The other night saw a flood of activity in this normally quiet neighborhood. The dog “catcher” was going up and down the streets in a hustled activity trying to catch onto some stray canines. The fact is these dogs were caught and dealt with as strays because none of them had any kind of identification, let alone a collar. Unfortunately, these animals were going to the pound and if no one came forth were most assuredly going to be dismally dealt with. A lot of this kind of tragedy can be avoided if people would simply have their dogs have collars and identification.

However, collars should be suitable to each particular pet and not thought of as “let’s just find one” and let it go at that. Man’s best friends deserve to be treated with the same love and care when picking out a collar as in other facet of treating your pet. Collars should reflect not only the personality of the animal, but also contribute to its safety and well-being. There are all types of collars out there and not all are even worth consideration. An improper fit or type of collar can have long lasting ill effects for your beloved “Rover”.

One important aspect of collars is that they are a means to id the pet. If you are not of a mind to do “micro-chipping” of your animal, the collars serve as a great alternative to identifying your pet and showing important health information. It can hold any rabies inoculation information on a tag as well other pertinent information on allergies in case someone finds the animal away from home. It also provides the authorities with personal info as to where the dog lives in case he is lost or stolen.

What about comfort? Just like people, the things that your animal has to wear should be comfortable and not cause chafing or irritations. A dog collar should be loose enough fitting to move around the neck without being so loose it comes off. This discomfort could also be a result of improper material in the making of the collar. Remember, this is a family friend and deserves to be treated kindly, even in what he or she wears.
Now that takes care of a grown animal, but what about a puppy? Considering that this animal is on his way to growing up it really matters that the collar be expandable. Puppies’ growth rates are faster then we realize and we may not always be watching the subtle changes. By having an expandable collar, we have a reasonable buffer for the puppies comfort and allow us the opportunity to keep up with their growth.

Toy dogs might be better equipped with a harness over a collar. Collars can be a hazard, whereas a harness is a better fit for a small animal. A toy has a smaller neck and collars could be hazardous to their throats. There are small breakaway types of collars that can be used for smaller dogs if a collar is a preference.

The importance of a good collar for a dogs safety and well-being cannot be understated.