Reminder--collars on dogs in crate are a bad idea

[jen-s]

I know that. You probably know that too. But when you’re keeping your dog in an oversized plastic crate, it doesn’t seem like much of a risk. Until you loan out your oversized plastic crate to friends who need to orient new barn kittens to farm life and you pull out your backup/travel wire crate. Sonnet was unattended for 15-20 minutes only, but in that time she managed to get her martingale collar (I know, I know) caught on a metal piece that she popped loose and absolutely destroyed the front of the crate. If she wasn’t a staffy mix, she almost certainly wouldn’t have had the neck/shoulder strength to get loose and easily could have asphyxiated.

Please learn my from near disaster. Last night could have been utterly heartbreaking and yet, completely preventable. Thank goodness we both got lucky.

[Irish_Ei_s]

Hugs.
I leave Polo`s martingale hooked to his leash.

[blue_amp_blond]

Thank goodness you found her quickly. And thanks for sharing a reminder to all. To be honest, I don’t even have my dogs wear collars at home. I only put them on when we go out. Why? When one pup was about 7 months old (GSD so good size) and the other about 1 1/2, somehow the 7 mo old got his jaw under the other dog’s collar, then flipped - it twisted the collar on the 1 1/2 (Border Collie mix) so tight it cut off her breathing.

Fortunately, it happened while I was home AND the GSD pup screamed bloody murder. They were quick release collars but even then it was so tight I had to pull it tighter to release the pressure on the clip. They were both OK but only because they were released quickly. I still shudder to this day…

SO nope. No collars at home while I’m at work. They play way too rough. Same with the horses…no halters in turnout OR in their stalls. I just don’t do it. And even then, all halters are breakaways.

The dogs are chipped and have way more of a chance of getting hung up on something at home then they would getting off property. I realize I’m probably the extreme.

[Callista17]

I have a pup that wears a Serresto:-(

Good advice though.

[DoubleClick]

Very good reminder and so glad you and your girl avoided tragedy. I came across a FB post last summer from a woman who mistakingly left a collar on her gorgeous, Best in Show winning GSD in the prime of his life and show career. He got caught on his crate, and she lost him. Her devastation and palpable anger at herself for doing something she knew better than to do was just devastating to read. I don’t know this woman, but I still think of her and her sweet boy often. I, too, only have collars on my crew when we leave home.

[jen-s]

@Callista17

I have a pup that wears a Serresto:-(

Good advice though.

I wouldn’t worry as much about those because I’d think the plastic would break–at least if you have a dog of a medium or larger size. A tiny teacup something…yeah that might be tricky.

Sonnet, problem child dog, is a short, squat, staffy/pibble mix which helps her barrel through crates. She’s normally in a giant (great dane sized) plastic crate at home, but since it was loaned out, she was in her wire travel crate.

Interestingly enough, since I had no way to contain her at home, I took her to the vet clinic for Tuesday until I could get a crate. Brat dog waited until the vet (my best friend and the helpful COTHer who enabled me into the problem child dog) left for lunch and the tech and receptionist were eating their lunches at the front desk and then tried to bust out of the steel cage bank! She managed to get the top latch and top half of the door open before the humans sprinted back to see what the commotion was. Problem child dog had her head poking out the top of the door, but couldn’t get her shoulders through, nor retract her head back inside. WTF. Best guess is that she’s learned that metal crates won’t hold her and was testing that theory. There wasn’t any identifiable event that would have started this. At the clinic, she had several buddies in the cage bank with her, no storms, no anything weird. So today she’s got some trazodone on board and will hopefully be too sleepy to ponder escaping.