3 Reasons I Never Leave a Collar on My Dog at Home (And You Probably Shouldn't Either)
I'm Sure We've All Called Our Dog This... (And There's Actually a Good Reason For It)
If you've ever taken your dog's collar off and said "okay, you're naked now" you are my people. We do it all the time around here. But it wasn't until I started digging into dog safety that I realized taking the collar off isn't just a funny habit. There are actually some really good reasons behind it.
Here are the three that changed how I think about it.
1. Tags can get caught in places you'd never expect.
This one kept me up at night a little. The rings on wire crates, air vents, even gaps in furniture. If a tag snags in the wrong spot at the wrong moment, it becomes a choking hazard fast. Most of the time nothing happens, but most of the time isn't good enough when it comes to our dogs.
2. Rough play is adorable until it isn't.
If your dogs wrestle with each other (and honestly, whose don't?), there's a real risk of one getting their jaw caught in the other's collar. It sounds unlikely until you hear it has happened to someone you know. Taking the collar off during playtime or at home is such an easy way to remove that risk completely.
3. Humid climates and wet dogs are a recipe for hot spots.
A damp collar sitting against your dog's skin for hours creates the perfect conditions for irritated, inflamed skin. If you live somewhere humid, or your dog is a swimmer, beach dog, or just... a very enthusiastic drinker who always soaks their neck somehow, this one is worth paying attention to.
The good news is that taking a collar off and putting it back on should take about two seconds. If it doesn't, that's worth thinking about too.
Our collars use military grade quick release buckles so snapping it back on your (temporarily) naked dog is fast and easy. Plus they're soft, durable, and come in prints you'll actually want to put back on them.