Do you leave the collar on constantly?

[SassyAnn101]

I am debating this very issue myself. Currently mine have not worn a collar before, but I am going on vacation for a week on Monday and I will have to leave my babies here in a kennel. I hate the thoughts of it, but I couldnt take them. I am so very afraid they will get mixed up with some other yorkie. I know that sounds stupid, but I am a worry wort. I have bought them cat collars, and put their name tags on them. Chip and Tenci have worn theirs aroud the house a couple of times and do not seem to notice they are wearing anything, but I am still afraid for their safety. What to Do???

[kezza]

I have never put a collar on Pixie..but if I was to use one I wouldn't leave it on her when I wasn't around..I would be worried in case she got caught on something and ended up hanging or choking herself...she is a tiny little girl and her neck and throat is so fragile..

[iuplori]

I only put Selah's harness on her when we go for walks or car rides. If she's in my **very small** back yard, I just watch her. I couldn't stand the thought of something happening to her with all that I had read about small dogs and collars, so we went the harness route. It has her tag on it, and she knows when I get it off the rack by the door that its time for walkies. She even tries to "help" put it on by stepping her paws into it- well, tries is the operative word. I would recommend not using a collar as well as the above posters have said for the same reasons. The risk is just not worth it, and I can keep close watch on my pup.

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by Diego

Mine don't even know what a collar is .

Mine either.

[SexyJessi257]

ok so after reading all this... i've come to the conclusion that i will not use a collar on them. i can always put their name tags on their puppya harnesses right??? abby is only 3.6 lbs n i wud go nuts if her of jack got stuck on something n choked to death!! this is a good idea right? puttint the name tag on the harness??

[asil61999]

At first I used a collar until ms princess somehow was pulling at the coller and got it stuck in between her teeth which scared me to death. So now I use a harness.

[Mrose01]

Does anyone know if it is actually bad for their hair to leave on the harness?

[TurtleDove]

I never keep a collar on Ariel inside the house. When we're outside though, her leash is attached to her step-in harness and a collar is used for ID purposes only.

[fourdez]

I never, ever put a collar on them.. I have known and heard of quite a few little dogs getting the collar caught and choke to death.

A neighbor of mine had a little teacup poodle.. She had a collar on him all the time, the dog used to love to hide under the bed, so she thought nothing of it when she didn't see the dog for a while, she knew he was in his favorite place, under the bed, sleeping.

After a while, when it had been a long time of her calling him and he not come, she went to take a look. She found him...his collar had become entangled in the (I don't know what its called) the piece of metal that keeps the bed frame together... It has a screw so you can adjust the tension.. anyway, his collar..somehow.. caught on the top part of the screw. Even though the collar was NOT tight and he should have been able to manuver his head out of it, he must have panic and struggled with it and choked.

Even here at YT... there was a member here, a few years ago, who while on vacation to a beach house, left her dog in an x-pen while she went down to the beach , upon her return, she found her baby dangling from the top of the pen. His collar became caught and he choked to death.. I can't remember her name just now, but I'm sure someone here will remember... She was a very active member but I don't think she posts anymore...

I never put a collar on them ...ever... I have microchipped them.

[tjdmom]

I leave a break away collar on Zoe all the time. I do have the one from Chattiesmom and I have found that Zoe has no trouble with it breaking away. In fact, I tried it once outside and people came walking by and boom, she was loose. She's very good that way and won't run off but I'm not the least bit worried about her getting hurt with it as it comes off so easily. So my experience with it has been very good. But I use it only for identification. I use a harness to walk her, I would never use a collar for that.

[jstr0h]

My little Zoe is 10 yrs old and almost 10 lbs and I have a collar on her 24/7. I take it off when she takes a bath and afterward she runs over and sniffs it and barks until I put it back on. It's always a pretty pink one, usually with flowers or sparkles, so I think she likes it because it gets her more attention

[nvnvgirl]

I HAVE collars for both my dogs. Only Madison wears his all the time at least until I get him microchipped. Then I won't keep it on him at home probably. I put their collars on when I take them for a walk or in the car or anywhere away from the house (I don't attach the leash to it, they've got harnesses also that I put the leash on). I primarily use the collars for their name tags in case they got away from me (relatively unlikely, but I don't like to take chances). Plus, I figure if somehow they got out of the yard (also pretty unlikely b/c I rarely take my eyes off them when they're out and we've got a brick wall surrounding the back yard), they'd have at least my phone number on them and someone found them. I know I could put the tags on their harnesses, but I don't. I'm with them all the time so it would be difficult for them to get caught on something without me knowing right away, although it does go thru my mind on occasion.

[nvnvgirl]

Originally Posted by jstr0h

My little Zoe is 10 yrs old and almost 10 lbs and I have a collar on her 24/7. I take it off when she takes a bath and afterward she runs over and sniffs it and barks until I put it back on. It's always a pretty pink one, usually with flowers or sparkles, so I think she likes it because it gets her more attention

LOL..how cute. I bet you're right though, b/c when I take Madison's off, he's like ...hey....what are you doing? And then when I go to put it back on, he's all excited and smelling it, it's so funny...but then, he's a pretty funny boy.

[nvnvgirl]

Originally Posted by Mrose01

Does anyone know if it is actually bad for their hair to leave on the harness?

Well, my dogs have short hair; I keep it that way b/c it's just easier to keep my boys clean~ and I don't think it would hurt THEIR hair. But if I had them in full long coats, I can't even imagine keeping a harness on them all the time. I think it would tangle their coats up or matt them, if not break the hair. I don't think I have seen a Yorkie in a full coat with a harness even on (at least in pictures), although I'm sure they must use them when they go out.

[nvnvgirl]

Originally Posted by SassyAnn101

I am debating this very issue myself. Currently mine have not worn a collar before, but I am going on vacation for a week on Monday and I will have to leave my babies here in a kennel. I hate the thoughts of it, but I couldnt take them. I am so very afraid they will get mixed up with some other yorkie. I know that sounds stupid, but I am a worry wort. I have bought them cat collars, and put their name tags on them. Chip and Tenci have worn theirs aroud the house a couple of times and do not seem to notice they are wearing anything, but I am still afraid for their safety. What to Do???

Are they not microchipped? If they were, there wouldn't be any way to mix them up with another Yorkie. Oh, and I don't think it sounds stupid at all....most places are really reliable when you board them, but there are things that happen that you just never think about or could imagine happening.