Gundog Training Forum

Out of interest, do your dogs wear collars? All the time or just out in public?

We have a fairly active local dog warden so mine does wear a collar if out in the local parks (we've been sent back to training on relatively sterile ground to solidify our basics!). Yesterday we were at Game Fair and he was just in a slip lead, as we're I'd guess at least half the other dogs. I was wondering if they should be wearing collars as its a public place?

As an aside, I'm looking for somewhere that does leather collars with brass nameplates that are riveted to the collar if anyone knows of a supplier? I don't like jangly tags!

Mine do not wear collars when hunting, but at home they will wear collars that have their names and my contact details on in case, for any reason, they get out of the property and I am not home.

Mine wear collars when away from home but I don't put them on if I am around the village as most of the dog walkers here know each other and each other's dogs. Certainly don't work the dogs in them.

If you can't find the collar you are looking for try these: http://www.indigocollartags.com/

By law dogs need to sport legally compliant ID tags in all public places with the exception of specific dogs in specific categories when actually fulfilling that function (as opposed to being exercised etc).

I cannot understand why anyone would not want to do this myself.

Ours wear collars when travelling or out walking but not if working.

If you dont like tags these collars are a good option and they can be washed in the washing machine .
Personally I dont put collars on that have buckles because I prefer the quick release ones , buckles you need to tighten to release the buckle and in an emergency if the dog is caught tha can be a major problem.

http://www.waggitt.co.uk/acatalog/Padde ... llars.html

Bryn and Poppy wear their collars all the time just now but they'll come off for tests and working.

No

My 3 cockers had never worn a collar in their lives until last summer. I had taken them 60 miles from home and didn't want any of them to become lost. I kept two of them on lead and used my one and only collar on whichever dog I was allowing to do a bit of roaming. The result was ....interesting ! Not even Charlie would hunt ! He just moped about glaring at me . I at once thought of putting a collar on each of my cockers at shoots to prevent run-ins . I was going to try this last shooting season but I was too stingy to buy another two collars !
I often use collars on very young pups to avoid me having to grip their scruffs but as soon as possible the collar comes off and never gets put back on.My brittany pup , Libby, wore a collar until she was about 4-5 months old but hasn't worn one since. Not even once in more than 50 years of having dogs has anyone ever queried why my dogs don't wear collars.

Wullie

We have a collar with id tag while out for our walks in 'public places' but it comes off at home.

What I did do for a while, is have an id tag on the ring of a slip lead and I considered that to be adequate since if Jake should somehow pull out of my grip (never happened but you never know) or I had to let him run in the event of an attack from another dog (sadly more likely) he would at least be identifiable. I could then loop the lead round his neck so he could be 'off lead' but with the benefit of effectively a collar if I needed to grab a hold for any reason.

Mine never wear collars, I do realise by law they should, but it is a risk I am prepared to take.