The tag is supplied in part to let anyone that finds a dog know that it is chipped in order to scan them but it is also a visual deterrent to potential thieves thinking of stealing the dog, since the dog has permanent ID as belonging to someone else. [5] X Research source If the dog does not have an official ID tag on their collar, look for a bespoke collar tag bearing wording such as “I am microchipped” or “microchipped. " Know that this is not the same as a tag engraved with the dog’s name and phone number. The purpose of this tag is purely to alert the finder that the dog is chipped and should be scanned. This type of tag usually does not carry personal details.
Run your fingertips over the skin between the shoulder blades and neck. Apply gentle pressure to see if you can detect a firm rice-grain sized object just under the skin. Microchips do bed in, which means they can migrate slightly from the original implant site. To reduce the chance of missing a microchip, work in a methodical manner working up and down between shoulder and head and then left to right working side to side from the shoulders up the neck until every inch is covered. This is not a foolproof method. If you can’t feel a chip it does not mean the dog is definitely not chipped because the chip may be present but have shifted location or is embedded too deeply to feel.
If the scanner is working but has not scanned a microchip after a set period of time it displays the message “no chip found. "
