Why Dogs Shouldn't Wear Collars.

[OSoSwift]

MIne are in a yard with 2 metre high fences and mesh buried into the ground. They don't dig, barge or climb. We are on 2000 acres and while they could go to the neighbours 2 kms away it is more probable they would hang around if they did get out.

They are reasonably unique around here and well known as they are in the local paper a fair bit and often seen around with me.

If I lived in town I would probably use breakaway collars but out here, definately naked for me

[sandgrubber]

Collars off-property are law in California. The collar must display a rabies tag. The tag can be traced back to identify the registered owner.

Yes, collars are a hazard. But I'll bet if statistics were available, you'd find that they save more dogs than they hang.

When I find a lost dog, I call the owner if it has a tag with a phone number. I call the pound if it doesn't. The pound is not no-kill.

[Kajtek]

No collars unless being walked. I'd pay the fine 10x over rather than take the risk (no matter how small)

[Gayle.]

I don't think our pound is a no-kill pound either, but they post daily pics of the current inmates and they DO scan for chips and ring the owners if the dog is chipped. If it isn't, they don't leave without being microchipped. I am confident that if my dog gets out again and gets lost or ends up in the pound, I will find him even without him wearing a collar. The only instances I can think of where I wouldn't find him is if he got completely lost out in the bush and no one else found him, or if someone from out of town decided to take him and keep him, and it wouldn't matter if he was wearing a collar or not, that doesn't prevent dishonesty. If someone decided they wanted him, they'd just take his collar off and throw it away.

[Zombie Bait]

My 2 are naked when at home. They play fight fairly rough and I worry about hanging/choking themselves if left unattended with a collar on.

There have been 2 instances of them out and about.

First one - we had recently moved 1km away and someone opened our gate and they took off. I was out shopping, drove home to see Brembo sniffing in someones front yard half a street away. Put him in the car and went home to find gate open and no Sierra. Called OH in a panic, luckily he was working close to home so left work and started searching. Found her 5 streets away on her way back to the old place. Solution - padlocked gate.

Second time - Sierra freaked out while we were out due to neighbours letting fireworks off. Jumped a 6 foot colourbond fence. Got home at 10.30pm to find Brembo but no Sierra. OH went out on foot with Brembo, I drove around for an hour. OH kept walking the streets while I reported her missing with the RSPCA and local emergency vets (nearly midnight at this stage). Posted on FB, DOL and a missing pets site. Kept calling every hour until 3am. Went to bed with back gate open, back door open and Brembo in bed with us. Barely slept. Up at 6am trolling the streets, kept calling RSPCA, emergency vets and Logan city council. Checked pound drop in pens all morning, did door knock etc.

16 hours later the RSPCA called to let us know that a dog fitting that description had been found approx 2 kms away. Went and picked her up from nice gentleman who had found her laying under a tree in his neighbours front yard.

She wasnt wearing a collar but was wearing her dog coat at the time. Solution - dogs kept inside when we are out until a roofed dog pen is built.

I will still not put collars on my dogs unattended due to the risk involved.

[Nic.B]

My 2 are naked when at home. They play fight fairly rough and I worry about hanging/choking themselves if left unattended with a collar on.

There have been 2 instances of them out and about.

First one - we had recently moved 1km away and someone opened our gate and they took off. I was out shopping, drove home to see Brembo sniffing in someones front yard half a street away. Put him in the car and went home to find gate open and no Sierra. Called OH in a panic, luckily he was working close to home so left work and started searching. Found her 5 streets away on her way back to the old place. Solution - padlocked gate.

Second time - Sierra freaked out while we were out due to neighbours letting fireworks off. Jumped a 6 foot colourbond fence. Got home at 10.30pm to find Brembo but no Sierra. OH went out on foot with Brembo, I drove around for an hour. OH kept walking the streets while I reported her missing with the RSPCA and local emergency vets (nearly midnight at this stage). Posted on FB, DOL and a missing pets site. Kept calling every hour until 3am. Went to bed with back gate open, back door open and Brembo in bed with us. Barely slept. Up at 6am trolling the streets, kept calling RSPCA, emergency vets and Logan city council. Checked pound drop in pens all morning, did door knock etc.

16 hours later the RSPCA called to let us know that a dog fitting that description had been found approx 2 kms away. Went and picked her up from nice gentleman who had found her laying under a tree in his neighbours front yard.

She wasnt wearing a collar but was wearing her dog coat at the time. Solution - dogs kept inside when we are out until a roofed dog pen is built.

I will still not put collars on my dogs unattended due to the risk involved.

Way off topic I know Though my neighbours always let off fireworks randomly and with no notice.

You can hear every dog in the area going off their nuts. Luckily mine are always inside with us as it is always late.

We live in a rural area, everyone around here will let you know if they are having a big party, letting off fireworks or burning off etc. But not these people, they do what they want, when they want and have no thought for others at all. Their dogs are always over here (cant get into our house yard) but do chase our two arabs.

We have asked them nicely more than once to keep the dogs off our property, though no luck at all

[OSoSwift]

Their dogs are always over here (cant get into our house yard) but do chase our two arabs.

If that was at my place they would not be going home!

[Nic.B]

I know...

They are good dogs really, I can see that. Our horses are very good with dogs, though still, it is an accident waiting to happen. We have no other choice than to get council involved now as we have tried every other option with our neighbours.

It is not just chasing the horses, they also stir up our dogs and I dont want a barking complaint. Bad all round really.

[Guest english.ivy]

Mine are naked when at home too, though they both wear collars when we leave the house.

My two previous dogs got tangled in their collars and if we weren't home, one of them probably would have died.

[Hafhafa Hounds]

No collar on at home here either. I have never had an incident, but have heard too many stories about hangings and twisting with jaws.

While mine don't play roughly with each other, I'd rather be safe/r than sorry.

I would be on the phone to our local ranger within 30 minutes if I didn't know where they were.

This past week I had the first escape ever that didn't involve an open gate or broken fence. I usually walk in the morning before work and take turns with which dog I take each day. I had taken Moss (Saluki) on the Tuesday and opted to take Meg (Kelpie) the next day.

As I arrived home, Mr Hafhafa came out to tell me that he had just let Moss in the front gate and he was full of burrs - had he got away from me? Nope - I left him in the porch with his sister, with the door open to the backyard and the gates between back & front shut. How the heck did he get out??

We couldn't see any broken fence/s etc and all gates were still closed, so we decided to try again tomorrow and Mr Hafhafa would watch to see where he was getting out. (Then we spent 15 minutes de-burring!! )

Next day - I took the Kelpie again and left Moss & Arella in the porch, gates & doors same as the previou day. Mr Hafhafa followed his movemnets from inside - Moss dashed out to the side gate from where he can see me leave via the front gate. Then dashed around the back, onto the mound of dirt we excavated 2 weeks ago to bury the new r/w tank and onto the top of the (7ft) stone wall, down into the paddock on the other side!!!

Pretty clever for one who is VERY blonde underneath all that grizzle!!

Mr Hafhafa has now removed his dirt pile! ;)

edit for sp

Edited October 23, 2011 by Hafhafa Hounds

[Rebanne]

and now after reading all of this thread, Ill be purchasing 2 breakaway collars for my dogs, as they wrestle quite a bit!

be aware they will have the collars off each other in no time, so will be naked for a large amount of time. I bought breakaway collars several years ago but the dogs always got them off each other so I just left them collarless.