With all the lost yorkies - an idea to share
 

Seeing 3 lost yorkies just off of YT has made me so sad. I know we all worry about ours getting out. I have had a couple of really close calls with Bubba when the gate got left open by accident. It is really scary when it is you. We are all so concerned about not having collars on this little yorkie necks, that many of us do not have our dogs easily identifiable.

But I wanted to share with everyone what Suzy & I bought last year for our yorkies. -- They are break away collars really designed for cats - they are trimmed down to the right size for our babies & just velcro together but also have a slide on tag rather than a hanging tag. We bought Beastie Bands - Breakaway Collars from Boomerang Tags - they came quickly and work well.

I was at Suzy's yesterday (yep, loving on the new baby ;)) and both of her girls were wearing theirs. I don't keep the collars on mine in the winter when they rarely go out for long - but with all these warmer days, I need to get them on.

Those look good but I have a question. How easy do they pull apart? Some velcro can hang on pretty tight, especially if it's a very big piece. I never bought break away collars in the stores because I couldn't even pull them apart so I know a small dog couldn't get it apart if needed. I like the idea of a break away collar, even though ours are never away from us, but if they did get out they would be handy.

they don't pull away super easy. But the collar itself also has some elastic in it which I think if it got caught somewhere would also allow some give & allow the dog to escape the collar. Plus with the tag being looped through the band there is so little for the tag to get caught on.

The one thing I didn't say was Suzy & I ordered these together - she handled it, but I think that way we got a nice discount or saved on shipping because we were getting 4

Sorry, newbie question, but why can't you use regular collars and tags? :scratchhe

That is a good question!! I think that it is because of the risk of the collar getting caught on something and choking or even hanging a pet. Lots of people don't leave collars on while they are gone because they are afraid of this happening.

Great idea....thanks for the link! :animal-pa

Great idea!

Yes, the getting caught - but also collars are dangerous because they can choke when on a leash too. This can cause the trachea to collapse or partial collapse. So for walking your dog - you want a harness.

I do take these collars off mine when I leave the house - just in case.

Thanks! Now that you mention it, I think I did read something about yorkies having sensitive necks and to use a harness and not a collar. But I would still want some sort of tag on my dog just in case, so these are pretty cool! I wish they had pictures of the different colors/styles.

They do - just click where it says Collar Design (it's under the price, neck size, etc.) - then you should get a pop up window with the other designs - some of them are pretty cat looking - so I chose the hearts for Roxy & the flag for Bubba. Suzy has the hearts & the ladybugs

Oh! Thanks I totally missed that. I LOVE the pink hearts one. I would order it now but I haven't decided what I will name my baby yet.

I just ordered tags for my 3 to put on their harnesses. My 3 go under the beds and fight/play with each other so I have been afraid to put collars on them.

Did you just order the slip on tags to put on your harnesses? I'm just trying to clarify. That sounds like a great idea!

Thanks for the link I'm always so nervous when they are in the backyard with me and I'm gardening. So afraid they will get out of the gate. I'm definately ordering these for my 3 babies. :thumbup:

My furkids do not wear collars.. I am afraid of them getting caught also.. then it tangles in their hair if you have a full coat.. so harness when we need to walk the dogs or traveling..

Ya know I know a person who can put those girls wrist bands with beads on their babies and my friend put one on my girls and with in no time one laying on the floor had this in her mouth pulling it tighter and she was just laying there.. so off it came and my friend found it hard to believe this happened to me.. yet it does happen.. and until it happens to you or some one you know.. I for one do not like to take chances..

My friend knows how I feel and if something ever happened I would hate to be the first to say I did not trust to begin with..


anne

Yes, you can get the other kind for harnesses too.

My two are always play/fighting, and they wear their breakaway collars all the time. I only take them off for baths and brushing. If they do get caught, the velcro will release. The other day I noticed Milli's collar was all funky, the velcro wasn't fully stuck down, and I'm guessing it was from playing with Emma :) The collars themselves are made from a stretchy foam, kind of like those knee supports. The tags are engraved nicely-very deep and the words are clear. They guarantee them for life, which is a great warranty!

I have been using a breakway collar for my babies for years now with no incidents, [thank heavens] ...

I got them from eBay. They are embroidered with their names and our phone number on it. $9-11 each.

Both my dogs are microchipped though. I hope I never have to experience this anxiety.

For your convenience here are some websites.

http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/s.gifangies*custom*embroidery
http://cgi.ebay.com/PERSONALIZED-EMBROIDERED-PET-DOG-CAT-ID-COLLAR-SALE_W0QQitemZ260363439062QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item260363439062&_trksid=p4634. c0.m14

I wanted to bump this thread back up. Everyone gets a little anxious when the weather starts getting nice. It only takes a second for something to happen so please please please think safety first. This is the time of year that most things happen because we have not been thinking about them during the cold months. Motorcyclist have more accidents due to oil and sand on the roads as well as drivers not being as cautious looking out for them. Pets are more inclined to dart out the door to enjoy the sunshine and night air. More people with bad intentions are out and about looking to take advantage of innocent people. Keep safety in mind at all times. Take steps to ensure your own safety as well as those around you.

Please keep an I.D. tag on your pet on a break away collar. This could be the easiest way of having your baby returned to you should someone a couple blocks away find them.

Microchips are not foolproof so please don't fully rely on them. They may not be able to be read at your local shelter or vets office. Read more on this subject here at the HSUS.
Microchips: Common Questions | The Humane Society of the United States

Before microchips came into the picture tattoo's were used more frequently. Does anybody have any knowledge of this?

Keep a current picture of your pet just as you would for your children in case you need to make flyers.

It is recommended to have more than one way to identify your pet. Nothing is full proof but the odds of getting your pet back are increased by using more than one method.

My husband works at a place that makes dog and cat collars, so he got Molly a breakaway collar when she first came to us. We were afraid we would step on her, and the jingle bell on it made it easier to keep up with her. These didn't have velcro, but had a plastic collar that would come apart at the first sign of struggle...I tested it and tested it...

They have them with velvet and rhinestones, leopard prints, zebra prints and some that are reflective. They are sold under the OmniPet brand, but not sure what stores carry them.