Scary Moment and a reminder.

Oh gosh -- I'm so glad everbuddy is ok.  Stuff can happen SO fast. 

You know Denise -- my Grand Dad always carried a jack-knife.  My Dad always carried a jack-knife.  I can remember the day my Grand Dad gave ME my first jack-knife.  It was slender with a wee little mother-of-pearl handle.  It was a rite of passage in my family to be considered old enough and responsible enough to carry it "right".

There is nothing handier on the planet.  I have one in my desk drawer (nice little thing - it has a pair of pliers and a flashlight on it! *smile*)

They don't have to be big or flashy.  And in this day and age you can get all sorts of multi-tools if you'd rather.  But they can save a life.  As a legal secretary I can no longer carry one in my purse cos I gotta go thru metal detectors all the time - but in my desk and car?  You betcha. 

 But being prepared - there is nothing like it. 

NO collar or harnness is foolproof. Because if it breaks away it will break away at the wrong time.  But having something on you (and the presence of mind to use it) -- that's gold.  I'm so glad you were with that particular friend.

Really superb reminder, Denise.  Thank you!!

 Oh my gosh, good for you keeping calm during all this.  SO glad it turned out well.

This is not the first (or second!) time I've heard such a thing happening with a multi dog home.  (Not always a Martingale involved).  Ribbon too could have  dislocated the jaw in trying to get free.  GAH!!!   How frightening for all concerned. 

 Please give them some cuddles from me!

Mine are "naked" in the house and out in the backyard (fenced).  I use harnesses to avoid collapsed trachea, but it would help should this happen, as well.  At least one dog is not suddenly unable to breathe.

Wow Denise - that is really scary and I'm so glad that someone was there to help you. I have 2 questions though. Don't they make martingale collars with a buckle? I thought I'd seen some. The other question is - if there were a fight at home and they're naked, how do you break it up? I'm just thinking of the fights my girls had and if it weren't for their collars, I'm not sure what we'd have used to pull them apart.

 Our dogs are dressed all the time, and certainly, getting stuck on a collar is a risk we take. However, everyone has a collar with a buckle so that they can be quickly released. We used to have one that liked to slip out the door, and not that anyone does it now, but just in case someone should try that, we keep the collars on. It's interesting that I used to have a dog who was a collar grabber during play, and he never got stuck on any of the. He learned it from one of our trainer's dogs. She'd grab unruly puppies by the collar if she couldn't get the scruff of the neck, and she never got caught luckily. I guess we have just had good luck, but the house collars always have buckles.

This is certainly very scary and something to consider.  It also happened to my MIL's dogs.  They were just playing in the house, wrestling around and whatever while she was getting ready for work.  All of a sudden she heard yelping and screaming and ran downstairs to see that the older dog had his jaw stuck in the collar of her younger dog.  She managed to get him off of the collar but while she was struggling her younger dog passed out from lack of oxygen.  They had to rush him to the vet and spent $1,700 saving his life.  He was in there for three or four days, if I remember correctly.

Her dogs don't wear collars at all anymore.  They're naked in the house, and if she takes them out she puts their tags onto collars. 

My dogs also like to play and wrestle with each other.  We keep them naked too, unless we're going out. 

I'm so sorry you went through this, and I'm very happy that everything turned out ok in the end. 

So glad everyone is OK!!

Bugsy and one of his buddy's got tangled like that - her jaw was stuck on his collar and she was screaming - it was an awful sound that we'll all remember. Myself and the other owner were able to undo B's collar to release her but it wasn't easy He only wears belt style buckle collars but now when he has playdates I put a snap buckle collar on him just in case we need a quick release.

BTW I have a Leatherman micra tool that is ALWAYS with me when I am out with him - it has scissors and a small knife amongst other things

Whew...so glad that you got them loose.  My boys dont wrestle around and always have a collar on but Rocky has lost his a few time because I keep it loose enough that he can slip out if he get in a fence.

Buddy and Ribbon you mustn't scare your mom like that anymore.