[yorkietalkjilly]

I have a collar and harness I used for Tibbe, the harness for walks and the collar(has my 2 phone numbers printed on it) for trips out to the vet, etc. when he's only carried in my arms. When Jilly(3 lb., 6 years old at the time) was attacked by a 65 lb. Dalmatian during a walk, as he had her entire torso in his mouth, I had to help pull her from his jaws by the leash attached only to that collar as I was using a walking stick in the other hand to fight him off. At one point, she was swinging in the air suspended only by that collar around her tiny 6 1/2 inch neck when the big dog suddenly let go!!! I was so scared that it had broken her little neck or choked her in addition to her other many injuries! Thereafter, I used a walking harness. You never know when you might have to pull very, very hard or lift them up by the leash in an emergency to save their lives.

And then there was the time she got her lower jaw stuck in a collar. I had been gone from the room but for a moment when I found her going around in circles, fighting against the collar with both of her paws and clawing at her face desperately and she was totally panicked. She was gasping for breath - I guess from fear and panic. You'd think I would have learned from that experience but back in the early 90's here, before the Internet, I never could find a harness she couldn't get out of(being so tiny and so flexible) so I continued to use the collar for trips outside or visitors(when people come and go and she could slip out) until the dog attack. We then found a harness that fit her better though she still could get out of it but when we were walking I just watched her as closely as possible to be sure she didn't get a front leg through the front opening and get out that way. I did wonder what would have happened to little Jilly when she had her lower jaw stuck through that collar if I had run to the mall for a couple of hours rather than just walked from the room. I wonder if she would have died of heart failure or stress or something.