came home at lunch

[jansop]

When I entered the front door, I had no idea why Booker wasn't coming up the the baby gate. I took the gate down and had to literally pull him out of his kennel.

Imagine my fright when I noticed his right front leg was in the collar while the collar was around his neck.

It was soooo tight and choking him. I couldn't pull his leg out so I had to unsnap the collar, which was very difficult to do. I have no idea how long he was in this predicament.

This weekend, Booker will be sporting a new collar. I'll only keep the old one on him when he's outside on his leash............jan

[Bekah]

Talk about scary!! Thank goodness you got home when you did. Is Booker ok now?

[Kramersmom]

Oh my goodness. Glad to hear Booker is ok, how scarey this was for you and for Booker. When Kramer is crated he never has his collar on. When we go out for a few hours he has the run except for the upstaires bedrooms. I do leave his crate door open but again no collar. I put his collar on when we go out but when we go for walks I use the sporn harness and then when we come in it comes off.

Hope Booker and yourself are doing better tonight.

[kayharley]

What an awful thing to happen. I always leave collars on Maddy and Elliott when they're in their crates. What kind of collar was it? I'm so glad he's okay.

[Kramersmom]

Kayharley,

Its stated on some crates that collars shouldn't be worn in the crates, the little ring that the leesh hooks to can get caught and they can choke. Tags on the collar as well can get caught. I just take it off to be safe.

[Eliz222]

I'm so glad Booker is going to be ok! I didn't know about the danger of wearing collars in the crate too! My two don't use the crate, but if we ever have to, I'll take their collars off for sure!

[jansop]

Booker is fine. The collar was one of those cheap ones. Apparently, it became loose on its own.

He wasn't crated at the time. He sleeps in crate when I'm gone, but the door is left open so he has freedom in the kitchen.

Anyone have a suggestion about what type of collar works best?.............jan

[Scully'sMom]

I'm so glad that Booker is doing okay. What a scarey incident.

[bradl]

Anyone have a suggestion about what type of collar works best?.............jan

Rolled leather collars are nice and don't break the coat as much, plus they last for ages. To be honest we don't use a collar when unsupervised.

[Carolinasmom]

Carolina doesn't wear a coller either unless she's going out front with us or for a walk. She is microchipped so if she ever ran away, she could be identified eventually. I've also heard stories about dogs somehow hanging themselves and dying while outside unsupervised. You never know what they'll get caught on.

I am glad Booker is ok!

[Anna_525]

That must have been a real scare. Poor Booker! But I'm glad he's OK now!

Rolled leather collars are nice and don't break the coat as much, plus they last for ages. To be honest we don't use a collar when unsupervised.

Another excuse to go shopping!!

[Logansmom]

So glad that Booker is okay. How scary for both of you!! I use a break away cat collar. With two of them rolling and playing I'm afraid that someone is going to get those big ole teeth caught in a collar. That break away is a great thing. You just have to take off that annoying bell that cats seem to adore.

[Kramersmom]

I found this intresting.

Collar Strangulation Statistics

The most frequently reported accidents occur while two dogs are at play, on fences/decks, crates/kennels, heating/cooling vents, and branches or shrubs.

Veterinarian Survey Results*

Prevalence of Collar Strangulation:

91% of veterinarians reported having seen/heard of 1-5 dogs injured or strangled by their collar in their practice within the last year.

5% of veterinarians reported having seen/heard of 6-10 dogs injured or strangled by their collar in their practice within the last year.

4% of veterinarians reported that they have not seen or heard or any dogs injured or strangled by their collar within the last year.

The Most Frequently Reported Accidents:

Fence

Occurs when peering over, jumping onto, or digging under.

Two dogs at play

Occurs when lower jaw of one dog becomes caught in the other's collar.

Crate

When ID tags become stuck in bars of crate (statistically same as 2 dogs at play).

Branches

Happens when collar becomes tangled in brush/branches when playing outdoors.

Heating/Cooling Air Vents

Occurs when ID tags become affixed to air vent.

Dog Owner Awareness of Collar Injury/Strangulation

Veterinarians believe that only 1 in 4 dog owners are aware of the risks of collar injury or strangulation.

Break-Away Collar for Dogs are the best.

[bradl]

Apparently from: http://www.keepsafecollar.com/pages.cfm?id=21 - a vendor of breakaway collars.

Not that I disagree with the dangers listed. I still prefer to simply not have a collar where I can't intervene to assist the dog in the event of a problem. My concern with breakaway collars is that they'll break away when I don't want them to (as they describe in their description of the collar they market).

[kayharley]

And I feel as if this is one of those "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenerios.

Who knows when their dog is likely to escape? I doubt it's ever planned. I have what people call a "fortress" in my yard and even my house/doors are gated to keep my Cairns safe but I've had a two close calls when Elliott or Maddy came close to bolting out our front door because they were quicker than I. Just the thought of them loose without identification....

I understand the risk but I also understand what could contribute to the problem.

[bradl]

Bingo kayharley ... there are so few (probably zero) simple answers that work for everyone/everydog.

[Kramersmom]

My house is a fortress as well, hopping over baby gates etc... I have a gate blocking the two ways to enter my foyer where my front door and garage door are so when doors are open Kramer can't get to it. I know the goods about collars if a pet gets lost or gets loose. The last thing I ever would want to hear is a pet getting lost or running away. If you feel more secure with the collar then by all means keep the collars on. Most of the time I use the sporn harness so once we come in it comes off. You are right dammed if you do dammed if you dont.

We can read and read the goods and the bads but at the end we have to make a decision whats best for our situation.

[abe's dad]

Here is my 2 cents ( if it is worth that ) Abe wears a collar all the time with his tags for ID purposes. He is good about not bolting but has escaped the yard on occasion and will wander. But when I put his collar on him I adjust it (and check the adjustment frequently ) so that I can only get one finger between his neck and the collar this way it isn't loose enough to get caught easily and not too tight either. Whe we are on the leash we use a harness Abe was bad to pull when we first started walking on leash he still likes to lead but doesn't pull hard and a gentle tug will get him back beside you in most cases.