probability that it wouldn't show up.
At my local shelter they scan the entire dog because of the possibility of chip migration but I don't know that it is common practice. My mom's Levi has a chip that has migrated also. What type chip is Zest's? Levi's is an Avid chip.
It is ASTOUNDING to me that chips are not mandatory in the US, how is that even possible this day and age? its such a simple procedure. Every dog in Switzerland is required by law to have one… I believe most of the EU is the same.
Due to the fact that many chips migrated and/or were not read by all scanners, many people refused to use them. Most responsible breeders would tattoo their dogs with their AKC registration number. My pups are now chipped before they leave… and then also tattooed when we can find someone that is good at it. I have seen some pretty horrible tattoo's over the years....
My B, Sahara, is microchipped as well, but on her collar tag I had under her address the word, REWARD in large letters. I think this would help if I ever lost her.
I have had both a Home Again and an Avid chip migrate on two different pups over the last couple years. Two different litters and two different vets doing the implant. I always send my babies home with chips in them, but I also tattoo my own personal dogs. I use my CKC tattoo series, since they don't accept the chips I use for registration.
When I was out an about and showing more - I always had my dogs tatooed inside their back leg with AKC and their AKC number. Too many different co's with chips and tatoo numbers but every vet knows the AKC.
I write with sharpee - dog call name and my cell phone number - of course that only works if you can catch them to begin with.
Yes, I put "AKC" also with the number for the tatoo
Sorry if this sounds dumb but when you talk about tattooing your dogs, are you talking about actual tattoos or do you just keep marking them yourselves. And…if they are actually tattooed, who does it? The vet?
Pat
Sorry if this sounds dumb but when you talk about tattooing your dogs, are you talking about actual tattoos or do you just keep marking them yourselves. And…if they are actually tattooed, who does it? The vet?
Pat
They are real tattoos and usually done by a tattoo artist…. there are some dog people that have gotten really good at it and will have clinics at shows. The one we had here in No. California retired... she was really good, made them nice and small... some vets to it, but not many anymore and some I have seen are horrible... Mine are on the skin just above the hind leg.. and it would take maybe 10mins tops.... 90% of the dogs didn't mind either and the worst part was putting them on their backs... not the tattoo itself
