Dog Community

Fitting a collar

Posted : 10/24/2006 9:11:47 PM

Okay, it seems that no matter what I do or how tight I fit Winnie's collar, she manages to wedge it up into her mouth like a bit and chew through it. I've had the vet fit the collar; I've had the trainer fit the collar. We've fit it so that there's no more than a finger-width of movement and no luck, she still manages. I've tried treating the collars with bitter apple, vinegar, tabasco and chili powder - none of these stop her.

We've tried several types of soft nylon collars and a few different leather collars - including a really stiff leather one. It did take her 3 weeks to wear through the stiff leather, but she still managed - and they're just too pricey to buy a new one every month.

Trainer suggested a chain collar next, but even at the smallest size, she still manages to get it up into her mouth. Thing is, I've never caught her doing it - I simply hear her whimpering and walk into the kitchen to see her bridled like a horse. I'm afraid to simply leave the chain collar for fear that she'll break a tooth or damage her gums, but I'm at my wits end.

Oh, and if she doesn't have a collar on, but she's with a dog who does, she chews that collar off, so it's not just a "I don't like this thing around my neck" - it's like, "this is fun to do."

My dogs cannot go without collars, that's simply not safe, but I don't know what else to do. Suggestions?

Lindsay- Bernie's Mom

Posted : 10/24/2006 9:18:34 PM

I definitely wouldn't suggest a chain- they have no give, she's likely to injur herself at the very least. Would she chew on a harness?

I know you said no collar is no option, but it sounds like Winnie disagrees with you, lol!! I'd just get a collar and keep it attached to her leash, so she wears it only when she's out of the house and you can correct her when she chews it. If she's a puppy it is likely something she may outgrow.

ColleenC

Posted : 10/24/2006 9:26:32 PM

Try to find Lupine brand collars. They are guaranteed even if chewed. When I worked at the smaller petstore, we carried these, and when someones dog would chew one, they brought it back to us. We gave them a new one, and then sent the bad one in and Lupine gave us a replacement. There is no limit on the number of times you can do that.

MissMandy

Posted : 10/25/2006 12:17:44 PM

We love Lupine collars! And the guarantee is great for the pooches with chewing habits. They offer an unconditional lifetime guarantee from what I understand.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 10/25/2006 12:44:15 PM

Why isn't no collar an option? My dogs are perfectly safe and sound, without their collars. Mom's dog got his tags caught in his wire crate, a couple of years ago, right after a friend's GSD pups had a near death experience with tangling collars, and the collars came off of our dogs, for good.

You can always have them microchipped.

jetty

Posted : 10/25/2006 4:21:42 PM

ORIGINAL: a_ryanMy dogs cannot go without collars, that's simply not safe, but I don't know what else to do.

I don't think that what she is doing to herself with the collars is safe either.
It sounds like you are always around to hear her whimpering when she does have the collar in her mouth so why not just keep her within eyesight??
If Winnie is inside and there is no chance of people coming and going, why can't she be without her collar? Or if there is traffic at the doors, why not put her in a different room without her collar on until there is no chance she can escape?

What about if she were to wear a harness with tags on instead? Or would that irritate her too?

You can try training her to "leave it" when you put the collar on the ground or throw it like a toy but most dogs will not generalize that they should also leave it in different circumstances, like when they are wearing it LOL But it's worth a shot - you can also "desensitize" her to the collars touch on the rest of her body by praising and rewarding her for ignoring it.

patty

Posted : 10/26/2006 8:33:30 AM

When guinness was haaving issues with chewing through her leashes...many, many leashes, we tried bitter apple, vick's vapor rub, deodorant, tobasco. You name it we tried it. Finally someone on here suggested oil of clove. You can buy it at a health food store. A little goes a long way. It worked for Guinness.

And an added benefit is that your dog will smell like cloves for a long time!

Word of caution though.... I got a little of the oil of cloves on my woodwork and it messed up the varnish. it also says to not get it on your skin. Once it is dry it is harmless.

a_ryan

Posted : 10/26/2006 10:44:26 AM

She chews through the harnesses, too. I caught her doing that a few times (with her body contorted into an odd position), but correcting her had no effect.

I will look for the Lupine collars - there's a small, family-owned petstore near us where they carry the higher quality dog stuff - and I will check out the oil of clove. Even if that doesn't work totally effectively, at least she won't be so stinky anymore.

But - and here's another issue - she was playing with the neighbor's dog the other day, and we caught her chewing his collar off. So, it's not just collars on her - it's collars on any dog.

And I know I can leave both of them without collars in the house; it's perfectly safe there, but my husband is a little forgetful and takes them out without the collars if they simply aren't on all the time - that's when it isn't safe.

glenmar

Posted : 10/26/2006 12:37:56 PM

I wonder if you could find a teeny tiny choker and make it dead? The gal who adopted Trinity and Solo has a shar pei and he was getting hot spots from whatever kind of collar she tried so she used some sort of clamp to make it DEAD so it wouldn't move around and wouldn't choke Mr. Big. Just a thot.......

jennie_c_d

Posted : 10/26/2006 1:37:14 PM

You can use a key ring, as a connector, so it doesn't choke the dog. That won't stop her from breaking her teeth on it, though.