Lola isn't chipped yet because we are going to move.  Spot has a Home Again chip.  I have the vet check every year when Spot gets his checkup to make sure the chip is readable and in the right place.

When we adopted Lola, they showed us she wasn't chipped.  They wanded her while we watched.  The people there told us they always check several times because they worry about adopting out pets and learning later they were chipped.

Wow, thanks for the feedback!  I know that AVID is only the one time fee and I believe they said it was 18 + tax/year for HA.  My vet does not do microchipping, but there are several around that do.  Everyone said it would be at least 30 bucks for chipping them and for the first year with HA.  I also was told that the chips for HA work overseas (maybe they have a different scanner type there?) and that is the main advantage to HA as opposed to AVID.  Also, the HA scanners will read AVID chips and I could 're-register' my AVID chips with HA to have all my dogs on one account with one company. 

I think I will travel the hour to get Duke chipped with AVID.  If AVID is read by the HA scanners and only has a one time fee, that is good enough for me.  This way, I don't have to transfer info, nor pay 60ish/year to keep my dogs on record.  Thanks again!

-J

You can also register any chip with the AKC CAR program and it only costs $12 (one time fee).  I am with Home Again with both dogs and never had to pay more than the initial fee.  Not sure why that is, but I checked again this weekend and the info it there.  I even updated it and added more recent photos.  I also have the girls registered with CAR.  Good Luck!!

I've never had to pay a yearly fee for home again either

Thanks for the info folks.  I think we're going to order some Avid chips. 

When did you other folks register your Home Again chips?  They bill your card every year automatically.  It may be a new idea.  My wife's veterinarian office carries the Home Again chips and were unaware of the issue until I tried to register my pup with them.

Belle was registered about 4 years ago and Halo was registered about 3 years ago with Home Again.  Belle had an automatic joint register with AKC CAR and Home Again before they split.  When I registered Halo with CAR (she was already on Home Again) I had to pay $12.  My vet uses Home Again, and we are getting a new pup in a couple of months, so maybe this yearly fee is new.  I will find out.  If it is I will probably register with AKC CAR.

I paid with a check.

I am getting ready to order some home again chips in a few weeks before I do some OFAs

so i'll see if it has changed any - I can order them singely at www.upco.com for $13 a chip plus applicator.

This link was just sent out on the gsp dlist and it is applicable to this topic so I thought I would post it.  Apparently AKC CAR has a new and smaller chip available.  You can read about by following this link: www.akc.org/news/index.cfm. I am going to ask my vet about it when I get ready to microchip my new pup.

Another perspective on microchipping from another email I got today:

"I happen to know of several people who have used the Avid chips only to have them migrate as the dog grew. Have known them to move to the top of the skull, into the neck area and down the leg.  This isn't to say that they all cannot do this given circumstance but I have been told by a few owners as well as medical professionals that they ( Avid) have a "history" of migrating. I know that the Home Again chips have a small opening on each end similar to a sewing needle that allows the muscle tissue to grow through the opening and hold the chip in place. I do not know if other brands have this same feature. Irregardless....we choose to only use the Home Again microchip and have never had any adverse effects."

I do not know if this is true or not, but I found it interesting and worth looking into if you are about to microchip your dog. 

So, I did a little research on the Internet and came across a pretty good FAQ on microchipping that I thought I would share: www.adobepet.com/library/microchip.htm.

Seems that the migrating microchip may have been a problem at one time, but most (if not all the chip manufacturers) have corrected this issue (not to say it couldn't still happen, but it is apparently not as common as it used to be). Also, came across an alert on the AVID site that states that the new AKC Trovan chip is on a different frequency (most chips in the US use 125 kHz which is what  AVID, AVID Euro, and Home Again use) and may not be easily read by current scanners (AKC Trovan is 128kHz).  Of course, they will say this as they want to sell their chips, but again worth an investigation. 

With further investigation I found another article that addresses the issue of readers and in particular the AVID vx Trovan claims (www.rfidnews.com/stoddardmis.html). You can read the article and decide for yourself. 

Hopefully, in the near future there will be a universal reader that reads all the frequencies (125kHZ, 128kHz and 134kHz).  Sounds like the AKC is pushing the universal reader concept.

Colt's chip migrated and sits atop his shoulder blade.  I believe all they did to the chips was make the surface rougher so the tissue would adhere better.

Home Again should be giving the chips away like Gillette used to do with razors.

I had to root around, but I found this on their site.  It wasn't in the FAQ or anything, it was in the TOS.  Who reads the terms of service?:

"When you enroll in the Service, you authorize Schering to charge your credit card for the activation fee and annual subscription fee stated on the enrollment and authorization form for the Services, as well as for any and all other fees you may incur in connection with your utilization of the Services. You further authorize Schering to charge your credit card automatically on a recurring basis each year for the then-current annual subscription fee. Schering will advise you by electronic mail or in writing at least ten (10) days in advance of the annual renewal date of any change in the subscription fee. You understand that, once charged, subscription fees for the Services are non-refundable. You agree and represent that all information you provide for the purpose of enrolling in the Services is accurate, complete and current, and you agree to notify Schering of any changes to your credit card information, including changes in billing address and expiration dates. If Schering does not receive payment from the issuer of your credit card, you agree to pay all amounts due upon demand directly to Schering, and Schering further reserves the right to either suspend or terminate your subscription in such circumstances. In the event of any failure by you to make payment, you will be responsible for all reasonable expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred by Schering in collecting such amounts. ..."

Hey Texas Belle & HJackson,
That was me that started the topic on GSP-L.
I've decided to go with the AVID Breeder packs, specifically the "Friendchip Starter Kit with Prepaid Pet Trac enrollments, so that I am ALWAYS a point of contact.

Things I've learned in my search to begin not only chipping all my pups and dogs, but Client dogs that the owners wish to have chipped when here for training is:
1)Migration issues have been pretty well resolved by all of the Mfr.s from earlier models and in AVID's case, they have a gel type of coating (enteric?) that bonds to the muscle and skin tissues.
2)The AVID Multi scanner will detect and read chips from Avid®, Destron®, Digital Angel®, HomeAgain™, The TRAVELchip™, Avid Secure Encrypted chips, and any other microchip that operates at the frequency of 125 kHz.
I'm not sure about AKCCAR's new TROVAN Chip, as I'm unsure if it operates on the 134 kHz range.
3)For owners that may travel outside of the country, they have the 10 digit "Euro Chip" which is basically a "Global" chip and offers this protection that all of the 9 digit chips currently manufactured do not have.
4)Cancer: BS! They are just as likely to get Cancer from Vaccinations and Rabies shots... Google it! Benefits far outweigh the risk IMHO!
5)By giving the new owners a copy of the PetTrac and using the Prepaid Registration, as well as sending in the Registration Cert. myself; I am able to be insured that ALL pups will be registered to not only me, but the new owners as well. This will leave me with a much greater peace of mind! Lets face it, when a new puppy comes home, it is easy for new owners to forget AKC Registrations, Chip Registrations, etc... just being caught up in "puppyhood"!

I'm quite pleased and reassured to be able to offer this with all of my current and future pups and training clients.

thanks

I'm going to look into it some more

I thought I microchipped Eve last year and just sent in $12 to register the chip - maybe it wasn't last year

where did you get the avid breeder chips?

right now I only need 4 chips until I have my puppies

I ordered them directly from AVID. It's very easy to set up and start an account. My initial price per chip was a bit higher, due to buying the Multi Scanner and the "package deal" I got, but afterwards it is roughly $22.00 per chip WITH the Prepaid Pet Trac enrollments. Not too bad when you consider the cost to get a dog chipped if you include the office visit to a Vet, chip and Registration would likely run right around $40.-60.00.

  Here is a link to AVID: http://www.microchipidsystems.com/