I want to share an important lesson with everyone from something I experienced tonight. While walking my dog something incredibly dangerous and completely avoidable happened. While passing by an unfamiliar house a dog came charging down the lawn towards Carmen. The owner’s, who were sitting on their front porch, seemed undisturbed by this behaviour as I noticed, to my relief, the dog was tied up….that was until the collar snapped open and the dog came flying all the way down towards the road!

The all too familiar words “DON’T WORRY! HE’S FRIENDLY!” shortly followed as they rushed down to collect their dog who was hackled and stalking my dog waiting for an opportunity to challenge her – not very “friendly” if you ask me. He circled many times as Carmen stood tall while being calm and motionless. Thankfully Carmen knows exactly what to do in situations like this and will not attack even if she feels threatened.

Once the owners wrangled their mutt and muttered that they would be purchasing a new (and improved) collar, I couldn’t help but think how differently that scenario could have ended. Imagine Carmen was aggressive and went after their dog. Most dogs would not be as tolerant as mine! What if the dog was going after a squirrel or dog across the street.

The collar the dog was wearing was a very commonly used flat collar with a plastic buckle. The buckle snapped wide open when the small dog came full speed ahead at us. Notice I said this was a SMALL dog. This was not a Rottweiler or German Shepherd, but this small dog pulled with enough force to destroy that cheap collar.

I cannot emphasis the importance of a good quality leash and collar. This can mean life or death for your pet. If your dog breaks out of a collar, harness, or leash, they could potentially run into traffic or towards a dangerous dog. Poor quality leash clasps can get jammed and are unreliable. Leather leashes can stretch and loose their strength and eventually snap. Cheap flat collars all too often fail as a safe means to keep your dog under control and free from harm.

I am reminded of a video from Mike Rowe about sh*tty collars. (Due to harsh language viewer discretion is advised.) Enjoy!

At The Dog Haus we only carry one type of collar and that is the Martingale Collar (photoed below). This is because it is the only collar, that when sized appropriately a dog cannot back out of and there is no buckle to break open. Martingale collars are part chain and part nylon. They are not choke collars but do apply pressure and release to communicate to the dog. We also carry slip leads which also tighten as a dog pulls so that they cannot escape. I ALWAYS recommend that even slip leads and Halti’s should be attached to a Martingale collar as a back up safety. We also have strong 6′ leashes with heavy duty clasps that will not falter.

No dog should get injured or killed from a crappy made product. Do not buy collars because the price is right. Question their durability. You get what you pay for so invest in a high quality tool that works for you and your dog in everyday situations to keep them safe.