Your small dog should have a respite from stiff or wide dog collars, or collars that have a ring in the center of the collar that may jab your little puppy when it lies on its back when lounging around the house or napping.
REMEMBER … your dog can’t talk, don’t mistake his silence as a sign of comfort.
This is a case where you must use your intellect to determine if the dog collar weight, stiffness, or adornments, coupled with the ambient temperature, make an uncomfortable combination. If it would bother you to wear the same kind of collar proportional to your neck, the odds are good it would bother your little dog.
Ask yourself …
If the dog collar were a tie, and your dog a man, would he want to loosen it or tear it off the first chance? If yes, give your little pet a break. Your canine companion doesn’t have the power to relieve itself of an uncomfortable dog collar. You, the human master, must come to your small dog’s rescue.
However, for safety reasons, the collar you take your dog out for walks in should be strong enough to stay fastened at all times, even in the most excitable of situations.
On the other hand, your small dog should wear a dog collar with a nametag attached at all times, even if your small dog has a microchip implanted. There are too many sad cases where pets with microchips have been euthanized because the shelter’s scanner was not compatible with the chip and could not read it to reunite the pets with their owners.
This dilemma is easily resolved if you keep 2 kinds of dog collars for your small dog, one sturdy collar for outdoor travels, and a lightweight flexible collar, such as nylon, for in-home use.
Types Of Dog Collars
Here is an example of each kind of dog collar type that should be a part of your small dog’s wardrobe.
For around the house, a narrow dog collar of 3/8 inch made of flexible material such as nylon is recommended. If you like your pet better dressed than most around the house, keep the dog collar adornments no more than a single row like simple rhinestones or pearls, but no elaborate, rigid settings for the jewels. The jewels themselves should be low and not very prominent.
Travels outdoors is where you can get fancy, with double or triple rows of jewels, if desired, and wider dog collars of up to one inch. If you have a jumbo shrimp small dog like a boston terrier with an average weight of 20 to 25 pounds, a dog collar 3/4 of an inch wide would be appropriate, whereas a 3/8 inch dog collar is not suitable and could break open if your dog strains to the maximum. If a large ferocious pit bull is why your precious small dog is straining to attack, the last thing you would want is for your pet’s collar to give way.
However, if you dog is a toy dog, a narrow 3/8 inch collar will be sufficient. Your toy dog’s travel collar, though, should be in good condition without any breakage, and the punch holes should not be frayed, risking the buckle’s prong might easily slip out. Therefore, even your toy breed or teacup breed dog needs to have a collar set aside just for walks to ensure your precious pet’s safety.
