just got a new 16 week shihtzu. we were told to use a harness and not a
collar as their windpipes tend to be small. this isn't a problem, but i
would like to put dog tags on the dog. is keeping a collar on a shihtzu a
bad idea? if so, i guess we could use the collar just for the tags and use
the harness to walk him.

that said, we were also told not to let the dog sleep in the wire crate with
a collar or harness as there's the possibility he'll get stuck and choke.
any thots or comments? thanks

Hi David.

On Wed, 24 Mar 2004 20:27:04 GMT, David Rothman opined:

just got a new 16 week shihtzu. we were told to use a harness and not a
collar as their windpipes tend to be small. this isn't a problem, but i
would like to put dog tags on the dog. is keeping a collar on a shihtzu
a bad idea? if so, i guess we could use the collar just for the tags
and use the harness to walk him.

We have a shih tzu, and one that has had neck surgery in the past. Even
before that, we have always used a harness. We were never told of specific
concerns with the windpipe per se, but always thought that he moved around
better with the harness, and that we had better control with him on a leash.

We keep tags on him, too. They could go on the clip at the top of his neck,
but we keep ours attached to the leash clip.


that said, we were also told not to let the dog sleep in the wire crate
with a collar or harness as there's the possibility he'll get stuck and
choke. any thots or comments? thanks

We take his harness off at night. Also, he doesn't sleep in a crate but in a
bed at the foot of ours. Jack's comments are probably much sounder than mine
on this score, but from out personal experience we find that taking off the
harness at night works well.

Good luck.

Chad

--
Looking for a pet? Adopt one! ** http://www.petfinder.com
Info for a healthy, happy dog? * http://www.dog-play.com

Votes for Nader gave Bush the election in '00. Don't let it happen again.

Illegitimi non carborundum

Hi David.

On Wed, 24 Mar 2004 20:27:04 GMT, David Rothman opined:

just got a new 16 week shihtzu. we were told to use a harness and not a
collar as their windpipes tend to be small. this isn't a problem, but i
would like to put dog tags on the dog. is keeping a collar on a shihtzu
a bad idea? if so, i guess we could use the collar just for the tags
and use the harness to walk him.

We have a shih tzu, and one that has had neck surgery in the past. Even
before that, we have always used a harness. We were never told of specific
concerns with the windpipe per se, but always thought that he moved around
better with the harness, and that we had better control with him on a leash.

We keep tags on him, too. They could go on the clip at the top of his neck,
but we keep ours attached to the leash clip.


that said, we were also told not to let the dog sleep in the wire crate
with a collar or harness as there's the possibility he'll get stuck and
choke. any thots or comments? thanks

We take his harness off at night. Also, he doesn't sleep in a crate but in a
bed at the foot of ours. Jack's comments are probably much sounder than mine
on this score, but from out personal experience we find that taking off the
harness at night works well.

Good luck.

Chad

--
Looking for a pet? Adopt one! ** http://www.petfinder.com
Info for a healthy, happy dog? * http://www.dog-play.com

Votes for Nader gave Bush the election in '00. Don't let it happen again.

Illegitimi non carborundum

Hi David.

On Wed, 24 Mar 2004 20:27:04 GMT, David Rothman opined:

just got a new 16 week shihtzu. we were told to use a harness and not a
collar as their windpipes tend to be small. this isn't a problem, but i
would like to put dog tags on the dog. is keeping a collar on a shihtzu
a bad idea? if so, i guess we could use the collar just for the tags
and use the harness to walk him.

We have a shih tzu, and one that has had neck surgery in the past. Even
before that, we have always used a harness. We were never told of specific
concerns with the windpipe per se, but always thought that he moved around
better with the harness, and that we had better control with him on a leash.

We keep tags on him, too. They could go on the clip at the top of his neck,
but we keep ours attached to the leash clip.


that said, we were also told not to let the dog sleep in the wire crate
with a collar or harness as there's the possibility he'll get stuck and
choke. any thots or comments? thanks

We take his harness off at night. Also, he doesn't sleep in a crate but in a
bed at the foot of ours. Jack's comments are probably much sounder than mine
on this score, but from out personal experience we find that taking off the
harness at night works well.

Good luck.

Chad

--
Looking for a pet? Adopt one! ** http://www.petfinder.com
Info for a healthy, happy dog? * http://www.dog-play.com

Votes for Nader gave Bush the election in '00. Don't let it happen again.

Illegitimi non carborundum

Hi David.

On Wed, 24 Mar 2004 20:27:04 GMT, David Rothman opined:

just got a new 16 week shihtzu. we were told to use a harness and not a
collar as their windpipes tend to be small. this isn't a problem, but i
would like to put dog tags on the dog. is keeping a collar on a shihtzu
a bad idea? if so, i guess we could use the collar just for the tags
and use the harness to walk him.

We have a shih tzu, and one that has had neck surgery in the past. Even
before that, we have always used a harness. We were never told of specific
concerns with the windpipe per se, but always thought that he moved around
better with the harness, and that we had better control with him on a leash.

We keep tags on him, too. They could go on the clip at the top of his neck,
but we keep ours attached to the leash clip.


that said, we were also told not to let the dog sleep in the wire crate
with a collar or harness as there's the possibility he'll get stuck and
choke. any thots or comments? thanks

We take his harness off at night. Also, he doesn't sleep in a crate but in a
bed at the foot of ours. Jack's comments are probably much sounder than mine
on this score, but from out personal experience we find that taking off the
harness at night works well.

Good luck.

Chad

--
Looking for a pet? Adopt one! ** http://www.petfinder.com
Info for a healthy, happy dog? * http://www.dog-play.com

Votes for Nader gave Bush the election in '00. Don't let it happen again.

Illegitimi non carborundum

"David Rothman" wrote:
that said, we were also told not to let the dog sleep in the wire crate with
a collar or harness as there's the possibility he'll get stuck and choke.
any thots or comments? thanks

Yes, it's highly recommended that a dog be collar-less when left alone in a
crate.

Last week at the dog park, two dogs were playing. One got his teeth stuck in
the other's choke collar. By the time the humans could get them apart (they
had to run across the street to an auto parts store to get a bolt cutter), the
dog had suffocated.

Of course a choke collar makes matters worse, but there's always the risk of a
dog getting his collar stuck on something.

PetsMart Pet Trainer
My Kids, My Students, My Life:
http://hometown.aol.com/dfrntdrums/m...age/index.html
Last updated June 27 at 10:00 a.m.

"David Rothman" wrote:
that said, we were also told not to let the dog sleep in the wire crate with
a collar or harness as there's the possibility he'll get stuck and choke.
any thots or comments? thanks

Yes, it's highly recommended that a dog be collar-less when left alone in a
crate.

Last week at the dog park, two dogs were playing. One got his teeth stuck in
the other's choke collar. By the time the humans could get them apart (they
had to run across the street to an auto parts store to get a bolt cutter), the
dog had suffocated.

Of course a choke collar makes matters worse, but there's always the risk of a
dog getting his collar stuck on something.

PetsMart Pet Trainer
My Kids, My Students, My Life:
http://hometown.aol.com/dfrntdrums/m...age/index.html
Last updated June 27 at 10:00 a.m.

"David Rothman" wrote:
that said, we were also told not to let the dog sleep in the wire crate with
a collar or harness as there's the possibility he'll get stuck and choke.
any thots or comments? thanks

Yes, it's highly recommended that a dog be collar-less when left alone in a
crate.

Last week at the dog park, two dogs were playing. One got his teeth stuck in
the other's choke collar. By the time the humans could get them apart (they
had to run across the street to an auto parts store to get a bolt cutter), the
dog had suffocated.

Of course a choke collar makes matters worse, but there's always the risk of a
dog getting his collar stuck on something.

PetsMart Pet Trainer
My Kids, My Students, My Life:
http://hometown.aol.com/dfrntdrums/m...age/index.html
Last updated June 27 at 10:00 a.m.

"David Rothman" wrote:
that said, we were also told not to let the dog sleep in the wire crate with
a collar or harness as there's the possibility he'll get stuck and choke.
any thots or comments? thanks

Yes, it's highly recommended that a dog be collar-less when left alone in a
crate.

Last week at the dog park, two dogs were playing. One got his teeth stuck in
the other's choke collar. By the time the humans could get them apart (they
had to run across the street to an auto parts store to get a bolt cutter), the
dog had suffocated.

Of course a choke collar makes matters worse, but there's always the risk of a
dog getting his collar stuck on something.

PetsMart Pet Trainer
My Kids, My Students, My Life:
http://hometown.aol.com/dfrntdrums/m...age/index.html
Last updated June 27 at 10:00 a.m.

"David Rothman" wrote in message
. net...
just got a new 16 week shihtzu. we were told to use a harness and not a
collar as their windpipes tend to be small. this isn't a problem, but i
would like to put dog tags on the dog. is keeping a collar on a shihtzu a
bad idea? if so, i guess we could use the collar just for the tags and
use
the harness to walk him.

that said, we were also told not to let the dog sleep in the wire crate
with
a collar or harness as there's the possibility he'll get stuck and choke.
any thots or comments? thanks


I never keep collars on if I don't have a reason for it. Dogs that play can
break teeth on collars or suffocate eachother, the collar also wears down
the coat a bit. So the only times my dogs wear collars are when they are on
leash or if I think I might have to grab hold of them for some reason, or if
I let them free and there is a chance they might get into trouble.
I've actually been thinking about making a bigger version of an elastic cat
collar for them to use when they get to run free, so that if they do get
stuck they can get out of it.

Rosa