We use beautiful martingales from the dutch site www.halsbanden.com - maybe she ships to the US….
The leash we use is what is called in Holland a police leash, with fasteners on both sides:
http://www.vldsweden.nl/Webwinkel-Product-1824933/Politie-lijn..html?gclid=CKetvYTG8K4CFVEjfAodeyptLQ
When I want my 2 B's close, I can use one leash.
Wearing Collars
-
First of all, I am so sorry you and yours had to endure such a terrifying moment. Secondly, thank you for the warning.
I don't keep a collar on Mya unless she is outside - attended. I've been keeping Evie's collar on all day, all night (she's 13 wks. tomorrow). I just took Evie's collar off of her.
If you need something so that she gets used to wearing a collar, fashion one out of elastic… that way if it gets caught on something... it will stretch and come off.... I do that with all my pups... make little collars out of elastic material... works great....
-
So glad that Lema and Mopaya are ok! I don't keep collars on mine either, I don't want them getting hung up on things. Plus it usually leaves an unsightly ring around their neck. And I have a feeling it would just be one more thing for them to shred. lol
I chip the dogs, tattoo them, and do my best to instill good training. And if they do get loose and aren't already hit by cars, I would hope that most folks who would find them would have the sense to take them to a shelter or vet where they would be scanned. (That is if it's not neighborhood folks who probably know where the dog came from. lol) And if they think they might want to keep them I don't think that will last long!
Even when we travel, the collars pretty much stay snapped to the leads. I don't like them wearing collars in crates/pens and I know that they aren't bolters or escape artists. Now on youngsters and dogs that don't live with me, they keep their collars on usually for traveling, but that's it. For training babies they usually wear cheap kitty type collars that are loose fitting and they'll pretty much slip out of them anyways. And I only use them for a couple weeks or so.
Poor Linda lost a puppy soon after sending her to a new home because she got her collar hung up while she was in a wire crate when the owner left. There were even strict specifications to get a plastic crate! You have to be very careful about collars and crates.
-
I read of someone on another site, whose dog got stuck on the backyard fence because the collar tags got caught when the dogs were rough-housing. And for those who have doggie dogs, the same thing can happen there. I suppose one could get those name tags that link around the collar itself rather than hang but then those collars need to be thick (usually leather from what I"ve seen) and that could cause problems when there are multiple dogs.
I guess nothing is fool proof and we just need to be diligent and take nothing for granted.
-
If you need something so that she gets used to wearing a collar, fashion one out of elastic… that way if it gets caught on something... it will stretch and come off.... I do that with all my pups... make little collars out of elastic material... works great....
Well, the pup is finally used to her collar now. I'm going to get into the habit of just keeping the collar on her lead. However; for future reference, where do you get elastic - from a hobby store? Yes, I'm being serious….lol.
I used to keep Mya's collar on when she was wandering through the house so that I could hear her tags jingle and know where she was at all times. But now that she's trained we don't leave it on her anymore. Well, except when she's outside with us. She is chipped as well. Evie will be chipped too.
Also, what is tatoo-ing? Do all vets do this? Where does that tatoo go? Does it hurt? Sounds like a good idea.
-
Well, the pup is finally used to her collar now. I'm going to get into the habit of just keeping the collar on her lead. However; for future reference, where do you get elastic - from a hobby store? Yes, I'm being serious….lol.
I used to keep Mya's collar on when she was wandering through the house so that I could hear her tags jingle and know where she was at all times. But now that she's trained we don't leave it on her anymore. Well, except when she's outside with us. She is chipped as well. Evie will be chipped too.
Also, what is tatoo-ing? Do all vets do this? Where does that tatoo go? Does it hurt? Sounds like a good idea.
Just regular old elastic material that you would use for sewing… cut a piece that fits comfortable around the neck and then sew the ends together.
There are a number of people that do tattoo's... Maybe some Vet Tech's do it... not Vets... the ones we have used were tattoo artists that did dogs.. and it goes on the top inside of the hind leg. If someone doesn't post a picture, I will try and do it tonight. Does it hurt? Well it is a real tattoo... but mine complained more about being on their back then the tattoo itself
-
I used to always keep collars on. Then I joined this forum. I read, and read, and read and still kept the collars on. Then 2 things happened. First, I realized Katie and Ty REALLY needed to go on a diet. I stuck to it and the dogs lost weight. Second, the more weight they lost, the bigger the collars got. I still kept the collars on.
2 times while playing, they got their feet caught in the others collar. The 1st time, their cries of panic sent me into panic mode, and I released them and thought it just a fluke. The second time, that was it for me. NO MORE COLLARS IN THE HOUSE. I still have nightmares about what could happen in the house when I am at work (properly fitted collars or not).
Thank you forum friends and admin. I may be a slow learner, but with your help, I did learn. I think my day of epiphany came when I realized the professionals here posted in kindness, not standing in judgment of us pet owners.
Bottom line, we all love our Baseji's and what may help one, ultimately helps all.
(Just a reminder….the long cords raised of blinds/minilbinds present a stangulation hazard as well. Wrap them up out of the way.)
-
And AMEN about cords from blinds/miniblinds… they are most certainly a hazard... thanks for the great reminder!!!!
-
snorky-
yea, the first time you think it's a fluke. me too. -
Well, I still collar mine and will continue to do so. Their collars are loose enough that they can slip out of them if stuck on anything, but not so loose/long that their feet can get stuck in them.
-
Just regular old elastic material that you would use for sewing… cut a piece that fits comfortable around the neck and then sew the ends together.
Also, most pet stores sell elastic cat collars that are designed to stretch over their heads & come off if caught on anything (since many cats with collars are outdoor roamers). Obviously, this would only work for small puppies, but long enough to get them used to the collar & without the work if you aren't craft inclined.
We stopped keeping a collar on Booger in the house for vanity reasons. It messed up the fur around his neck. The few times Lola has had a collar on when we're not walking her or at the park, she was crated & chewed the collars off!! She's just too expensive to keep a collar on her!
-
I am NOT "craft inclined".. but to do one out of elastic.. even I could do..gggg Hey when I try to sew a hem.. I usually sew it to the pants I am wearing…gggg
-
I do keep collars on mine..but am seriously reconsidering it. I am just convinced that if they got out, people in our neighborhood would not know what to do to get them back home. Our dog warden doesn't believe in scanning dogs for chips…don't ask...even though they are all chipped.
Mine don't wear dangling tags though. We have a brass tag that attaches flat to the collar. And they are rarely unsupervised for more than 10 minutes or so (of course something tragic could happen in that amount of time). We only have two that play quite so strenously anymore, and I CAN see it happening to them in the blink of an eye. So I may take their collars off when they aren't travelling.
-
I have never tried these but I do like Premier products. For those who want to be able to have a collar on for ID but prevent an accident like what Dr Jo had these may be a good compromise.
-
I am NOT "craft inclined".. but to do one out of elastic.. even I could do..gggg Hey when I try to sew a hem.. I usually sew it to the pants I am wearing…gggg
ha ha, nor am I. My kids will tell you, when an article of their clothing is in need of repair, they put it in my sewing basket….where it stays until they outgrow it.
Sad, but true. I can barely sew on a button. :o
-
I suppose we really have to go "all out" with ALL of our loved ones. Does every city, county, etc. check for chips or tattoos? What I mean to say is that we do everything to protect our human children and family members from harm by getting to know our neighbors, letting our friends into our very personal lives, and asking officials to keep our loved ones in their sight. I know it sounds very silly to some, but to keep all of the people mentioned (family, neighbors, officers, friends) aware of who you are and who your "dogs" are may be very beneficial - especially by letting them know through small conversation that your pup is tagged in a special way.
I live in a very small town outside of St Louis. I have always made sure that my children are street smart. Being a part of this forum, I have been made very aware that I need to be pet smart too. After reading the posts here, I will be sure to let my surrounding neighbors and the chief of police know our dog's descriptions (they know our children already) and that our dogs are chipped. (I'm still consider tattoo-ing and will inform them of that as well).
-
Also, what is tatoo-ing? Do all vets do this? Where does that tatoo go? Does it hurt? Sounds like a good idea.
The tattoos are just like people tattoos. I have found that some vets do them, but they can be pricey and they usually require sedation. I have come across several breeders that have the tattoo gun and have done my dogs for me. We have one or two people holding the dog down and they can do them just fine without sedating. It doesn't really hurt, but it feels funny plus they have to be on their back so they sometimes fuss a little. I have never asked around with tattoo artists, but sounds like some of them will do dogs too.
You can read more about tattooing here: http://www.nationaldogregistry.com/
If you have a tattoo done you should register it there too, so vets and others who find your dog can find your info. Also the NDR sells tattooing equipment for anyone who feels artistically inclined to help tattoo dogs. lol
If you have the vets do them, they usually have a specific agricultural code through the county that they have to use. Otherwise if you have someone else do it you can put whatever you want on the tattoo. I have seen people do reg numbers or a kennel name, and sometimes even symbols like a star. In Canada, to register a dog they have to be IDed with a chip or tattoo, and they have strict requirements on what chips to use. The typical American Home Again and Avid chips aren't accepted anymore. If you tattoo you have to apply and pay for a "series" to use. Then you add a number in sequential order. Also if the dog is Canadian born there is another letter they have to add to signify the year born.
Here is a picture of a tattoo, and where it is on the leg. It's on the inside upper thigh, near the groin.
-
I have never tried these but I do like Premier products. For those who want to be able to have a collar on for ID but prevent an accident like what Dr Jo had these may be a good compromise.
I have the Keepsafe collar for Piper and I really like it. She doesn't wear a collar at home but when we go other places and she is in an expen I will put it on her just in case she's somehow able to get out. You can also still hook a leash to it and walk them with it, however I don't trust it with Piper because it's not a martingale and she could slip it if she really tried.
I also use Boomerang Tags on all her collars because I can't stand the jingling of regular tags, but they also won't get hung on anything like hanging tags.
-
I feel like I need to keep a collar of some sort on Cory and Jayden in order to keep them safe when I answer the door…especially since I'm monitoring a 3 year old grandson at the same time. We haven't had any problem with the dogs and their collars at this point. (Unless you count the fact that Cory destroys Jayden's collars by chewing on them and trying to drag him around the house by his collar - a ridiculous sight since he is several inches taller and about 9 pounds heavier than Cory.) However, while reading this thread, I am getting worried. Someone is always home when they are out of their crates and we'd hear them cry out. But the Keepsafe collar sounds like a good alternative. Are they still secure enough to hold back the dogs at the door?
Pat
-
But the Keepsafe collar sounds like a good alternative. Are they still secure enough to hold back the dogs at the door?
Pat
You can hold them but you would have to make sure to grab around the buckle or they would pop open. It's not that hard to find the buckle and grab around it, I do it all the time with Piper's, but you do have to take the extra time to check and it may be harder with two basenjis.
Since someone is always home with the dogs a better choice may be the Playsafe collar, it is designed for daycare type settings. It won't open by itself but it has velcro tabs that can be pulled open easily even if the dogs are tangled up. The advantage would be that you could use it to hold them without worrying about it accidently opening. But it's not really designed to have a leash hooked to it so you would have to put a regular collar on them if you were going to take them out.
-
I suppose we really have to go "all out" with ALL of our loved ones. Does every city, county, etc. check for chips or tattoos? What I mean to say is that we do everything to protect our human children and family members from harm by getting to know our neighbors, letting our friends into our very personal lives, and asking officials to keep our loved ones in their sight. I know it sounds very silly to some, but to keep all of the people mentioned (family, neighbors, officers, friends) aware of who you are and who your "dogs" are may be very beneficial - especially by letting them know through small conversation that your pup is tagged in a special way.
I live in a very small town outside of St Louis. I have always made sure that my children are street smart. Being a part of this forum, I have been made very aware that I need to be pet smart too. After reading the posts here, I will be sure to let my surrounding neighbors and the chief of police know our dog's descriptions (they know our children already) and that our dogs are chipped. (I'm still consider tattoo-ing and will inform them of that as well).
Hmmm…I hadn't even thought of that. Our town isn't too neighbor friendly...and I don't really know why. We only know a couple of our neighbors, and only one of them knows our dogs at all. I mean, he knows they are Basenjis, and he has helped us catch a non-basenji stray we had staying here for awhile. Maybe it is because everybody has big properties, ours being the smallest at one acre, most around 5-10 acres? We haven't talked to any of our neighbors in months, and I am sure most of them don't have any ideas how many kids we have, let alone dogs. I guess we are kind of private people in our town?...we wave when we drive by...but everybody REALLY stays out of each other's business to a point of ridiculousness...
