If yor dog does not pull can you use a collar here and there???
 

Munchie does use a harness but some of the collars i have been seeing is way to cute. Or better yet can i only put the harness on him when going for walks.

When I first got her, I didn't know that I shouldn't use a leash. I quickly learned once I joined YT. With that said I may upset a few of the others on here, but I do use a leash ONLY when I take her outside for potty breaks. There's very little pulling on her part when it's for potty as I've trained her to go out, do her business, and get back inside. However, I do use a harness for any and all other outside activities from her daily walks, to hanging outside with Mom on her tie out, to following Daddy around the yard, and finally, when going to Pet Smart or any other store she's permitted to be in and walk around.

Thanks

Personally I would never use a collar on my girls. I have put "bling" collars on them for the day but still used a harness but, the collar comes off if they are left alone. Collars will cause to much pressure on their trachea's. And...never leave a collar on him...He could get caught on something and choke himself.

instead of leash you mean collar right

I use Buddy Belts. I just love them (I have three with matching leashes). I think they seem comfortable, they are great quality and put NO pressure on the trachea. I have never used a leash and collar on Rocky. Why risk it when there are Buddy Belts? I have put a collar on for fashion purposes, but never with a leash attached.

Buddy Belts: www.buddy-belts.com

I never use collars even for id tags. They can get caught on things

Yes, I meant collar with leash. Sorry...

Even if they are not pullers..what if they see another dog or a cat or something? They might try to chase it, or if a bigger dog comes by you and maybe gets too rough with your baby. I definatly do not like the idea of just a collar. Their little necks are toooo small They could get hurt even by pulling just a little.

I have collars on mine which have their ID tags. Of course if you want to be 100% safe you can decide not to use them, but we always had collars on our little dogs when I was younger and they lived very long & healthy lives. Whenever we go on walks, I put their harnesses on but their collars stay on (with no leash attached) because that's where their ID tags are.

I've never heard of Buddy Belts - they are not sold anywhere close to where I live but you gotta love on-line shopping in those cases! Thanks for sharing!

No problem! :) They work really well. Rocky is about 8 pounds and he wears a size 4. He is just in-between size 3 and 4 but we like to put sweaters on him in the winter and the 4 allows this. It would be way too tight with a 3. I love Buddy Belts. I am a member of a dog club and now a lot of other dog owners have them after seeing them on Rocky. They look big and bulky but work fabulously.

Has anyone tried using cat collars that break away easily, to put their id tags on? :confused: I've been thinking of trying that, but I also have harnesses they wear whenever they go out of the house.

We use collars with id tags and leashes. I know a lot of people use harnesses but I prefer the collar (which she wears all the time) and a leash. We've never had any problems.

Jackson wears a collar for tag purposes and looks. He's pretty much always got it on.

When we go for walks, he's always wearing a harness. But usually for potty breaks, I
just attach his 28-ft retractable leash on his collar to let him outside to wander a bit.
He doesn't ever pull on that leash since it's so long and I just walk along with him. He
is also a bigger boy, at 14lbs, so his neck is a bit tougher than a 4lb Yorkie. I still
worry about it though so I prefer using a harness over a collar.

Yep, this is exactly what I was trying to say. Sophie is 8 lbs. and a bit more meaty. Before I knew better we used the collar/leash and had no troubles. That's why i continue to use it for potty breaks only. For the walks and whatever else we do she is always in a harness. Thank goodness for YT or I'd not have learned that. Even at Puppy School she was on a collar/leash and no one ever said a word to me about it. There was a guy who was using a choker collar on his English Mastif and he was told about that.

Ellie usually wears a collar when I use her ID tags (which is almost never.:rolleyes: She is always walked on a harness. On rare occasions her collar may be sitting by the door and we do a quick trip with it but she does pull and I end up regretting it, so that probably won't happen anymore. One of the last times I took her out with a collar was when she got spayed. Her incision was very long because of a biopsy that was done and I didn't want the harness anywhere near it. She wasn't going anyplace anytime fast anyway. ;)

Unless you are showing your dog or are doing the CGC test, then there doesn't seem to be any reason at all to walk them with a collar.

Same here. Loki's the same size and he goes out on his collar w/ flexi for potty breaks. Sam doesn't pull, so she's fine on her collar for this too even though she's only 6 lbs. Walks are definitely with harnesses. Sometimes I leave their harnesses on during the day, but they get hot or uncomfortable and they go outside 20 times a day so putting harnesses on every time is not feasible. I leave Sam's harness on her much more often than I leave Loki's on him, because she wears soft fabric harnesses and he wears a nylon harness with hardware.

They wear their collars & tags at all times unless they are IN the bathtub. I've found way too many dogs in this neighborhood with no collar, no ID tags... :rolleyes:

What do they get caught on? My dogs are 3&4 and have had soft nylon collars on their whole lives and I've not noticed a problem. I do NOT use those big bulky leather or ribbon + webbing collars though. Only super soft Premier quick-snap collars.


The bottom line is - Collar + Leash is OK for like walking around your yard for potty breaks if they are NOT pulling and not coughing or showing any signs of trachea issues. For walks, always use a harness.

Uni wears a breakaway cat collar with her tags on it. it also came with a bell which is good so i know where she is all the time without having to actually *look* at her, I can just listen! :D

But for walks, yes harness only!

Also Uni has never gotten caught on anything before, EXCEPT when we were teaching her how to play basketball. Her collar got caught on the rim of the hoop and it scared her a bit. So we went back to "training" with out it on, and now that she knows how to play, the collar stays on.

i have never used any type of collar on Suzi. There is too much of a risk IMO . And I would not take the chance of using one on a Yorkie, ever. Especially a yorkie puppy .

I think it's all personal preference...Teddi is 3 lbs. and has always worn one and always walked on a leash with the collar.

Morgan is 3 years old and 4.5lbs. She has always worn a collar with a tag. Never had a problem with her getting stuck on anything. I too also with hook her leash up to the collar for potty breaks. again, no problem. she doesn't pull. i only use a harness when we're walking or going out where i know there i'll be putting her down to walk among other people and/or dogs.

:thumbup: Totally agree.

I've been around loads of dogs my entire life, families and friends dogs, etc... they've ALL worn collars and there's never been issues. I think it's a rare thing to get caught on things. I think the pros for wearing a collar with tags outweigh the cons.

This is what I do.

i have a collar on little lily with a bell so we dont step on her when she is out of the ex pen .but as soon as she is back in i take it off afraid she will get hung on it. and she scratches at it alot afraid her little foot will get caught.

I think I'm with the majority here. He has his collar for when he's in the house or in our yard, but for walks I use a harness. I want him to wear his ID tags all the time, in case of an emergency and I think walking around all day with his harness on is too cumbersome.

Laya always wears her collar with her tags on it, but I always walk her in her harness. She is a puller and the slightest tug on her throat and she starts gagging and coughing. I know at one point you had mentioned collapsed trachea in Munchie, so he definitely should not ever be walked on a collar.