How a dog should be wearing their collar… in my opinion
I make and sell dog collars, I also walk dogs and see all the different ways people put on dog collars and well – there actually is a right way! I don’t like to say there is a wrong way because in New Zealand, having a collar to show your dog is currently registered with there registration is absolutely enough. However, what I often see is people leaving collars on all day, every day and it’s on the dog like a necklace. This is still better than no collar so it isn’t wrong. However, there is still a better way, a right way for your dog to be wearing a dog collar.
A dog collar should not be tight around your dogs neck, however, ideally it also should not be able to slip over there head. For some breeds this is almost always going to be a problem and you can slip it over there head, but for the majority it shouldn’t happen. When putting a collar on your pups neck, you should be able to slip two fingers between there neck and the collar with ease. If you can fit in more, it’s to loose. If it feels tight on your fingers, it is to tight, the perfect balance!
This is important so that when you go out and walk your dog, if they stop backwards they can’t slip out of there collar. If they scratch at their neck, they aren’t scratching off there collar. It is so important to be well fitted so that if your dog does run off when they are off lead, or something happens that scares them, they have there collar on when someone finds them.
When your dog is wearing a well fitted collar, it is important it gets taken off when at home. If your dog is crate trained then they shouldn’t ever be wearing a collar in their crate. This is important because you don’t want anything getting caught in the metal of their crate and your dog having an accident or even just a negative experience in their crate. Personally I imagine taking my dogs collar off like taking a bra off every day so it must be a relief. If you are letting your dog wander around your home and property freely and you are not constantly watching them like you are on walks or at dog parks, then it is important to take their collar off so they don’t get caught on trees or bushes of your carpet or threads on the couch or the bed. You can avoid accidents and keep your dog safe by taking their collar off at home and ensuring their collar id well fitted outside of the home.
