Collar Discomfort
I made a leather collar out of a belt. It's about 1" wide but I always take it off her at night because I worry its uncomfortable.
I've been wanting to order a really pretty custom leather collar but I think the smallest they come is 1". They're also seem pretty thick (not flexible). So, I don't want to order a collar and then its really uncomfortable for her to wear every day/lay around the house in.
Any opinions on whether a thick leather collar is actually uncomfortable to a dog or if I'm just making it up? How could I even tell?
I've been wanting to order a really pretty custom leather collar but I think the smallest they come is 1". They're also seem pretty thick (not flexible). So, I don't want to order a collar and then its really uncomfortable for her to wear every day/lay around the house in.
Any opinions on whether a thick leather collar is actually uncomfortable to a dog or if I'm just making it up? How could I even tell?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by GoGoRainbow on
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that's what I was worried about, that I was being silly! I guess only if you actually saw red irritation would you know it was irritating.
Though I do agree with John about the tags being important to consider.
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Permalink Reply by Cooper, Nora, Grady, Izzy & Jax on
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another really cute place to order a leather collar from is www.etsy,com
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yeah, I started looking there last night but found at least 3 collars I want! So hard!
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Permalink Reply by CorGeek on
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I take off Oliver's collar at night for one reason...he has tags that jingle-jangle-jingle....(obscure earworm planted?). And while the noise doesn't bother him....
He has an inch-wide nylon collar now...doesn't bother him, but it "messes" his ruff. My hang up...not his. :) So I'm looking at a rolled collar...once his growing slows down. Found this site, and have had great response. http://www.schaafleatherwork.com/pages/dog/collar2.html
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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How do you know the noise doesn't bother him? I want to get all the info on one tag so it won't rattle, and make sure it doesn't dangle lower than necessary (used to swing into Gwynnie's forefeet).
A leather collar requires heavy hardware, and you have to unbuckle it. Also, flat webbing spreads out the force on the neck skin. I'd suggest a lightened Martingale, slips on/off without buckling.
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I like the reflector idea. I often flag the dogs' collars with bright survey tape (for hunters); wintertime, reflector tape might make more sense. Our 1/2" collars are buried in the ruff, but reflector tape tied on would hang out visibly. These animals are invisible to cars.
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Permalink Reply by Heather and Ella on
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My neighbor actually has a flashing light thing on the collar of his pug mix, for night time walks. The dog does even seem to notice, but it makes him very visible even if it's really dark.
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Permalink Reply by Cindi on
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All of ours, with the exception of Dundee, have nylon collars. They work fine but the do rub on their ruff. I really liked the rolled leather collars, but we (PetSmart) don't sell them anymore. They seem to like the 1/2" collars better. The 1" collars rubbed them some, especially the smaller corgis. There are so many nice options for collars out there.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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See if it seems to dig into his neck at all. I generally only use a collar when we are headed out and only put one on in the house if I need to manage the dog (blow-drying out coat, for example) and they won't stay still.
If you leave a collar on 24/7, you will quite possibly start to get hair rubbed off beneath if eventually.
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I am fickle and Pooka will go weeks with no collar except for walks, and then weeks always wearing a collar.
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collar FAQ
I think a collar's comfort is a major issue. You're making a small animal lug that thing around a LOT. It can't complain or tell you if it's a pain in the neck.
I would not put a leather collar on a small dog. Weighs a ton. Needs a metal buckle. Our modified Martingales (photo in FAQ) are 1/2 or 3/4" nylon webbing, chain replaced with Perlon (kernmantle nylon rope), stainless steel D-rings, all unnecessary hardware removed, no decor (can't see it in the ruff anyway). Plastic D-rings unreliable and wear out, aluminum is lighter but wears quickly and discolors fur. The stitching, Perlon, and its knot must be checked periodically (the kernmantle on Al's wore through in 3 years). Once you get the size right, you can remove the adjustment buckle and stitch it permanently (with the modified Martingale, fine adjustment is made with the knot on the Perlon loop). Keep the leash carabiner as small and light as possible; it doesn't have to hold a car; note that a real carabiner always has a tooth or pin in the gate because the gate is a major load-bearing part (else it's just a hook). Our leashes are lightweight braided nylon; Perlon might be better.
The Martingale slips on/off easily over the head. Our dogs don't wear collars inside -- note, this is a hazard if they get loose accidentally! They are chipped.
Someone here (Joanna Kimball or Shepdog?) wrote of the hazards of collars; they can get caught on things, dogs trapped/strangled, it happens. This may be a hazard with my setup; the modified Martingale is a bit loose, and there's the Perlon loop that could get caught on things. Beware things like leashes dangling within reach from hooks, and the infamous Venetian blind cords (which have killed babies).
The first harness we used for hiking was one of those double chest harnesses. That's why I initially concluded that a corgi couldn't go 10 miles. The dog would eventually slow down and finally just stop; first two hikes, I carried the dog the last few miles. Then I noticed the sore that the harness was wearing on the breastbone. Now we use that only for safety belays.
For maybe 4 years, Gwynnie's forelegs were hitting her low-swinging tags on almost every step before Dummy here finally noticed and shortened them. Now she doesn't have that annoying jingle interfering with her hearing, either (who knows? Maybe it was driving her nuts). I want to get all the info on just one tag, nothing to rattle.
My bias comes from backpacking. Weight is the enemy. I used to have a spreadsheet with all my gear weighed to the nearest gram.
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yeah, I remember reading your post a long time ago. I also like the idea of a brass-plate having all the tag info. No jingling at all! Found some on hunting dog websites because they can't have that jangling.
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