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Collar conundrum

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3K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  krandall 
#1 ·
So Bama has this habit of occasionally trying to get and chew on the tags on her collar. We tried smaller tags, but every once in awhile we would see her trying to get them.
I recently had gotten one of those collars at Petco that have sliders where you can put name stickers and other accessories on them. It seemed rather thick for such a little girl, but she never seemed to try and get it off.

But since this didn't have room for a phone number, I ordered her a personalized collar with her name and number (from Up Country I think). Well today she had been sitting nicely chewing on her antler, then I look over and she is trying to chew on the plastic buckle! I had tightened the collar to where I thought she couldn't reach but still wouldn't be too tight (even though it partially covered the phone number). I don't know if the width made it easier to try and get or if a smaller thinner collar would pose the same issue.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good collar? Should I search for the kind that has a metal buckle like a belt? The plastic kind (like safety cat collars) seem to be much more popular.
Her neck measures somewhere between 7 1/ and 8 inches. Hard to get exact with all that fur. (btw her chest is 12", neck/top of shoulders to base of tail is 10", and height (shoulders to floor) is 10". She is 6 lbs.).

When on the leash we use a harness. I suppose we could always just not use a collar in the house, but I worry in case of emergency she should have ID on her (she is microchipped).


:flypig:
 
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#2 ·
The dangers of getting a collar hung up on something or the dog getting their jaw caught in it just worry me too much. Besides that, collars mat their coats if they are kept in long coat. For these reasons, Kodi only wears a collar when he's out of the house.
 
#3 ·
Both of mine wear their collars most of the time. Since they go out several times a day, it never made sense to take the collars off and on each time. However, we did just install a fence, so I'm considering taking their collars off unless we are going out somewhere or they are playing outside the fence.

Sonic used to have the same issues of chewing on tags and the buckle (he actually broke one buckle!). I noticed that this behavior stopped when he was about a year old, so maybe it's just a phase for Bama too. While you are dealing with it, I would recommend always checking for a good fit of the collar, especially when you see her getting at the buckle. Aries never tired getting her buckle, but shes always had a metal buckle collar, so maybe that's something to consider too. As far as the tags, I noticed he never messed with them when there was only one on (I think it had something to do with the sound of the tags clinking together). We also have the collar with his name and our contact information on it so he only has his rabies and license tags on his collar.

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#5 ·
I agree with Karen. My guys have never worn collars in the house or in the fenced-in backyard. I only put on a collar when we are out and about. It solves a lot of problems that way and is a lot safer, I feel.
 
#10 ·
Our 3 month old loves to walk/run. When she is on a walk, should we use a collar or halter? The trainer for puppy classes wants her in a collar. I don't want to damage her trachea as I read is possible because they pull. I have read so much, that sometimes I am confused as to want is the correct thing to do. Thank you.
 
#11 ·
#12 ·
I don't put a collar on Tucker except when going out the front, either. (Our back yard is fenced.) He's in full coat and collars mat too much. I also have heard some horror stories on the Forum about dogs getting stuck with collars on and having terrible experiences.
 
#13 ·
We have a fenced back yard so Ozzie doesn't wear a harness at home but only when we're out and about & it's a rolled leather one that doesn't seem to cause mats. He is also microchipped. I only connect his leash to his harness though, I would hate to have him jerk his neck and hurt himself.
 
#17 ·
I really need to proof read my posts! I meant to say he has a rolled leather collar that has his ID tags attached that he wears when we go out but also wears his harness so we can attach his leash and seat belt. At home he wears nothing and on walks he just wears his harness. I think this makes more sense now? When he was little I used a little leash that the vet gave us that just had a slip collar on the end so we could take it on and off quickly. When we went out to do his business that was all we did so he didn't ask to be let out just to play.
 
#14 ·
So here is another problem with the halter vs collar. We do not leave the halter on when she is in the house, but take it off and on when taking her out which can be every 2-2 1/2 hours. We left the collar on and took it off at night and that worked out pretty well. She is fiercely fighting us putting on the halter. We no longer have a fenced in yard so a leash is a necessity. What to do?
 
#15 ·
Do you really mean a halter (which goes on their head) or a harness, which goes on their body. If it's a halter, I'm not surprised she fights it... i'm sure it hurts when it pulls on her facial hair. If it's a harness, is it a step-in one, one that goes over the head. Many pups don't like the ones that go over the head, so if that's what you are using, you might want to try a step-in style instead.

If your puppy still resists the harness, you need to do a careful, slow introduction to the halter, preferably using a clicker and lots of treats. If you haven't done clicker trainng, get a good, positive based trainer to help you. Forcing your stuggling puppy into a harness is only harming your relationship, and will cause other training problems down the line.
 
#16 ·
Oops, I meant harness and it is a step in kind. I am just going to use the collar for potty breaks and use the harness for walks. I will try treats. She initially had no problem with the harness. It is just as she has become older and more comfortable with us, she seems to be asserting herself. We have had pups/dogs all of our married life and this sweet little girl is rewriting the book for us. She is doing well with potty training and basic commands. When she gets overstimulated or tired she gets very testy. We had grandkids today and she was very uncooperative with the harness and settling down this evening after everyone left.
 
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