WARNING - DOG COLLARS

We had a very terrifying experience this morning. Hattie and Charlie were playing as usual when we heard a kind of screaming. I rushed out to find them tangled up with each other. Charlie had managed to get his bottom jaw wedged under Hattie's collar, he panicked and was throwing himself around trying to get out but only tightening the collar around Hattie's neck, she was screaming as she couldn't breathe properly. I held Charlie up to lesson the weight around Hattie's neck, David tried desperately to get Hattie's collar off but it was so tight he couldn't undo the buckle and they were both in a terrible state by now which made it even more difficult. He had no option but to do one quick, hard pull which did tightened the collar but released the pin in the buckle. Hattie was a star and stayed as still as she throughout but poor Charlie got into a right old state and just made things worse.

So if you have two or more dogs DO NOT LEAVE COLLARS on in the house, which I'm sure you don't, but it never occurred to me that anything like this could happen. Collars now hanging up on the peg.

Thankfully they both seem fine now.

Still shaking and very upset :'( :'( :'( Upset children, David, Hattie and Charlie. :'( :'( :'( Helen xxxx

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

Oh no !!! Poor things ~!!! Well thats something that wouldn't even cross my mind to be honest. Hope things reverted back to normal for you after that great shock...

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

Gosh, my pups wear there's in the day! Might have to think about taking them off! Hope they're ok. X

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

That must have been a terrible shock Helen, glad that it ended happily , it could have been so different, thank goodness you werent out , good warning though thanks x

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

So glad you managed to untangle them!! What a terrible shock for you all.

We take Riley's off at night and he's an only dog. Might start only putting it on when obliged to out and about.

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

Goodness Helen what a horrific shock! Thanks so much for posting the warning -that may save a doggy life at some time...

Hope the kids and grown ups AND dogs have all recovered... Xx

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

You must have been in a real panic
Probably as well that you were both there.
Lilly only wears her collar going out on a walk for ID as we use a slip lead (a double ring one that you can use as head control too if needed).
She does however usually have it on if we have doggy visitors - just in case we need extra control - but I guess we might need to revise that, particularly as she is a bit of a dervish with a playmate round.
Because she doesn't wear a collar all day put me off using the flea collars (although I am told they break really easily)

So glad everyone is ok

jac

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

Thank you everyone for your lovely posts. Yes I did panic scared for my poor doggies, but thankfully they are fine now, no harm done, although Charlie has been very subdued indoors since. Just extremely grateful that we were here as it definitely would have been quite a different outcome had we been out :'(

Couldn't stand it if anything happened to them as we love them sooo much. Thanks again to you all. Helen xx

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

Jac, we use a flea and tick collar for Riley as ticks are rife where we walk. Having tried to restrain him with it one morning before I'd put his normal collar on I must admit it slides apart pretty easily

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

Might reconsider on the tick/flea collar depending on next years activity, but to me, a collar in the house doesn't feel or look right.
Have to say too, than when Lills is "on holiday" at my in-laws, or sister-in-law, the collar is on 24/7. Not quite sure how I would tackle that, especially as they now have a puppy who always wears her collar too.

jac

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

Jac, you could tackle it by telling them what happened to Hattie and Charlie and what could have happened if we had not been here. That might help and might make them think twice about not letting their puppy wear her collar indoors. You could also say that you never let Lilly keep her collar on unless she is going out. I am sure they wouldn't mind at all. Helen x

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

I certainly will Helen.
Just read this out to my hubby and he was quite shocked too.
Just so glad your two are ok.

jac

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

Ok so as far as I've read here it's not a good idea having McQueen wearing a collaring in and around the house? His isnt leather or anything its more a cat collar than a dog collar fitted by the vet himself ..adjusted at all visits to suit. Do I take it off?

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

Do you need it on??

jac

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

I think you need to consider how much McQueen needs to get used to his collar while he's young vs the risk of getting caught in something. He does need to be happy in it but once you've established that you could leave it off for safety until you're taking him out.

Riley's only goes on before his morning walk, then we take it off at night but I may take it off after his walk now just to be on the safe side even though there's very little in the house he could get caught on and he's an only dog.

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

Crikey that's made me decide to take my two out of collars in house....when they are playing they pull each other about by them quite a lot, Brodick in particular grabs onto Cuillins collar and hangs on like mad while she charges about trying to shake him off...I read a similar horror story on another forum about collars gwtting caught in crates so always take them off when they go into theirs but hadn't thought about it otherwise...

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

There are so many things around the home and garden that collars can get caught on. I am like a woman possessed now, collars on collars off. Not taking any chances ever again. Always something to think about. Helen x

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

Sounds awful Helen. I hope you're mostly over it now.

My labs don't wear collars except in town or at the vets. Pups do for ease of capture, adult dogs usually get scragged by the scruff when absolutely necessary.
Hounds are different, their head is at hip height and don't have an easily grabbable anything so they have a heavy metal chain type of collar and 'chink' about, making it easy to slip your hand in their collar to hold them steady, but that's more to stop them terrifying visitors with their size and then mugging them for biscuits ;D

If you do want them to wear collars then you could get ones with a quick release buckle, like those on a halti. Then should the worst happen you're not fighting with buckles or cutting through tough collars. I think you can now get some collars with fixings like on horses head collars that snap if excessive pressure is applied, not good for heal work with a strong tugger but maybe useful around the house and garden.

Kerryn

 

Re: WARNING - DOG COLLARS

I think you are still supposed by law to have a collar with ID on it in a public place unless the dog is working. I tend to ignore that across the fields but put a collar on if I'm taking her anywhere by car or for a street walk or to other peoples houses for something to grab. No collar in the house unless we have visitors again for something to grab. Same problem with intimidation and biscuit muggings. ;D