# Puppy collar



## garrettsmom (May 15, 2006)

My breeder just emailed me a list of things I should have on hand for my new puppy. "A nylon puppy collar, adjustable to fit as my puppy grows" was one of the items on the list. From all the reading on this forum, I thought it best not to use collars at all since they should never be left along with one on for fear of strangulation, and harnessess seemed the way to go for taking the puppy out to potty train or walk.

Should I buy a collar, or just concentrate on harnessess?
thanks


----------



## cruisinpat (Jan 29, 2007)

First I want to say that I am no expert - just a person that loves my little puppy.

Molly has both a collar and a harness. I use the collar when I take her to puppy class and I've been using the harness to take her outside to go potty. I take both off when she is in the house. The collar does make me nervous because I'm afraid that she will pull to hard and hurt her neck.


----------



## precious paws (Jun 7, 2006)

> My breeder just emailed me a list of things I should have on hand for my new puppy. "A nylon puppy collar, adjustable to fit as my puppy grows" was one of the items on the list. From all the reading on this forum, I thought it best not to use collars at all since they should never be left along with one on for fear of strangulation, and harnessess seemed the way to go for taking the puppy out to potty train or walk.
> 
> Should I buy a collar, or just concentrate on harnessess?
> thanks[/B]


I would stick with the harness.


----------



## starry (Sep 4, 2006)

I bought a cute collar but so far have not even cut the tags off.
I use the harness always, she is a puppy and I don't expect her not to pull, so the collar seems a bad idea now.
I don't think collars are good for anything except visual or an ID tag holder.


----------



## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

I'd go with the harness.

I put Ollie's ID tags on his harness.

I also wouldn't invest in a super expensive harness right off--Ollie chews on his all the time.


----------



## phesty (May 30, 2006)

Definitely get a harness, rather than a collar. Maltese, and many small breeds, are prone to problems with collapsing tracheas. That's why we all recommend harnesses around here. My personal favorite so far has been Josie's Puppia harness. Although not the best for matts, it's got a nice wide fabric band that goes across the chest. You can get them from The New York Dog Shop. It works for Josie because I keep her in a short puppy cut. 

Josie also wears a breakaway cat collar with her tag on it. That way she's got my phone number on her at all times, even when she's in the house, but I don't have to worry about it getting caught on anything. When I first found Spoiled Maltese, a member had come home and found her puppy hanging, dead, from a baby gate because his tag had gotten caught in the gate while she was not home. I'll never forget reading that thread and that's why Josie will never wear a regular dog collar, ever.

Josie says: My mommy also had the doctor put something called a "microship" in my neck. I think it's a tiny little boat.


----------



## PreciousPrince (Feb 27, 2006)

I also use a harness for walks, and leave a breakaway collar on him in the house when I'm not home. When he was a pup he was over at my parents' house and someone didn't close the door all the way, and he got out. Luckily he was right by the front door when I came back, but I've been paranoid ever since. So this way, if he were to get out again he'd have his tags, but he'd be safe in the house too because the collar would break if it were to get caught on something.


----------



## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I'm surprised your breeder would recommend you buy a collar for your puppy when Maltese, like other toy breeds, are prone to collapsing trachea.

http://www.toybreeds.com/health.htm

It's also very dangerous for a puppy to be in a collar. They can get caught and strangle the puppy. We had a member here whose puppy hung himself by his collar trying to climb a baby gate.


----------



## kwaugh (May 8, 2006)

Although I agree with the comments made here regarding the harness, I did have one question with regard to training. What do you all use for obedience training and if you do the AKC obedience trials or agility trials, what do you use? 

Karyn


----------



## Autumn (Jan 28, 2007)

I bought a cat collar actually. It is stetchy and and I have it loose around her neck. We don't use it for walks or anything, I mainly just like it because it has a bell so I always know if she's under my feet. I take it off of her if I'm going to crate her longer than usual though.


----------



## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

When I got Lucy as a puppy, I had a collar on her for her tags. Now I can't believe I used to have it on her! She's microchipped and even though I have her cut down, I still use a show lead on her. I tried using a harness on her again and she was just hopping on her back legs way too often for my lilking, so back to the show lead, which she seems to respect, even when she's excited. It is easy on the neck and trachea, I just have to make sure I have tight enough so she doesn't slip out of it.


----------



## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

Even though my guys are microchipped when we go on walks they wear a collar with tags too. Their leashes are attached to their harnesses, but I like the collar as a way for people to instantly know where to reach me in case they ever got lost. I have a fear that the microchipped will move, or it's a weekend with nothing open, or someone won't know about the microchip. My two don't wear their collars in the house, only when we leave our yard.


----------



## bbry (Feb 17, 2007)

*Where are ya'll getting the breakaway collars? What brand? *


----------



## Chyna's Mommie (Feb 23, 2007)

Breakaway collars can be bought at any pet store. They have a plastic insert to close it instead of the nickel buckle.


----------



## phesty (May 30, 2006)

> *Where are ya'll getting the breakaway collars? What brand? *[/B]


Any pet store, in the cat section. Walmart and Target have them too. I double check to make sure that they break away really easily and have filed down the nubs on Josie's collars to make sure that she can break loose with no problems. 

The only annoying part is that they all come with bells on them! So, after five minutes I realized that having a bell on my dog is just not for me, so now I pry the bells off.

I would also suggest avoiding the ones that just have stretchy bands in them. That just doesn't seem safe enough for me, just because the collar stretches, doesn't mean that a pup could get loose if they got hung up on something.


----------



## kathym (Aug 5, 2006)

I ONLY USE A HARNESS FOR BACI


----------

