Dog dealers and importers

If you get dogs from a dog breeder in Scotland or the rest of Great Britain they should already be microchipped and registered. The only time they will not be is if they have an exemption certificate.

You need to update the database with your own details once you have the dog.

Bringing dogs into Scotland

If you're importing dogs into Scotland you'll need to do these things before they arrive:

• vaccinate them
• microchip them
• have them registered on a compliant database

You'll be considered their first keeper on the database.

If the microchip does not meet the technical standard or the dog is not registered on a compliant database you'll have 30 days after the dog arrives to sort this out.

You cannot pass the dog on until it's implanted with the correct type of microchip and registered on a compliant database.

Exemptions

If a dog you're keeping has an exemption certificate you must get it microchipped and registered when the exemption runs out. You must pass on the certificate with the dog if it's still exempt.

What to tell buyers

When you're handing a dog's ownership over to someone else, you're expected to tell them:

• their dog's microchip number
• what database the information is held on
• that they need to update the database with their own details as keeper
• that they'll need to update the database in future if something changes, e.g. if they move house