To wear or not to wear, that is the question

OK, the general rule of thumb is don't use collars in crates. Personally I think the risk is 1 in a million, but I'm not going to buck the trend.

But if you are no longer crating your dog.....then yes, I leave collars on all the time. My dogs are not microchipped, and even if they were I would still do so.

It took only one Houdini act by Indy to convince me. He escaped my yard and went on a big stroll....without tags. I was extremely fortunate that the person who saw him wandering knew enough to call the SPCA. I had also called the SPCA so we were able to connect the dots real quick. We had his location nailed down pretty quick.

(As it turned out, but food hound made his way home in time for supper anyway!?

The point is that with a tag, I would have gotten the call a whole lot sooner. Waiting for someone to microchip the dog.....I would have been waiting for someone to get the dog to a shelter and then read the microchip.

So I say yes to both tagging and microchip. And I also never remove ny dogs collars....but they aren't crated.
 
Thanks for all the answers. I am NOT going to take them off, I have decided. I am tired of her telling me how to take care of MY dogs. Yes, she cares about the dogs, but they are mine. I am afraid, though, if she finds out, she will take them back. I had to sign this damn contract that if she does not like what I do, at any time, she can take them back, ugh, I feel like they are not even mine. This stinks. So, will do what I want, and hang what she says, LOL. I am on a roll today.

My dogs are chipped, they have to be here, but, I still do not trust it, what if the vet or shelter did not scan them, or the person who found them did not report the dogs, no, I think I should leave them on.

All the answers were great, you are wonderful Sheltie owners. Thanks again so much for your input.:hugs:hugs
 
Laddie's Mom said:
Thanks for all the answers. I am NOT going to take them off, I have decided. I am tired of her telling me how to take care of MY dogs. Yes, she cares about the dogs, but they are mine. I am afraid, though, if she finds out, she will take them back. I had to sign this damn contract that if she does not like what I do, at any time, she can take them back, ugh, I feel like they are not even mine. This stinks. So, will do what I want, and hang what she says, LOL. I am on a roll today.

My dogs are chipped, they have to be here, but, I still do not trust it, what if the vet or shelter did not scan them, or the person who found them did not report the dogs, no, I think I should leave them on.

All the answers were great, you are wonderful Sheltie owners. Thanks again so much for your input.:hugs:hugs
Click to expand...
how would she know if you leave their collars on?
 
My dog wears a nylon buckle collar with my phone number embroidered into it. There are no tags attached. I haven't noticed that many more mats under her collar than other parts of her body. When I brush her, I simply take off the collar and brush underneath. I want visible ID on her at all times. She is not a show dog, so I'd rather her wear a collar and risk some damaged fur underneath.

I've never heard of a dog wearing a standard buckle collar without tags get caught on anything. I'm sure it has happened somewhere, but I feel the reward of having visible 24/7 ID outweighs the slim risk. However, I have heard multiple times of tags getting caught in crates or on something else. It actually has happened to my dog when she was a puppy. She was wearing a harness and the tags got caught in her wired crate. If the tags had been on a collar, she could've really injured or chocked herself. So I only use tags when we go out for a walk.
 
Koffoy wears a collar unless he is I his kennel. His collar has his name and AKC # and AKC phone number on it. I can't leave tags on his collar as he chews the daylight on the tags. I am considering chipping him when we go in for his annual visit as he is a runner if he gets loose and if his collar comes off then there is no id.
 
Dander is up GRRRR.
I don't leave collars on. Had 2 very close calls. One when the tag went through the furnace vent while the cat was sleeping and then turned. I wasn't home but came home to collar and tag still sitting in vent, cat quite sore. Thankfully, an old leather collar. Second one was Tardis, excited to go out for a game with the kids. Martingale somehow hooked onto the cupboard door while he was dancing around and fortunately, door pulled off instead of snapping his neck. We had a dog come into the clinic with a broken jaw from getting caught on another dog's collar. Also had a dog get caught in the steel mesh of an older style recovery cage at work. I suggested, to my clients, that they refrain from keeping collars on full time. IT WAS A SUGGESTION ONLY. We did tattoo and microchip.
Having said all that, your breeder is overstepping big time, hence my dander being up. Doubt her contract would hold up in court. For sure, here in Ontario, the court looks at the ownership as that of the person that the dog resides with. When breeders get this controlling is it any wonder that pet buyers decide to look elsewhere - like a pet store??????
 
Tagg,

I agree that it's a risk. Lately pet pundits are again saying not to keep collars on 24 x 7. I think there were one or two recent deaths that is swaying the argument again.

But I'm still for collars, outside of a wire crate. If you use a soft sided crate, it's a non issue. While in the crate, no matter what kind of crate, they aren't going anywhere. So to be safe remove the collar whiling crating. But put back while outside the crate . Even in the house. One open door and dig could be gone.

As for fur matting....that's why I use 1/4" rolled leather martingales. They hang loose when not coo etched to a lead. And because they are rolled they don't chafe the fur like a flat collar.

The biggest mishap I ever had was a tag getting caught on a raised wrought iron food dish.....food and water sprayed everywhere. :eek2:
 
Apollo's Mom

There are some great responses in this thread, and I agree completely that collar use should be based upon the comfort level of the owner and the dog.

I personally have never put collars on my Shelties fulltime, but do want to add to be careful if you are hooking a leash to a standard buckled collar. I found my last Sheltie was able to slip her way out of a normal collar rather easily (even if tightly sized)! She was not naughtily in the least or trying to run off, I think she just wasn't comfortable wearing it. I use a lightweight choker collar which is comfortable for the pup and won't slip off.
 
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