Collar Warning - Personal Experience

[shutterbug0303]

Hey everyone. I hate to just keep checking in like this. I just had to share my experience this morning though...what an eye-opener. I know we've had a lot of discussions/debate on wearing collars all the time or not, etc...but after today, I'm having new thoughts on my girls wearing their collars constantly. Especially when I'm not watching closely.

I woke up this morning with the two danes playing at the end of my bed...nothing unusual until I heard crying/whimpering and a little low growling involved. I clapped my hands and told them to knock it off...the weird part - Skye never moved away from Sahara like usual. The crying got louder. Ijumped to the end of my bed and to my horror, Skye's bottom jaws was STUCK in Sahara's collar. It seemed that she got her mouth in there and somehow flipped around so it was twisted tight. That meant that Skye's bottom jaw was being squeezed...and so was Sahara's neck. I raced around looking for something to cut the collar with since the pressure was so tight, I couldn't get the clasp to unlatch. I finally found a pair of scissors and tried to calm and reassure both of them while I cut frantically to free them without hurting either one!! Sahara was getting quite mad at Skye for not getting away from her and was growling a bit more, but I rescued both before anything got out of hand. Skye and Sahara were both fine...red lips for Skye and a little nervousness from Sahara...but what if I hadn't of been right there?!?!? They play outside most of the morning without me and it could have easily happened then...

I just wanted to share my experience with everyone. I'm in no way trying to sway anyone with collars one way or another. I would still feel more comfortable with them wearing one incase they escaped somehow...but I also don't want them hurt either?!?! It's a tough decision

[Uabassoon]

I can understand not wanting your dogs to wear collars. I don't put collars on my cats after a misfortunate accident that took the life of my Zasper. However if your dogs are not microchipped please make sure to do so! Microchipping is very important especially if you decide not to keep collars and tags on your dog.

[Jessika]

I can understand not wanting your dogs to wear collars. I don't put collars on my cats after a misfortunate accident that took the life of my Zasper. However if your dogs are not microchipped please make sure to do so! Microchipping is very important especially if you decide not to keep collars and tags on your dog.

Even with microchipping though you should still have tags on your dogs, because different brands of microchips can only be read by specific 'wands', and most shelters aren't equipped with a 'wand' that is able to read every frequency of microchips out there, so it may come up as not having a microchip at all, when you do. So microchops are NOT a replacement for having tags.

I do agree that microchipping is very important, though, and I plan on getting my pups microchipped at the next vet visit.

[Uabassoon]

So microchops are NOT a replacement for having tags.

No matter what you are going to have some people that don't put collars on their dogs, in fact several people here just stated that they don't for safety issues. I wasn't saying microchips should be a replacement. But rather saying that if a person makes the choice not to keep a collar on their dog they should at least make sure their dog has some other form of identification.

[Jessika]

No matter what you are going to have some people that don't put collars on their dogs, in fact several people here just stated that they don't for safety issues. I wasn't saying microchips should be a replacement. But rather saying that if a person makes the choice not to keep a collar on their dog they should at least make sure their dog has some other form of identification.

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. And I know YOU weren't saying they should be a replacement, but just wanted to get that thought out to the general public to raise a little awareness, I suppose. Because all too often have I heard stories about owners who microchipped their pets and thought they didn't have to have ID tags, the dog got loose and guess what, they never got it back. My neighbor actually adopted a dog from the pound and she DID have ID tags on her, she got loose and they didn't see her for a couple of weeks.. weeks go by and a lady at some shelter calls them and asked if they knew that their dog was microchipped and rightfully belonged to another woman. So they didn't get their dog back, because whatever shelter they adopted her from didn't pick up on that particular microchips frequency.

[AllAmericanPUP]

yea there are collars designed to un clip if something like this was to happen
http://www.keepsafecollar.com/

[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.

[Suki Wingy]

I think they have collars specially designed to snap off in situations like that. I am glad they are both ok!

[finn's mom]

Oh, my gosh! That's scary! I know I had a cat that got her own jaw stuck in her collar once and her hind foot stuck in it one other time! That was scary, too! I'm glad you were able to take care of the situation.

[ParNone]

Yeh I've seen first hand with Murph, how easy it is for them to get a collar stuck on something. So mine don't wear collars around the house or backyard at all. The Collies are microchipped and none of the 3 try to run away from me, so I feel in my case that's the safer route. If I had a dog prone to running away though, I'd have a different take on it I'm sure.

Par...

[shutterbug0303]

The girls are chipped and not proned to run...so I'm really thinking of leaving the collars off.

I think Skye is just trying to be suicidal these days?!?!?! She somehow managed to get her head stuck in her crate door the other day...while I was still home...THANK GOD! I was able to free her in no time...but what if?!?! Between her tail, head, and now mouth, I'm wondering if I should go get her some counseling or something?!?!

Thanks for the replies so far everyone. Great points!!

[Pam]

Exactly the same thing happened to me several years ago with two of my previous poodles. I was in another room and heard Ashley (mini poodle) yelping and came running to find her hanging by her lower jaw from Whitney's (standard poodle) collar. It was easy to get Ashley's jaw out of the collar (after I stopped shaking!) as it wasn't twisted. After that incident neither wore collars 24/7. I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn't been home.

Bella does not wear a collar in the house but Ripley does. I have three reasons for this. 1) Ripley was originally a stray when I got him and doesn't have a good recall other than in the house and the back yard. 2) Ripley is the one to initiate that type of play with her so he would be the one likely to latch onto a collar and 3) Bella is larger so if, God forbid, she did get into that situation she would not be hanging.

It is amazing the trouble that dogs can get into!

[cali]

we had a silimier thing happen once, my dogs are never left alone to play without anyone around, when nobody is there 4 are kenneld and Happy is loose. when Happy was a puppy, she and perky would be put in the bathroom together when we were gone, and they would play, one day Happy got her jaw stuck in perkys collar, after that collars always came off when they were together without supervision, and now the dogs are never together without supervision, with 3 its just to keep em out of trouble, Perky is only locked up to seperate her from Happy, cuz Perky hates Happy.

[labrado_retriever123]

There are some collars that snap when things happen like that. I am glad your dogs are OK. Try to get one of those collars.

[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.