tags vs no tags?

[Tardis yorkie13]

ok, so i don't have my puppy yet but hopefully soon.

anyway, i'v been reading up and i came across "the collar conundrum"

so yes, their necks are too fragile for collars, harness only and the collar would ONLY be used to hold the dogs ID

but the collar could also get caught and hurt the puppy or worse :/

but i wouldn't feel my baby would be safe if she ever got lost without a tag :/(not that that sort of thing is ever planned) if found some people wont touch dogs without tags to help them- fear of rabies is understandable, or if she was taken to a shelter than they wouldn't know to call me!- the first time my first dog got loose the only way she made it home was cuz a nice guy on the other side of town tried to pet her-she was incredibly friendly - and found her tags and called us to let us know he found her.

I ordered one of the flat 'no sound' slide on belt style tags- would that make it any safer? (less loose things to get caught? )

anyway- i figure some personal experience of others might help me with this .

[Wylie's Mom]

Hi and welcome to YT !! What I did was - when they were young puppies and really small and not used to a collar, I would take the collar off when I wasn't home with them. Otherwise, I had it on them, along with a bell. Once they got bigger and more used to a collar, I left it on at all times. For fit, you only want a finger to be able to fit btwn a collar and the neck, otherwise it's too loose and could be dangerous. A slide on tag is a great option.

[KazzyK810]

Originally Posted by Tardis yorkie13

ok, so i don't have my puppy yet but hopefully soon.

anyway, i'v been reading up and i came across "the collar conundrum"

so yes, their necks are too fragile for collars, harness only and the collar would ONLY be used to hold the dogs ID

but the collar could also get caught and hurt the puppy or worse :/

but i wouldn't feel my baby would be safe if she ever got lost without a tag :/(not that that sort of thing is ever planned) if found some people wont touch dogs without tags to help them- fear of rabies is understandable, or if she was taken to a shelter than they wouldn't know to call me!- the first time my first dog got loose the only way she made it home was cuz a nice guy on the other side of town tried to pet her-she was incredibly friendly - and found her tags and called us to let us know he found her.

I ordered one of the flat 'no sound' slide on belt style tags- would that make it any safer? (less loose things to get caught? )

anyway- i figure some personal experience of others might help me with this .

Get your dogged microchipped! When stray/found dogs are taken to shelters/vets, they are scanned for a microchip. You register the microchip with your contact information.

[Lovetodream88]

The fastest way to get your dog back is a collar with tags. I will never not use a collar and tags. Most people unless serious dog people do not know about microchipping and if they do they probably won't rush the dog over to get it scanned right away so it will take longer to get your baby back. I keep my yorkies collar lose enough where if she got stuck on something she could slide her head out. I have had dogs since I was 8 and always knew people with dogs and had never heard of collars getting stuck until coming on here so I really don't think it really happens that often and is rare. What would worry me out not having the collar on when your not home if they are not crated is what if you have a repair man come and he lets the dogs out, what if a tornado or something else happens that damages your house and you dog gets out.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by KazzyK810

Get your dogged microchipped! When stray/found dogs are taken to shelters/vets, they are scanned for a microchip. You register the microchip with your contact information.

Could take days for that to happen or you to get notified and there are things out there suggesting micro chips may not be as safe as people think.

[matese]

Collar with tags and microchipped.

[JadeD]

Originally Posted by matese

Collar with tags and microchipped.

What Matese said! I was going to say that actually.

I would get the dog microchipped in case it looses it's tag or if someone takes it off. Vets typically check for a microchip when you bring in a dog. A shelter will for sure. I would keep a collar on it with an ID tag. If I am crating my Yorkie for several hours (about 1-3 times a month I work for 4 hours at a time) then I take the collar off him just to be safe. Since he is in his crate he won't be sneaking out the front door. When I get home I put the collar back on and then harness him up and take him out to potty (the harness also has an ID tag on it though). I found a place on Amazon that does ID tags for less than $3 each so I have 4 for Teek. I have 2 for my husband's dog as well.

[Britster]

I fully believe in tags/collars, a dog will be returned faster if a visible tag is seen. I just keep his name and my cell # on it, I get 'fancy' tags from Fetching Tags and Aggie's Anvil because all our old cheapo tags never lasted and I was sick of them scratching off so it's worth the money to me to get nicer ones. Plus you can read them better as the engraving is deeper and darker.

I have a microchip in Jackson too for backup.

[Buster Brown]

Micro chipped and a collar with tags or a harness with tags. Buster has tags for everyone of his buddy belts and on each of his collars. We had a member whose dog was returned after years because of a microchip. Many members use the breakaway collars.

[KazzyK810]

I always forget cos I rarely use it, but I have a custom embroidered collar with my phone number on it, so there's no need for tags. Mine is black nylon with bright red embroidery. I put it on ZoE when I have workmen/repairmen to my house, because I'm paranoid after a friend of a friend lost her dog while her furnace was getting repaired and the guy kept going in and out of the house to get parts & tools. I put the collar on ZoE, put her in my bedroom, close my bedroom door, and put a babygate up in the doorframe....like I said, a bit paranoid.

You can get personalized embroidered collars in the breakaway variety too. Mine is a regular buckle kind.

[chestermama]

chester always has his harness and tags on when IM gone, just about every dog that goes missing or runs off they have no tags, microchip yes but at 2 am people probably wont take a dog in to get it scanned

[Dayswalters]

I have a collar with tags. On the back I have my phone number along with a short note that says "reward if found." I will have her microchipped next month when she gets spayed. I believe in having both.

[ironmike86]

As said before I Microchip and tag. Microchip is safe only problem is if they migrate near the stomach or somewhere that it could irritate. Checkup just have it checked they can locate where it is. Tags because like said before is the fasted way to return them. But my dogs don't wear collars and if they ever got out they are chipped But my place is like Fort Knox and with training they will never get out. Microchips are good also because of theft. It can prove ownership and if the dog is stolen if they get a check up u will be notified. A good vet will keep the dog. If you say it was stolen

[Yorkiemom1]

A tag, but ONLY on a cat break away collar....then if it gets hung on something and the dog fights feverishly to keep from being hung, the collar breaks away and your pup is not injured....Microchipping is the surest way to get your dog back, I think. If someone finds a dog they want to keep, they wont run to the vet to have it scanned for a microchip....and all they will do with a collar and tags is remove and throw them in the trash!

I really do believe one day soon, the "people in charge" are going to mandate microchipping all pets...... and scanning for a chip will be law/required by any animal care facility, such as a vet, a rescue, a groomer, the pound, etc. If a chip is found, it will go on the record of the dog, and the facility will have to notify the owner, if the owner is not standing in front of them.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Tags always on with few exceptions in the house and chips are a must.