Collar or Harness?

I personally don't like the harness. Cleo can't wear one because she feels the need to pull me down the street in one. No matter how much leash training she has had, it hasn't made a difference using the harness. She is on her back legs practically walking in that thing.
 
Just to update . . . martingales have extra stuff (chain or material loop) that can catch on things way more easily than just a fitted collar. If tightened to the point the loop lays perfectly flat, if snagged (remember, it is a LOOP) it will choke the dog. If adjusted loosely enough that the rings actually do touch and choking is not that likely, the loop is looser and saggy and the risk of snagging is higher. They can seriously damage themselves just trying to free themselves.

Personally, I want collar/tags on 24/7 in case of break in, broken window, slip out a door, any of that. However, I use a breakaway that takes a fairly good tug. The dogs wrestling around have popped the breakaway a few times.

As to walking, if you want to walk by the neck, a martingale will prevent slipping out. You can work up to it. If you don't like the neck control or the dog doesn't. I am still sticking by the Ruffwear Webmaster because those 2 belly straps are absolutely the best slip-out prevention. The back strap must be adjusted snug but not tight.

No, no, no! A martingale, properly fitted will no more choke a dog then a regular collar!!!!! I can't understand why this message is not getting through! A martingale is NOT a choke chain. When it fitted properly it should tighten no more than a regular collar....never to choke. When not attached to a leash, it hangs a little loose so there is less matting around the ruff. When attached to a lead, it tightens to a regular collar size but tight enough so has not to slip the lead.

If left on all day, if it gets caught, it will not choke the dog. Any more than a regular collar would.

And for those who say they NEVER have to worry about their dogs escaping, never say never. It only takes one careless person to leave a gate open and the dog escapes. Indy has done it twice....but found his way back for dinner each time (stupid food hound that he is!!! :rolleyes2:)

That being said, for puppies, I still like a harness....they seem to object to it less than a collar. But once Callan outgrew his baby harness, it was martingale for him (and yes, he is wearing Bacca's kangaroo collar.....no wonder that I still call Bacca when I'm calling Callan inside! sob!!!)

ok ducking now!:hide
 
Barb, I don't think anyone is arguing that a martingale is more likely to choke a dog. I think the argument is that with that extra loop of fabric a martingale is more likely to get caught on something. Some of us (myself included) don't leave regular collars on our dogs when they're crated in wire crates for fear that that may get stuck and the dog could panic and choke. And regular collars don't tighten either--but in the most unfortunate of circumstances regular collars have gotten caught on something and caused a dog to choke to death. The more fabric hanging loose on a collar, the higher the chance it could get caught. Has nothing to do with the collar tightening.

Martingales are an amazing invention and have their time and place but I wouldn't risk leaving them on when unsupervised. But like I said, I don't leave regular collars on my dogs when crated either.
 
So I'm gone from home for 10 hours a day. If my dog catches his "not quite tight" martingale collar on something at hour 2, he is then going to spend 8 hours trying to remove himself. Likely dying in hour 3 because he has spun around several times and tightened the collar past where he can live for another 7 hours.

So how loose or tight the collar lays against his neck is completely irrelevant when he is stuck on something and panicking.

No collars here when I'm not home. Ever.

(My gates are padlocked/bike locked shut. Nobody will ever accidentally leave them open)
 
Ok, I'm not going to win this argument, but I will leave with one parting comment.

To net it out.....martingale or regular collar....its all the same if you are worried about choking hazard. A martingale has no more risk of choking than a regular collar. Period. Anyway who says differently, does not know how to fit a martingale collar.

So the question comes down to: do you collar your dogs inside or not.

So, I looked around Callan's den to see what he was at risk of hanging himself on.....the answer was nothing.....Crates, xpens, etc. are designed specifically to avoid these hazards. The biggest risk we ever had was his dog tag got caught on his elevated food bowl and flipped the dish.

Truly, people....how many times has this happened vs. how many dogs have gone awhol without collar

For me the biggest risk is always awhol without collar.

Weight the risks and decide for yourself.
 
Truly, people....how many times has this happened vs. how many dogs have gone awhol without collar

For me the biggest risk is always awhol without collar.

Weight the risks and decide for yourself.

For me, AWOL without a collar is the bigger risk. Spirit wears a collar 24/7 (and she is also microchipped, but I'm not taking any chances).
 
For me, AWOL without a collar is the bigger risk. Spirit wears a collar 24/7 (and she is also microchipped, but I'm not taking any chances).


I agree. I have one on Cleo 24/7 and she is microchipped as well. She is well trained but if she is spooked without a collar on outside or gets out the front door inside and takes off, I would just be a mess wondering what would happen to her. She is always supervised in the house and outside. I have two kids so there really isn't anything she can get it caught on as the house is child proof anyway. Thinking back on the Piper situation, anything can happen and I want all the proof I can have to make sure I get her back safe and sound if this were to ever happen.
 
Phoebe is almost 16 weeks and I use a halter for walks as it give me more control. We have only just begun this activity and everything is so new and exciting that she is all over the place. Until she is better trained not to pull that is the way to go. Don't want to have that much pressure on her throat. She wears a collar with an id tag all the time, and it only took a couple of weeks for her to get used to that.
My last dog loved her collar. I would take it off to groom her and she was very happy to have it back on. I called it her necklace!
 
I just got the cutest harness for Rupert! It is also really functional (important!). I made him a little elasticated collar also and have his tag on that. He was micro chipped when he got his first shot so hopefully I have all bases covered. :fl
 
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