Do your dogs wear collars all the time? and what kind of collar?
- Thread starter Fran101
- Start date
Lmao!!! Those thumbs are quite enthusiastic...
When I lived at home, both of my dogs wore rolled leather collars with tags, almost all of the time. I did not want to risk some one letting them into the backyard and forgetting to put their collars on.
Now that I live in an apartment, as they are both super-DUPER respectful of the door, their collars only go on when their leashes go on. Gonzo wears either a rolled leather collar (which is imo the safest kind for leaving them on) or a nylon Lupine collar. Fozzie wears a fancy leather collar and/or an Up Country harness. I like leaving them au naturale much better, and they do, too.
When I lived at home, both of my dogs wore rolled leather collars with tags, almost all of the time. I did not want to risk some one letting them into the backyard and forgetting to put their collars on.
Now that I live in an apartment, as they are both super-DUPER respectful of the door, their collars only go on when their leashes go on. Gonzo wears either a rolled leather collar (which is imo the safest kind for leaving them on) or a nylon Lupine collar. Fozzie wears a fancy leather collar and/or an Up Country harness. I like leaving them au naturale much better, and they do, too.
Lucy, pretty much all the time. Her recall is pretty shaky as of right now, and we have a neighbor/family friend who sometimes comes over and opens the door without knocking (if I forget to lock it). I train my dogs not to go outside from any doorway without a release word, and they're both tremendously solid with that, but I don't want to risk it.
Millie, most of the time. She seems to like to wear it. I could totally be reading too much into it, but she carries it around and drops it onto my lap all the time when I take it off, but has no interest in playing with it.
They wear regular nylon collars. When I have the extra money I'll be buying them good leather collar from Paco Collars.
Millie, most of the time. She seems to like to wear it. I could totally be reading too much into it, but she carries it around and drops it onto my lap all the time when I take it off, but has no interest in playing with it.
They wear regular nylon collars. When I have the extra money I'll be buying them good leather collar from Paco Collars.
All of mine wear collars at all times. Grimm and Aesop are the only ones who play, and Grimm is in a crate when we're out.
Jules wears a thin braided kangaroo leather collar that slips over his head, it holds his tags, yet is thin and lightweight.
Aesop and Grimm wear rolled leather collars so as to not bugger up their 'do Aesop also has a kangaroo leather tag collar, which his tags hang from, but he's currently wearing the rolled leather collar as it gives me a better handle should I have to grab him in the yard.
Ginger's collars vary, but she's currently wearing her new collar from paco collars.
Jules wears a thin braided kangaroo leather collar that slips over his head, it holds his tags, yet is thin and lightweight.
Aesop and Grimm wear rolled leather collars so as to not bugger up their 'do
Aesop also has a kangaroo leather tag collar, which his tags hang from, but he's currently wearing the rolled leather collar as it gives me a better handle should I have to grab him in the yard.Ginger's collars vary, but she's currently wearing her new collar from paco collars.
At home, Gavroche rarely wears a collar because they irritate his neck. If he does have a collar at home, it cannot have tags, because those just make it worse. This is one of the many reasons he is microchipped.
When we go out, I put his tags on a bandanna around his neck. As far as collars when we go out...you name it my dog has probably been in it at some point But now I typically use a flat buckle collar. I do use a martingale for training classes (not always, but usually). I have a nylon slip collar we use on occasion but I don't like it. He has been in a prong collar, both inside out and right side out, but not for very long. He has been in a headcollar, but not for very long. The prong and the halti were shortly after I got him, as he was very hyper very much all over the place, which I used the prong collar for, and he was paying attention to everything and needed to focus more, which is what I sued the halti for. Never used them at the same time though. Then he was on a standard choke for a while. Since then it's been a variety of limited slip/martingale and flat buckle collars. I have so many collars and leashes for one dog it's not even funny XD He was also in an anti-pull harness for a bit, but I didn't really like it. He has 2 car harnesses. He also has a padded harness (since he has such sensitive skin I had to add padding to a regular nylon step-in harness) with a fake-leather strap that I used to experiment with training guide tasks (the floppy handle doesn't work well, but I was just experimenting out of boredom anyway), and I also have used that recently to start teaching him to pull on command. Every piece of equipment I use on him has a specific purpose.
At home he's under control by voice command, so there's no need for a collar. Since he doesn't need it and it irritates his skin, I don't bother.
When we go out, I put his tags on a bandanna around his neck. As far as collars when we go out...you name it my dog has probably been in it at some point
But now I typically use a flat buckle collar. I do use a martingale for training classes (not always, but usually). I have a nylon slip collar we use on occasion but I don't like it. He has been in a prong collar, both inside out and right side out, but not for very long. He has been in a headcollar, but not for very long. The prong and the halti were shortly after I got him, as he was very hyper very much all over the place, which I used the prong collar for, and he was paying attention to everything and needed to focus more, which is what I sued the halti for. Never used them at the same time though. Then he was on a standard choke for a while. Since then it's been a variety of limited slip/martingale and flat buckle collars. I have so many collars and leashes for one dog it's not even funny XD He was also in an anti-pull harness for a bit, but I didn't really like it. He has 2 car harnesses. He also has a padded harness (since he has such sensitive skin I had to add padding to a regular nylon step-in harness) with a fake-leather strap that I used to experiment with training guide tasks (the floppy handle doesn't work well, but I was just experimenting out of boredom anyway), and I also have used that recently to start teaching him to pull on command. Every piece of equipment I use on him has a specific purpose. At home he's under control by voice command, so there's no need for a collar. Since he doesn't need it and it irritates his skin, I don't bother.
A microchip is something that you don't have to remember to put on. Most shelters and vet clinics have scanners (unfortunately, not all, and not all chips can be read by all scanners).
If your dog has no chance of escaping from the house, there's not really a need for a collar at home (to get out, my dog would have to somehow make it out of my apartment door, down 3 flights of steps, and out a very heavy locked door with a knob that needs to be twisted to open to leave the building).
It's a matter of personal preference and lifestyle - some people want/need the extra security of ID all the time, a handle, etc. Others don't feel a need to have it. There's nothing wrong with either view.
If your dog has no chance of escaping from the house, there's not really a need for a collar at home (to get out, my dog would have to somehow make it out of my apartment door, down 3 flights of steps, and out a very heavy locked door with a knob that needs to be twisted to open to leave the building).
It's a matter of personal preference and lifestyle - some people want/need the extra security of ID all the time, a handle, etc. Others don't feel a need to have it. There's nothing wrong with either view.
I agree with Saeleofu. There was a member here who has 3 dogs and while playing, one dog got caught on the other's collar and almost suffocated. They decide the danger of that happening in the immediate future while playing outweighed the risk of them somehow getting out, so they rarely wear collars. I totally understand and respect that.
Maybe its my neighborhood - but its too much of a risk (for me! now, everyone's situations are different) for them to NOT wear collars. If they get out, I'm more worried about someone else figuring they were dumped or ran away and would keep them! I've seen it happen time and time again. Especially if the dog is well behaved! The common people are not required to scan for a chip. I don't even know if the local dog pound scans. It scares me.
It scares me.
I've heard of too many horror stories of dogs getting injured or killed when wearing collars, unattended. My breeder came home to a dead Doberman when she left for just a few minutes to run to the corner store. Two dogs were playing and one got his teeth caught and strangled the other. I rescued a neighbors dog who got part of the hardware caught in the cracks between boards on their deck and she was hopelessly stuck with her head being pulled down tight against the deck. I've read of more sad stories than I even want to remember regarding collars left on dogs unattended.