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The collar conundrum: How do you choose?
By Gina Spadafori
May 23, 2010
When I was growing up, our family dog — a standard poodle named Jacques — wore a slip-chain collar 24/7 with his license, rabies tag and ID on the stationary ring. We had an above-ground pool with a vinyl liner, and to keep the dog out when we were using it so he wouldn’t scratch tears in the vinyl, my dad would chain up Jacques in the back of the yard, the chain attached to the moving end of that choke collar because he’d slip the collar otherwise.
Yeah, I know: Amazing that the dog lived to be 12.
Now of course, the only time my dogs ever wear a slip collar is when they’re at a dog show, and that’s just because the slender little show chains don’t obscure the view of the dog’s neckline from the judge.
When they’re in collars usually, they’re wearing nylon collars with snap-together fasteners. Woven into the fabric is the word “REWARD” followed by my cell phone number. A Boomerang flat tag adds more phone numbers, and finally, a county license hangs from the D ring.
Twice in my adult life, a fence has come down in my yard (big storms, both times), and even though my yard is double-fenced, I am always worried about my pets not finding their way home if they get out. (They’re also microchipped, of course.)
I always figured the bigger risk to them was not carrying ID, even though no dogs here escaped either time the fence was blown down.
Other people figure the risk differently. They put collars on their dogs only when the animals are out of the house. Inside the house and yard, no collar at all. That’s because many dogs love to wrestle, and we have all heard of dogs hurt or even killed when one dog got hung up on the collar of another. Or even on something else — a piece of deck or fencing, or any other item that could slip under a collar and choke a dog.
The choking-dog nightmare happened recently to a friend of mine. She was home when the one dog got his jaw caught on the collar of another. She was able to cut the collar with no damage to either dog — or herself — but the choking dog was breathless and terrified, and the other dog and the owner completely unhinged by the incident.
If she hadn’t been home one of the dogs would likely have died. That could have happened even if she’d been home and hadn’t been able to get the dogs broken up: It doesn’t take much time, after all, for a lack of oxygen to write a permanent and tragic ending to such an incident.
My retrievers wrestle all the time, and so I could easily imagine this happening at my house.
That afternoon after I heard about this, I took all the collars off my dogs and hung them on the hooks on the back of the front door. My dogs are all “naked” in the house and yard now. They get collars on when we leave the house, and off they come again, back on the hooks when we get home.
No, it’s not a perfect answer. But the problem is: There isn’t one.
For a while I had breakaway collars on them all. Problem is, if a dog got out and someone collared him (literally), the collar would come off in the hand. The dog would be loose again. What good is that? And it seemed like the quick-releases loosened over time, so the collars were off more than on. I always picking them off the floor, snapping them together and putting them back on for another few hours. Again, what good is that?
(And don’t get me started on breakaway collars for cats. I replace them so often — collar, slide-on tag and license — that I have threatened to use a staple gun to affix the next replacement. I have three new ready-to-go extra collars with IDs hanging on a hook in the garage for the next time I have to replace one — and it’s not an IF, it’s WHEN.)
So how do you figure it? What’s the higher risk? Choking or loss? Since I’m working at home now, I think the loss risk has fallen dramatically. I would know immediately if a fence fell or a dog got out. But if I were still gone all day, the risk equation would change, and I’m not sure: Maybe I’d lean back towards collars all the time.
As I said, there’s no perfect answer.
Collar or no collar? What do you choose, and why?
Image:
Top: McKenzie, left, and Faith in their collars.
Middle: Fence FAIL. Fortunately, I was home.
Bottom: Ilario, temporarily in his breakaway cat collar with ID.
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we had our Connor and Cuinn get entangled in a collar. They never wear collars when we are home but I had bought them new ones and was fitting them and Connor ran into the living room. In the 2 seconds it took me to follow him and go to get the collar, Cuinn had his jaw entangled in it and they were screaming… we cut the collar off Connor as he was choking…. shortly after this a friend of mines dog got her tooth caught under the metal identification panel on her housemates collar and the other dog almost died… we cut that collar off as well….
Never again will my dogs have collars on in the house…they are naked unless we are going out.
Comment by Stephanie Green — May 23, 2010 @ 12:42 pm
My solution to this dilemma (until I learn my next life lesson) is three-fold. 1) The dogs will “go naked” at home. Collars will be worn when we were are going somewhere. 2) My dogs will have reliable recalls. Not pretty good recalls. Not when they feel like it recalls. Not “only if you have a treat” recalls, but an automatic turn back response to the word “here”. 3) My dogs will wear collars (with my cell phone number embroidered on them) round the clock when we are traveling. But those collars will have the D ring removed.
Collars for walking & training will be attached to the leashes when not in use so I’ll always be able to find the right collar at the right time!
Comment by Amy Suggars — May 23, 2010 @ 1:03 pm
Well, where I live, all dogs need to be micro-chipped by law, and the licencing info is in the micro-chip database.
Note that micro-chips are perfect, far from it, but it *is* a backup.
As for my pets:
* My cats are indoor only cats, no microchip (it’s very uncommon for people to scan for microchips on found cats, unlike dogs). They do have a breakaway collar with a tag that has my mobile phone number, just in case.
The dogs: Naked when I am home with them. But after a frightening incident that involved a burst pipe and police breaking into my apartment while I was at work (don’t ask), they wear a collar when they are home and I am not, which has a tag with my phone number.
When we are out and about- collars or harness with a tag containing my phone number.
Comment by Shoshannah — May 23, 2010 @ 1:06 pm
The breakaways have worked pretty well for me. I even leave them on during walks (of course you have to remember to clip the leash into both D rings). My dogs do like to play wrestle, and I have had dogs lose their tags in the backyard (a sign that the tag clip has caught on something). But even though the dogs are kept inside when I’m at work, I’m reluctant to have them go collarless.
Comment by Arlene — May 23, 2010 @ 1:12 pm
My dogs go naked at home as well after Seeker got her jaw locked in Magic’s collar. I was lucky but it felt like an eternity before we could get Magic’s collar cut off. It took 3 of us to accomplish the task and Magic stayed away from her sister for days, as she was afraid of her sister. It all turned out well but the kids go naked now where they are at home.
Comment by Judy — May 23, 2010 @ 1:12 pm
There is no easy answer. I would prefer my dogs wear ID at all times but I’ve also had a dog’s jaw get caught in the other dog’s collar and while the plastic buckle did release it was still very scary.
My dogs do go naked in the house. The collar is attached to a leash near the door for quick collaring when needed.
They do respond to come at the first call, every time, no matter what the distraction. And they do not dash out an open door or an open gate. Plus, they sit at the curb and wait for permission to go into the street.
Plus, coming home from our walks, I encourage them ahead of me with, “Go home!” and praise the dog(s) who leads us home. I figure a loose dog will be told to “Go home!”
As many safeguards as I can teach them.
Comment by Liz Palika — May 23, 2010 @ 1:14 pm
As you point out, no great answer.
Ours are free-range on our acreage, and collared, with quick-releases, nothing dangling (bolted-on tags)all the time.
I keep a few spares handy for when they lose a collar or one needs to go into the wash.
Sophia, who looks exactly like a giant coyote, wears a 4”-wide 10-mile orange fabric “bib” on it for extra “I’m a dog, dammit” visibility.
A friend used to file down the corners of the plastic quick-release buckles (the male end) so that they would release with a very hard pull. Stronger than a breakaway collar, weaker than an off-the-shelf quick-release.
Though my dogs are chipped, I am more worried about how unprofessional animal control is around here than I am about them getting hung up.
Comment by H. Houlahan — May 23, 2010 @ 1:48 pm
I’m another person whose microchipped dog goes naked while she’s inside her home.
Comment by Susan — May 23, 2010 @ 2:03 pm
My dogs are microchipped and that is of course, another piece of the puzzle. Nothing in life is risk free so we all have to evaluate what is best for us and what scenario is more likely to happen.
One thing that the collar incident did for me was reinforce my rationale for crating my dogs when I am not home. At least that eliminates the risk of something happening when the dogs are playing together unsupervised.
Comment by Amy Suggars — May 23, 2010 @ 2:31 pm
Sophia, who looks exactly like a giant coyote, wears a 4”-wide 10-mile orange fabric “bib” on it for extra “I’m a dog, dammit” visibility.
Comment by H. Houlahan — May 23, 2010
Maybe some flashing lights would help, too. Not many coyotes wear them. :)
Oh, and the funny thing about the fallen fence picture: After I put the camera down, I called the dogs. They took great care to return to the yard not through the massive 30-foot gap in the fence — which would have been a direct line — but through the gate, which was broken in an open position.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 23, 2010 @ 2:40 pm
We got our first puppy from an owner that kept the litter out in a barn. For some reason the mama was chained up in the barn with a slip collar. She got frightened in a thunder storm and tried to jump out the window and was strangled. I always felt bad that those owners hadn’t taken more care with their dog. Now my dog Kelly only wears a slip collar when we’re out walking in the neighborhood.
Comment by Peggy Frezon — May 23, 2010 @ 2:51 pm
To echo what everyone else has said, no easy answer. I personally keep my dog in a collar and tags at all times as I believe (perhaps naively so) that the risk of her “slipping out” or getting lost outweighs the risk of an accident by collaring. She is micro-chipped; however I prefer not to rely on that as a primary method.
Comment by Faye — May 23, 2010 @ 2:55 pm
Both my gals wear collars only when going out. Neither is a door-rusher, and we live in a gated community, so I feel a little safer with the tiny risk of them ever getting lose outside (since they won’t get very far, even if they do).
Comment by Pai — May 23, 2010 @ 3:15 pm
We do the breakaway collars (http://www.breakawaycollar.com/about.cfm).
I like my dogs to have ID at all times, but I don’t like the risk of regular collars (we too had a near-fatal incident of two dogs playing and even with three adults right there when it happened, two large and panicked dogs made it tough to get them apart).
The fact that a stranger may not be able to “grab” the dog is ok by me. At least they’ll have the ID and info in their hand and can contact me with last known location of the dog. If they’re a good person, they’ll call me. If they’re not a good person, my dog is better off naked than with them.
My guys wear harnesses for walking, vet trips, etc. It’s a good, solid handle without putting pressure on their necks.
And yeah, we’ve lost a few of the breakaway collars, but after seeing a “collar incident” in my livingroom, I’m more than happy to replace them. Much better than having to replace the dogs.
Comment by mikken — May 23, 2010 @ 3:28 pm
Having fatally lost a mirco-chipped and well trained dog with a solid recall for which I blame myself, not the dog or his training, I believe nothing is ever fool proof. Even if I am the fool. That said, while in the house or the dog yard, my dogs go nekked except of xourse for their microchip and I don’t like inserting an alien device into their tissue any better than the next person. I use martingales, all in one martingale collars & leash combos and limited slip collars. What matters to me most is grabbing whatever collars have leashes attached of similar length for road walks. Since I have big hands for a woman, wrapping 6 loops around my thumb, gripping the leashes in a closed palm and then again in the opposite hand isn’t a problem, but my dogs are significantly smaller than most of yours. I also check my collars for wear after one broke on me in a parking lot and put the fear of death into both me and my young dog.
Comment by Deb Moulton — May 23, 2010 @ 3:31 pm
It seems to be a case of the horror that you know beats the one that you don’t. Having worked in a shelter many years ago, I saw thousands of dogs separated from their owners and never reconnected due to lack of ID. Also, one day, I returned home to find a screen pushed out of a window and a dog missing. Fortunately, we found him in minutes. I worry that if something were to separate us, that they can be reconnected with me. Having said that, the collars they wear in the house are fairly snug, no D rings (I also use boomerang tags), and don’t wrestle that much. I wish there was a clear, safe answer.
Comment by Jen — May 23, 2010 @ 4:19 pm
My adult dogs have never had to wear collars when I am at home. The puppies always had to wear collars so I could grab if I had to. Henry and Izzy changed my mind on that. Henry brought me his collar after chewing it up, that is. I could not figure out how he got it off. He did it again a few days later (after returning the Lupine collar for another). Chewed up again. Okay, how is he doing that. I put another on him, sent him outside and watched. He wasn’t doing it at all. Izzy, with one pull on his collar, was unclipping it. She knew exactly where to bite down and I could see her searching for it. Ack!! So, no more collars unless we are going away from the house. If I am walking them, I use a martingale. If we are traveling, they get collars with id tags (always with a number of someone in town here since I will not be near my phone if I am out of town with them).
Comment by Jill — May 23, 2010 @ 4:28 pm
That Izzy is one smart dog!
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 23, 2010 @ 4:31 pm
When we got Pepper from the rescue, anything that looked like we were getting ready to send her back freaked her out — washing her bedding, taking her to the vet or taking off her collar.
After nearly 8 years with us, the only thing that still freaks her out is taking off her collar — she will literally beg for us to put it back on.
Now, if SHE decides to take off the collar, THAT’s okay — but if we take it off, that appears to trigger BAD NEWS in her mind and she totally freaks until we put it back on. She now wears a leather collar with a buckle on it because she can’t shrug it off like she can do with the plastic snaps — which she thought was great fun to do on walks, especially to my cousin who would freak out nearly as dramatically as she does! ;-)
Since she’s an only dog and she hates wrestling, I’m not so worried about it getting caught on things so I figure we have a good compromise — she wears a collar with the Boomerang ID she can’t shrug off and we don’t take off her collar except when it wears out.
Comment by Dorene — May 23, 2010 @ 4:42 pm
I use martingale collars when out and about, especially at the vet. I have somewhat nervy GSD’s, and I fear the possibility of a “back out” in a busy parking lot or while in the hands of a well-meaning but clueless employee.
Inside, the dogs are naked. One day, years ago, my Velcro dog was not near me, and didn’t come when I called him. After a brief search, I found him in the bathroom, sitting quietly, right up next to the cabinet that’s under the sink. His collar was caught on the cabinet handle. He must have gone in to get a drink from the toilet and gotten snared while turning around on the way out! Thank goodness I was home, he was calm, and the time he was stuck couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes.
Outside, even on my own fenced acreage, my dogs have collars on and are never, ever unattended. They look exactly like the very large local coyotes. I live in a place where people shoot coyotes at every opportunity, skin them, then hang the pelts on their front gates as trophies. This practice is thought to “skeer t’e other ones a-way”. No dogs outside without me.
The barn cat has no collar, not even for trips to the vet. She wouldn’t abide such an indignity.
The horses are naked both in and out of the barn. Too much danger of getting hung up on something, or catching a hind foot while trying to scratch an ear. I use their halters only during handling.
Comment by Rori — May 23, 2010 @ 5:37 pm
Maybe some flashing lights would help, too. Not many coyotes wear them. :)
One would think, wouldn’t one?
Tell that to the canoeist in Algonquin park who froze in place on a portage trail because she thought Lilly was a wolf.
Granted, there are wolves in Algonquin park, and one might encounter one on a portage.
But most of them do not wear bright red life vests.
Comment by H. Houlahan — May 23, 2010 @ 6:11 pm
“After nearly 8 years with us, the only thing that still freaks her out is taking off her collar — she will literally beg for us to put it back on. “
Ha! I thought I was the only one with a dog who WANTS his collar on. He was a rescue too, and we’re his third home that we know of. His collar gives him a feeling of security. The breakaway feature gives me a feeling of safety with it.
Comment by mikken — May 23, 2010 @ 6:24 pm
My dogs are not the wrestling kind, so I don’t worry too much about them wearing collars in the house. Savanna was an only dog, so it wasn’t an issue with her, either.
Comment by Kim Thornton — May 23, 2010 @ 6:43 pm
My cats all wear beastie band collars with tags. My dogs have collars too. I think if they get out they would be more likely to be caught by stranger if they have collar, instead of stranger watching random collarless dog running around. I also believe my pets would be returned to me faster if a collar on them vs. Microchip scanning only at animal services.
I am interested in reading everyone’s posts about collars off. But, we each have to decide how we choose to care for our own pets and I choose collars.
Comment by Ericka — May 23, 2010 @ 7:44 pm
Naked pets here. Dog is chipped and cats are indoors only (for now). Just moved to a house after apt living and have had this debate in my head now that we are ‘ground floor living’. Dot (the dog) is learning her boundaries and is very into the lessons. We are also working on “go home!” again, as she could find her way home from all places in her old ‘hood. The cats also have some basic training and seem to be picking up the new rules here in regards to doors and boundaries. I worry too much about them getting hung up on something to put collars on them. They all (including the Dot) find creative ways to get hung up/stuck on their own. They do not need the aid of a collar! Dot managed to get herself wrapped in a thin vine in the yard in no time flat. Maybe less than a minute to wrap it around both of her front legs at shoulder level (think the no pull harness) and her neck. Couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t coming in and was standing there looking pathetic . . . once I wandered into the plants and saw her predicament, I was thanking my (her?) lucky stars she stayed calm and waited for me. The vine has been nipped, needless to say . . .
I do keep leashes with collars attached by both doors and Dot is leash only when we are out and about. The feline crew may get backyard privileges while I’m out there working in the veggie garden, but it will have to be earned by how well they respond to basic commands. Started working with one today and she was doing well with come, go inside, etc.
Comment by straybaby — May 23, 2010 @ 7:49 pm
I have been present when two playing dogs got hung up in collars so I also am weary of this.
Naked pug in house and yard. (always supervised) Martingale collar with tags when in car or off property with the exception of being in an obedience ring. (a new developement for me) Martingale collar with tags on akita everywhere. (I figure it is less likely the pug could choke out my akita than vice versa.) Akita gets run of house when I am gone but pug is crated. Both have microchips and the tags are on a removable hook so I can change collars but keep the tags on them. They also both have excellent recalls but this is never sure proof, it just increases your odds in the event of collar, leash, hook failure.
Comment by Marie — May 23, 2010 @ 8:06 pm
Hmm… Our dogs go naked all the time unless they are leashed (on walks along roads etc.) We typically use slip leads, but have a couple of collars for use every now and then. But the slip leads are easy to put on and take off when needed - which is rarely.
We don’t have laws requiring that dogs wear any tags etc. and in hunting situations (and tests) any kind of collar is a no-no around here - for good reason.
The fact that our dogs don’t wear collars doesn’t mean that we don’t have a variety of them lying around though…
Comment by ramin — May 23, 2010 @ 11:43 pm
I have only one dog, so no wrestling worries for now. Once our yard is fenced in, I’d like to let him go naked at home, but until then it’s collar all the time. On rainy or bad days he goes out on a long line to pee and he’s broken clip collars a few times (squirrel!), now he mostly wears leather buckle collars. If it is a snap collar it’s one that we have stood on and pulled with all our weight. If he’s in the crate for any length of time collar is OFF.
Comment by Original Lori — May 24, 2010 @ 5:41 am
BTW, sorry for the double post, but microchipping (and my dog is) only works if someone takes the dog somewhere where they have the reader device, whereas when someone grabs your dog down the street they can read the tag and BOOM your dog can come home right away.
Comment by Original Lori — May 24, 2010 @ 5:43 am
I’m still very conflicted on this.
Chips are pretty worthless, really, unless your pet is LUCKY enough to end up in a shelter on a day when they’re not to busy to scan. (Our own beautiful, brand NEW county shelter is on the verge of closing to all but essential — as in no adoption — services because of budget crisis. So not much chance of a scan there!)
And of course, what happens if the levee breaks? Earthquake? If you get separated from your pet for any awful reason at all?
Their collars are still off … but I’m thinking of going back to breakaways.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 24, 2010 @ 7:17 am
Chiming in here because no one has mentioned kids. My dogs don’t ever go naked because the kids or their freinds sometimes don’t shut doors/gates. Recently the Power company left my gate open (GASP!!)My 2 and a foster got out, but luckily, gratefully, they all came flying back when I called. I have seen people think that just because a dog wasn’t wearinga collar when found it was unloved or not wanted. That freaks me out.
Comment by Nancy Freedman-Smith — May 24, 2010 @ 7:51 am
Both my dogs wear martigales. The Collie with his narrow head can slip out of anything else.
Comment by Nancy Freedman-Smith — May 24, 2010 @ 7:53 am
It it takes a 10 mile big and flashing lights to convince people that a lean, fit GSD isn’t a coyote, what do you put on a dog to convince people he’s not a lion? Or a bear?
One day when I drove through a toll booth in Chicago an attendant was standing outside the booth very close to where my station wagon passed as I drove through with two Leonbergers in the back. The man leapt back, eyes wide and hollered to his buddy in the booth “She has a pair of lions in there!”
Another day I took them for a swim at a small lake. A couple of men watched from across the bay as we arrived and I heard one say “I hope those are tame bears!”
Comment by Janeen — May 24, 2010 @ 8:24 am
Janeen-That’s too funny! I saw my first Leonberger in person yesterday. Big yes, fluffy yes, but a lion, nooooo….
Comment by Original Lori — May 24, 2010 @ 8:57 am
Yes, well, spoken by a woman who keeps a baby-eating DINGO and whose friends keep bears by the wood stove — how do we know that they were NOT lions?
Comment by H. Houlahan — May 24, 2010 @ 9:35 am
Both my dogs wear their collar (with tags) all the time. They have gotten out of the yard due to gates being left open. Thanks to having a personal ID tag with my phone number, they were quickly returned and didn’t have to take a long detour to Animal services. They have never gotten lost while on a walk and don’t run out the door. The times they did get out I was home and they were just outside to pee.
The collars for tags are rolled leather. The dogs don’t wrestle or rough house with each other, so there is no worry about them getting caught on each others collar. I use martingale collars for walks which are only used when we go out and are taken off when we get home.
Unless I have a 100% dog and people proof yard, then the dogs will wear collars. They will also have and ID tag that has my phone number along with city and rabies tags.
Comment by Kate M — May 24, 2010 @ 11:25 am
My pit bulls wear collars 24/7 for a couple reasons. The first is that if anything were ever to happen and they got out (I don’t expect it, but who knows. I don’t live in a tornado-prone zone, but one came through and destroyed a bunch of houses locally a few years ago. Stuff happens.) I want them to *look owned*.
Two, tags will get them back to me quicker and easier than microchips will. I consider the microchips as back up for tags more than anything.
They also wear collars in the house in case of fights. I have never had one, but I want the ability to use a collar to choke off a dog if I would ever need to. Again, not something that I expect to happen, but it could.
My dogs are separated when I’m not there to supervise, so I don’t worry too much about them getting hung up on one another. They wear the plastic quick release buckle collars in case something would happen when I am there. Foolproof? No. Is anything?
Also, I don’t clip leashes to their tag collars when we go out. If a collar were to break and my dog were to blow a recall, they’d still have id on them.
The Border Collie doesn’t wear a collar in the house or yard, on the other hand. If he were to get loose in the neighborhood, the response would be “oh cute fuzzy dog” not “omg loose landshark”.
Comment by Katie — May 24, 2010 @ 2:33 pm
Silly Heather, the bears aren’t by the woodstove - there’s no fire this time of year. In the springtime she keeps the bears in her bra.
And be nice or my vicious Dingo will eat your puppies.
Comment by Janeen — May 24, 2010 @ 4:47 pm
Cami and Harry are never, ever nekkid, unless they’re getting baths (which are only necessary on rare occasion). When I was younger and lived on a very busy street, my parents had poodles that would occasionally find ways to escape down the driveway and out into the big, bad world. It’s traumatized me ever since, even though we’re now at the end of a dead end street in a very sleepy town. Still, I don’t take chances. All collar (with tags), all the time.
Comment by David S. Greene — May 24, 2010 @ 6:05 pm
center ring hunting safety collars would be a very safe collar for dogs to wear 24/7. I buy the ones that include the engraved riveted on ID that has “If I’m Loose, I’m Lost” Please Call My Owner, Phone Number
These roll and release when caught. I can’t imagine a dog could get it’s jaw caught in such a way it would not roll and release.
These are very cheap collars, costing around $5 each.
Comment by Heather Minnich — May 24, 2010 @ 6:14 pm
I’ve just started leaving my dog ‘naked’ while she’s at home. My sheep herding trainer used to use martingales until one of his dogs got caught on a fence and nearly died; now he tells all of his customers to never leave a martingale on a dog.
I just finished stitching my number into my dog’s harness and we’ve been using that for our outings. I think harnesses are much safer and easier on our dogs. Why does everyone think they have to use a collar?
One thing that I haven’t seen anyone touch on is the fact that dogs are more likely to be stolen without a collar/harness. Living out in the country if a family saw a dog without a collar they would be just as likely to keep the dog as they would be to take it in to see if it was micro chipped.
Perhaps meeting our neighbors would be one of the best things we can do for our dogs in case they get out. :)
Another point I haven’t noticed people hitting on is that dogs can damage their teeth playing with other dogs that have collars on.
Comment by Molly — May 24, 2010 @ 10:38 pm
This is a problem I agonized over many years ago.
Solution: Thick, stiff, double-layer nylon collars that are at least one inch wide (even for smaller dogs) and are fitted snugly on the dog. The problem with hang-ups generally occurs because the collar is thin and flexible, and therefore easy to snag on a tooth, branch, whatever. Leaving the collar loose and floppy on the dog increases the risk. My dogs have their collars off only when I’m gone, and in more than 20 years I have never had a hang-up with this strategy. Could happen, but the risk is minimized. And my dogs have been very active wrestlers and explorers famous for worming into tight spots.
Finding a double-layer nylon collar in a 16-inch size can be hard, but some hunting dog suppliers carry them. You can also buy a hole punch and punch in additional holes to reduce the collar size. A cigarette lighter can be used to seal the edges of the new holes so they don’t fray.
The boomerang tags are fabulous, and prevent a dangling tag from being caught. I always attach the danglies (such as rabies tags and dog licenses) with sturdy but not too sturdy S-hooks (never split rings) that will open and drop the tag and release the dog if the tag gets stuck somewhere. Split rings are lethal—teeth get caught in them, and they will not release the dog if the tag gets stuck.
Comment by SusanS — May 25, 2010 @ 1:56 pm
On my own personal dogs, I use rolled leather collars that are big enough to slip off or bridle leather collars that will break if they have to. Post comes at a good times as my girl broke her leather collar a couple of weeks ago (over excitement while tethered during front yard mowing) and she’s in a nylon right now and has to be naked indoors.
Comment by batgal — May 25, 2010 @ 5:13 pm
The best way to poke a new hole in a heavy nylon collar is with a narrow round-tipped soldering iron.
If you don’t have a soldering iron, you can heat a suitable metal pokie thingie on the stovetop until it glows red, then poke the hole.
Comment by H. Houlahan — May 26, 2010 @ 12:32 am
A red hot metal “pokie thingie” does indeed work very well for putting new holes in a thick nylon collar.
You can also heat a knife blade on the stovetop until it’s red hot and use the hot blade to easily slice off the excess collar length to get a shorter collar. (This will ruin the temper of the blade, so use a cheap knife.)
Comment by SusanS — May 26, 2010 @ 5:50 pm
I guess we go with what scares us least. My dog always has on a tag collar with my phone number. I have thought about making that a breakaway collar. She wears a martingale whenever we leave the house (even in the backyard) that has a Quiet Spot bag with all her tags in it. Premier does make a Play Safe collar that has velcro tabs you can pull open in a emergency.
Comment by kb — May 28, 2010 @ 2:20 am