Collar Warning!!!!
 

Hi All,
The absolute worst thing happened this morning with Preston! He was playing in his crate when all of a sudden he started screaming this horrible scream that sounded painful! I rushed over and he had gotten his jaw caught under his collar. It is slightly big because he's so small so he was able to dig his teeth under it and bring it up and over his jaw. He was squirming so badly I thought for sure he'd broken his jaw! I immediately took off his collar and he seems to be okay. He was very scared and just sat in my arms for about 10 minutes after wards shaking! I was in tears! I'm still in tears. I feel so bad! He could have broken his jaw!

He's sleeping now but I've learned that he's just too small for a collar. I've also just read it can affect his trachea! I'm getting him a harness... Any ideas where I can get one? He's super small and so fragile! I'm a nervous wreck around him! I even bring him to the office!!

OMG thank god you were right there. Mac and Mellie ONLY wear harnessess and only when they are going for a walk.

lexi too, only wears a harness and only when we go for walks.....

Yes collars are very dangerous! I have heard stories where someones yorkie was killed by a collar! You can buy harnesses and they are so much safer, there are alot of people on here that sell them.

Check tinkerbellscloset.com

What's the width of his collar. Jazzy's collars width is really small. There is no way it can get stuck in her mouth. It's small like a cats collar.

The width of the collar is 1 cm and the lenght is 6 in's. Preston is small... 44 oz. but very petite. The collar was almost gagging him but not quite in his mouth, caught on his jaw. He could have broken his jaw or neck now that I think about it! It was so scary. He screamed like I've never heard him scream before!

We have to put a collar with a bell on Lola. She sneaks up on you when she does not have one on. Since she is so small, we need to know where she is at all times. We started her out with a cat collar and modified it to fit. Of course we use a harness for walks. :)

bunjee has had his jaw caught in the same manner with a harness as well as with a collar, so there's no guarantee that the same thing won't happen if you got a harness. but i think it's very important for you NOT to leave a collar or harness on your puppy/dog when they are by themselves, especially in a crate. it can get caught on so many things. and when you have one on them, make sure both the harnesss and the collar are fitted and snug.

I use cat collars for my little ones...they seem to be the only kind that fit.
I wouldn't leave one on in the house though.

Glad all is well.

Ahh, he'll be just fine. No doubt it was scary for you both, but this happens all the time, just glad you were home! Because while it does happen, it shouldn't if the collar fits properly.
Anyway, I'd go check out harnesses and/or collars for FERRETS! Yeah, go take a look at Petco or PetSmart. They also have a FABULOUS "puppy collar" line. And the only damage to a healthy trachea that a collar posseses is if he's attached to a leash and you make a harsh correction. I use leash/collar corrections myself, but you first must know the dog's physical limits and second know what you're doing to begin w/ or work w/ a trainer. In either case, glad to hear you were home and go check out those harnesses and/or collars!

Thank you all so much for posting! I'm going to hold off on putting any kind of collar or harness on him until he gets bigger. I agree that if the collar fit properly this wouldn't have happened. WHAT A SCARE! My little guy is so fragile and I worry so much about him. I just hope he gets bigger for his own safety.

I have never left a collar or harness on my dogs unless I am walking them

This used to happen to Pivo all the time when he was a puppy. We had to make the collar relatively tight (not too tight though) and just readjust it every day so he wouldn't grow and make it too tight.

Im so glad preston is ok. It must have been very scary for you both :(

Thank you all so much! This site is so wonderful!!!
Preston yawned about an hour ago, a big giant yawn, and when he did his jaw cracked! It didn't seem to hurt and it's not bothering him so maybe it just had to go back in place or something! I'm keeping a very close eye on him...

I just finished reading a book by Jack Volhard who is supposed to be the "trainer of all trainers".

He recommended if you have your dog wear a collar that it fit snug way up high on the neck right behind the ears! It would be above the trachea then.

We are in the processing of teaching Muffie & Missy "place" for when the doorbell rings. But sometimes even WE forget (Oh-no)!

The main reason our two Yorkies wear a collar in the house is because it has their ID attached to it. The ID tags we have are the ones that you push the collar end through both ends of the tag. The ID tag fits flat with the collar rather than dangling on the neck.

We ALWAYS remove the collar or harness when they go into the crate or the cage.

My pup has done the same thing - with his collar and with his harness as well. I have always caught this immediately because - I do take both his collar and harness off after we come in.

He didn't hurt himself either time. -- But, it would certainly be terrible if he had been left that way for any length of time.

So - it is definitely something to be careful about.

Carol Jean

Someone told me that yorkies should never wear a collar because their throat is so small and I cant remember the name of the part of the throat she said. So I got Kizzy an adjustable harness from the ferret department of our Pet store. its very tiny and its pink of course. I had to take it up a lot when I got it but i've had to let it out some already, but she walks good with it and If i have to tighten the leash up to make her stop I dont have to worry about hurting her throat. This one you just put one leg in it and it makes an X cross over her back and then just pull the other end around her other leg and hook it. So it doesnt have to go over her head. I am glad I was told not to get a collar as it makes me feel better whether its true or not as to whether they should have a collar around their neck or not. But since it is for a ferret it is so light. She was 1 lb first time I used it on her and I got a smally puppy ( but you can use a cat least if your puppy is gonna stay real small so its not to hard for them to pull out more leash) leash that has the handle to stop or let them run and pull out more leash and she does good with it. she lets me put the harness on with no problems. If it had been heavier I dont think she could pull the leash out at all.

Badger's too small for most puppy harnesses but I have managed to find a very little one for him which I've started getting him used to. We started walking him on a collar but I've never been happy about it because even at his size, he'll still pull on it and I worry about his neck. The problem with collars is if you don't watch them, they'll try and do that jaw thing you're talking about and I've had to get him out of it twice before now - both times I'd just turned my back for a minute and didn't realise he'd gotten his jaw into the collar. I wouldn't worry about him. If he had a serious injury you would definitely have known by now because that kind of pain he'd definitely be vocal about

The other great thing about harnesses.... a quick way to pull your yorkie up if he's ever being threatened by another dog :thumbup: (a collar would just break it's neck under those sorts of quick circumstances)