Collar Warning - Personal Experience

[sammy101]

wow glad they werent injured!
If your kids have their collars on,just think of how much fast you'd get your dog back if someone were to find/catch them.They woud have your number on their tag,so that person would be able to call right away,instead of having to take them to a shelter or to a vet.Just a thought .Mine always have their collars on,i get very paranoid when they dont have them on.

[Shelteez2]

I too have witnessed two dogs playing and one getting it's mouth stuck under the other's collar. Not a fun situation at all.

I choose to not have collars on my dogs. They do not bolt and are not prone to running away. In fact I don't even know where my dogs collars are, they jut never wear them.

[Cincy'sMom]

Although our three of ours are microchipped, they wear their collars all the time. One time I didn't get the gate closed tight, and the dogs got out. A neighbor got our number of Spot's collar, and called. They were all back in the front yard before I knew they were gone, but if a neighbor hadn't seen them right away and called, who knows?

On the other side of it, Cincy got her collar stuck on the van seat one day, as we were on our way to the dog park. I was on the Interstate and heard her breathing really weird. I pulled off at an exit, and found she was being choked by her collar. We use premier collars, so their is no clasp to unbuckle. I had to untwist it and free it, without taking it off her head. I was scared to death! I now keep something in each car that can be used to cut a seatbelt, or a dog collar if the need arises, but I still feel the tags are too important, to not keep their collars on them.

[wolfsoul]

That exact same thing happened to some people I know. They were upstairs, and heard the dogs playing downstairs. The next thing they knew, there was some growling. When they went downstairs, they saw that Cayenne's tooth was caught on Cutter's collar, and it twisted the collar tight. When they cut the collar off, Cutter was dead -- they had to revive him.

Visa only wears her collar when she is supervised or outside. I worry about the gate unlatching and her getting out, so I always put it on her before she goes outside, just incase. She has a tattoo, but it's on her belly so someone might not see it, and she isn't microchipped because they don't check for microchips here. Collars are the best way to identify a dog here.

I'm glad that neither dog was hurt badly.

[areias]

Our dogs wear collars only while going somewhere. Sometimes after a bath they all wear their handsome/pretty collars, but that's about it. It's a big risk. They are all microchipped. I had an incident with my old husky mix once...I was at a carnival/town get together thing (with food, boothes, live music) and someone had let a young child hold there overexcited German Shepherd..he got loose and rushed over to pick a fight with my guy, and somehow in the scuffle his collar actually clicked into my dogs leash-the clip was not the kind you pull down, its the kind that pushed in, and they were stuck together until the owners were able to come over and help (I sure didn't want to reach down and all over a strange GSD). Everyone was ok but it was kind of scary.

[AllAmericanPUP]

for those who dont like their dogs to wear collars...what about harnesses? you can attach ID tags and what not to harnesses...

[bckrazy]

Oh no I know its better to be microchipped without a collar than have no identification at all, but people often overlook the fact and think that BECAUSE their dog is microchipped that means they don't have to provide proper ID tags, which they should anyway.

that's DEFINITELY a valid point, however, collars with tags are not fool-proof either! One of my closest friends had a Goldenx who was wearing his collar and tags in the yard while her Mom was home... he slipped through a hole under the fence, and his collar was snagged on the fence. He was hit by a car on a nearby street before her Mom even realized he was gone. They later found out that AC had picked him up, and because he was badly injured and had no tags or a microchip they euthanized him on the spot. Collars CAN slip off, and tags CAN be broken from key rings. Microchips are permanent, and if you get a chip from a company such as Avid or Home Again that provides free scanners to any shelter or vet, you're very very likely to get your dog back even if the collar is gone.

Gonzo wears his collar with tags most of the time, except for at night, and it's a safety release collar so it would hopefully break off in an emergency. I'll definitely reconsider collars all the time when we get another dog and something like that can happen Poor Sahara and Skye! I'm sooo glad they're ok.

[Vette]

Yeeks!
Glad to hear both dogs are okay though.

[jackie]

One of my closest friends had a Goldenx who was wearing his collar and tags in the yard while her Mom was home... he slipped through a hole under the fence, and his collar was snagged on the fence. He was hit by a car on a nearby street before her Mom even realized he was gone. They later found out that AC had picked him up, and because he was badly injured and had no tags or a microchip they euthanized him on the spot.

That is heartbreaking.

[senorita02]

Even if they had the collar on that snaps off, if she wasnt there to snap it off the dogs could of been strangele & died.
My sister left her house once, and forgot something and turned back went into the house and found one of her huskys somehow got her collar stuck on something and was being strangled, luckily she had gone back to the house, or things could have been bad.
My two never wear there collars in the house or when i am not home with them.
Outside, i put there collars on and they are microchipped also.

That must of been sooo scary JUDY!!! I am so glad to hear they are both ok!

[lv4dogs]

Wow that sure is scary.

My dogs never wear their collars if I am not present, end even then they rarely wear them unless we are outside. And when they do wear their collars and we are at home I put them on loose enough so that they slip over their heads if need be & I also only buy the quick relese collars (with the clip instead of the buckle).

Years ago Nanook got his tags stuck in the heater vent & he was frantically trying to get free. What if I was not there, worse yet what if the heat was on? It took me a good 5-10 minutes (seemed like forever) and some struggling to get him free.

They are all chipped (well Kaige isn't yet, he's getting chipped next month when he gets neutered.. boy how time flies), they don't wander far from me either & have good recalls too.

Glad everything is ok now!

[pitc9]

I'm glad to hear both of your girls are okay!

My dogs are prone to run away
(well, Sierra is, Buddy would only follow to keep her safe)
They are both microchipped and they both wear collars with tags, Sierra Always has hers on, and Buddy's comes off at night because he walks around the house a few times a night and the jingels of his tags wakes me up.
I think I will be buying two of those breakways collars Allamerican Pup posted. Those sound perfect!!!
Once Sierra ran away with my in-laws RB Rasquel and they were saved because Sierra had her tags on, and two 9 year old boys coaxed them into their garage and read her tag and called me.

[LKPike]

frankie and jillie wear theirs constantly, jillian doesnt like running around without it. (her tags jingle and she likes that) both the collars are too big for them, purposly. they can escape it easily if they ever need to, although we've never had an issue with it.

[flamepony12]

Poor girls! I'm so glad they're okay. It must have been scary.

My dogs' collars are on constantly as well. They are loosened at night, and could easily slip out of them if needed.

[cyber-sibes]

I'm glad your two were ok! This is quite an eye-opener for me, I've never heard of collars being such a problem.. About the worst we've had is Sherman getting his tags stuck between the boards on the deck - both times he pulled so hard it ripped the taags off, but he was fine. Mine always have their collars on. Even though they are both microchipped, I worry about them getting out of their kennel and runing loose. Star got out of the yard as a puppy, but the city animal warden happened to be in the neighborhood, picked her up, scanned her, & because she DID have a microchip, she was immediatly returned. Another time a roofer left the gate open and she got out, but a neighbor put her in their yard and called the number on her tags & we got her back right away. So both forms of ID have served us well!