Almost walked home with a new dog on Friday

[AdoreMyDogs]

I was over at my mothers house on Friday after work and we decided to walk the dogs. When my arm swung back I noticed it hit something wet like a doggie nose. I looked behind me and there was this most beautiful, angelic, big yellow lab pup taking a walk with us Poor fella had a choke chain with no tags on his neck. Since Graham is trained off-lead I took his leash off him and put it on the mistery yellow lab. I was thinking to myself, "if I can't find the owners of this dog I am going to take him home. I love him". He had the most beautiful, big face and the sweetest temperment. I did not know what his name was so I called him "Gus". I proceeded to go from door to door asking if anyone knew who this lovely dog belonged to. I was about ready to finish walking and take him home with us and put an add in the paper but decided to check down a few more blocks. Someone recognized him and pointed me towards his home. I was attached to the dog in that short amount of time of knowing him (about 1/2 hour). When I took him home his owners were very thankful but they did not even know he was missing!!! The man said, "I was just working in the kitchen and he was right under my feet 10 minutes ago, he must have learned to open the door by himself and let himself out". It was kinda hard handing him over to an owner who kept a choke chain, no collar and no tags on him...and he did not even know his dog was missing Before I left I asked the owner if he could look into getting an ID tag, and also told him of the dangers of keeping a choke chain on dogs. He was grateful and said as soon as the dog turned 1 year he'd get him licensed and get a tag. The dog was about 11 months old. How could someone not keep tags on a dog who likes to escape? Especially a dog as nice as Remmy? (that was the labs name.) I am thinking about Remmy alot. I am sure it was good to bring him back to his owners but it would have been much easier for me to accept if Remmy had a collar and tags, some way to make it obvious his owners loved him.

I just wanted to share with you all what happened. I am surprised at how much I liked Remmy and how much I think about him. I have taken in stray dogs before and helped reunite them with their owners but this one hit hard. For some reason I can't get Remmy out of my head. He was such a beautiful yellow lab pup, and he had a fantastic personality. I pray his owners took my advise.

[Sudilar]

Adore,
Too bad!!! It would be wonderful to have another pup. Good thing you told him about the ID and not to wear a choke collar! I hope he takes your advice. Maybe you could keep an eye out for Remmy again and if he so happens to wander your way......no tags....hmmmmm?
Sue

[tatsxxx11]

Well, as a lab mom, I must say that I'm not surprised. Remmey sounds like everything beautiful and special about a big yellow lab! Those faces just have a way of weedling their way into your heart. I'm not surprised you can't stop thinking of him. Especially being concerned over his physical welfare. I hope and pray they do not keep the choke collar on him at all times, and get his tags. Why wait to be licensed? Just get a name tag printed at Pet Smart! If you live near by, perhaps you can "just happen to walk by" their house occasionally and see how he's doing? And, maybe, it's a sign! Maybe there is a lab out there waiting for a loving, caring mom like you!

[karen israel]

I was dismayed by your story, but actually, the very first thing I thought was that Remmy opened the door himself! Already showing the smarts! Hm! Anyway I had a tag on Cody from the minute I got him! In fact, people were buying me cute ones that reminded them of him. I admit, I can't tell a lie, that I used a choke chain loosely for Cody cause he was a total mess even with training, but that it helped with walking. I never used it roughly and he hated it, so he learned quickly not to pull. Quick learner. It's lucky for Remmy that Adore found him rather than some maniac. I know they're quick little imps but I always knew where Cody was.

[Jasper's Mom]

Years ago, while living out in the country in Oregon, I was not as dog wise as I am now. On my back deck appeared a black medium sized dog. He came to live with us. I did not get him a new collar right away because he had a choke chain on. He was staying on our deck on those mild summer days. A few days after coming to stay with us, I began scratching our new arrival on the head. I realized his choke chain was a bit tight. Unable to move it very well, I got concerned that maybe I couldn't get it off. Finding a wire cutter, I worked on it for some time. Finally getting it apart I was sickened to realize it was embedded in his neck. Carefully soaking it with water and then hydrogen peroxide and with the help of my son, I was able to remove the disgusting choke chain with flesh clinging to it. It took many days to start healing up but eventually it closed and hair grew over it in some areas. He was a nice, sweet and lovable little guy, but escaped frequently, a wanderer from the start. He would return with porcupine quills in his face, nose and tongue on several occasions. I seemed to always be doctoring this boy. After more than a year with us, he escaped again, running down to the creek behind our house with the next door neighbor's dog. They came home later, but our little boy, that we had named Kimo, became very ill and died shortly after. The next day my neighbor said their dog had died too. The vet said they had both eaten dead fish off the bank of the creek, poisoning themselves.

We have to tell everyone we see like this. Do not let your dog roam. Cars and rotten fish, anything can kill them. And choke chains can cause death by strangulation and horrendous injuries by people who let their pups grow with a metal choke vise around their necks.

Wish I had known then what I know now. And that nice lab pup, hope he gets lost again soon and finds you.

[RachelJ]

The issue here is leaving a choke chain on a dog for use as a regular collar. A choke chain should only be on a dog when the guardian is there with the dog on a leash and doing training or taking them somewhere and it is needed for control. At any other time the choke chain should be off of the dog. I didn't used to think it was a big deal either to leave a choke chain on until I saw one of my previous dogs get entangled with the other and their efforts to untangle were to pull away. Fortunately I was there at the time. If I hadn't been, it would have been tragic. Even with being there (these were two big dogs) I almost was not able to release them. You don't have to have another dog for this type of thing to happen. The ring of the chain can easily get caught on something. The dog gets frantic and pulls, the more he pulls the more he chokes himself. If any of you still use a choke chain as the dog's regular collar, please, please, reconsider this. I can't emphasize enough the potential for a problem.

[karen israel]

Oh Rach. you're absolutely right as usual! To this day, though, Cody is collar free inside. It was actually my mom's idea, the woman who didn't really want a dog, said that it would be uncomfortable and dangerous if it snags on something. He just uses a regular leather leash with ID when we go outside. I too have heard horror stories about chokers and prong collars!

[Sudilar]

Karen,
My dogs don't wear collars inside the house or (very secure) yard either. I'm so afraid something might happen. They don't try to escape from my home (they know where they've got it good), so I'm not worried when someone opens the door. They are micro-chipped, though.

[tatsxxx11]

As Logan said, I was referring to the danger of leaving the choke collar on with the dog unattended! So many stories of accidental choking. Star would have never learned to heel or walk nicely on a lead without the use of one in her obedience class. Now she doesn't need it at all. I think we had a long discussion about choke collars recently. People's opinions do vary! But I think, if used properly, i.e. a gentle "corrective jerk" they are a great training aide.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

I agree. Having a choke chain as a permanent collar is EXTREAMLY DANGEROUS!!!!!!!! Responsible dog owners should know better. Every time I see a dog with a choke chain on as a collar, I immedently tell the owner haw dangerous it can be, and to get a real collar, and I also tell them that wearing a choke chain all the time, can lead to death!!! AdoreMyDogs, you're soooooooooo lucky you found Remmy when you did, because I could've been to late, and his choke chain could've gotten caught on something!! If you see Remmy again tell him my Lab Sadie and I say Hi!!!

[*BaSim*]

Simba only gets a choke chain or any kind of color on when he goes for a walk and we have the front door open because some1 copuldjust wlak in the front porch door and i need something to grab him by.
A dog i used to watch (Buster, about a 130 lbs like 7 mth old chocolate lab)
VERY BIG DOG! He was in his crate and his owner was gone and it was the time that i normally take him for a walk. well he had been scratching around his neck and got his paw stuck in his regualr collar. If i was not there to get him unstuck he could have shoked himself that is why Simba has colars off of him 24\7. Im to afraid to loose my baby boy!!! I cry watching all of the emergency vets and stuff like that on animal planet because i just think what if that was Simba it would be horrible!!!!!!!! I could not live with out havein someone there every day to greet me with slobbery kisses or some different because NO dog give as good kisses as SimSim does!!! I couldn't live with out my tinkytinkytinkSimSimboy!!!! (hehehehehe thoose are some names that come out when i talk to him like a baby)

------------------


*.KayAnn.*&Simba*RuFf*

[AdoreMyDogs]

If Remmy happens to get lost and I am the one who happens to find him I will not be taking him back home if he still does not have a collar with ID tags and he still has that choke chain hanging around his neck. 2 strikes and the owner is out. I still think about him, and have begun walking in that same neighborhood on a regular basis in case Remmy is loose again. It was hard enough the first time to hand him over to owners who appeared not to love him enough to get a $3.00 ID tag and a $6.00 collar. I am not against choke chains properly used as a training aid ONLY but I am against using them as a collar, and leaving them on a dog all the time...especially if the dog has a tendency to wander off. I'll be sure to let you all know if I happen to find Remmy wandering the streets again I actually hope I do find him because that beautiful, yellow labby boy left his paw print on my heart.

[RachelJ]

Leslie, If Remmy does wonder off again, he certainly couldn't find a better guardian than you. I have this picture of you and Graham and Cassie doing a foot patrol of the area near Remmy's house. Okay, I was going to use the words "lurking about".

[aly]

AdoreMyDogs: If Remmy is loose again, its not your fault you "forgot" where he lived and who he belonged to. Afterall there is no collar to remind you. In fact, if you happen to stand in front of his house and call his name in the middle of the night, maybe he'll open the door and run home with you. We won't tell