what type of collars should be used

I leave Gio's collar on all the time. A flat nylon collar. No training collars in this house, so the nylon collar is used for everything. He does not have as thick of hair as some Shelties do, so it has never caused a problem with matting. Plus it holds his "medical alert" tag. The collar is on very loose as he isn't a flight risk, and he doesn't tend to be rowdy in his crate so no worries about it getting tangled.

I started off leaving Romeo's collar on him all the time. I started with a flat nylon collar but found that his hair matted very easily. I then switched to a rolled leather collar that was easier on the mats, but the stain in the leather began to discolor his hair. So I take it off when we are just around the house. It does not hold tags as most of the trialing we do does not allow for tags to be worn anyways. He's tattooed for identification purposes, though he is not flighty so no need to worry about him running off. Now the collar just goes on when we are leaving the house and need to click a leash on.

If you choose to leave a collar on at all times, that is fine. But be aware of some of the dangers that it poses and determine if your dog is at risk. It is possible for a collar to get caught up in a crate if the dog is rowdy when left alone. Dogs have been known to be strangled because of this. Also, if you allow your dogs to play or wrestle while unsupervised, it is possible for one dog to get caught in the other dog's collar, strangling one or both dogs in the process. Ensure that the collar is properly fitted and be aware if you have a "tag chewer". The collar or the tags getting stuck in the dog's mouth can cause serious discomfort, or worse.

Recognize the dangers, and take a critical look at your dogs. If they are at risk for any of the dangers, then it might be best to take the collar off when unsupervised.
 
DoomsDay said:
A question on collar use with shelties. Do you keep a collar on your dog all the time even when your not training? If so, what kind do you use? That has been a concern for me since the sheltie has so much hair, I am worried about having a collar on them all time and having it wear down the hair around their neck. Currently the collars I am using is the small nylon kind that are about an inch wide. These aren't training collars, just a standard run of the mill wal-mart type collar.
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All 3 of my girls have rolled leather collars and they wear them all the time with their tags in case they got out. The rolled leather will not break off or damage their long hair. Depending on where you get the collar, it will run between $14.00 to $20.00 and they last for years!
 
DoomsDay said:
A question on collar use with shelties. Do you keep a collar on your dog all the time even when your not training? If so, what kind do you use? That has been a concern for me since the sheltie has so much hair, I am worried about having a collar on them all time and having it wear down the hair around their neck. Currently the collars I am using is the small nylon kind that are about an inch wide. These aren't training collars, just a standard run of the mill wal-mart type collar.
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GeeRome gave you very good advice!

Sadie only has a collar on when we're leaving the house, our yard is enclosed so she can't escape and isn't the kind of dog that is constantly trying to take off. If she did get lost she is also micro chipped.

I use a martingale collar on Sadie as she occasionally spooks and tries to slip out of her collar. I've been told that rolled leather collars are the best for shelties and collies as they don't flatten the fur and cause matts. I hadn't heard of the colour of the collar bleeding into the fur before, I wonder if this happens with all leather collars?
 
I have black collars and I have never noticed that they have bleed but that may be due to the fact that my girls don't get wet unless they are getting a bath and then the collars come off. Marlie is really the only one I worry about getting loose. I would like to think that she would come back when called but I can't be sure. She is just too fast!
 
Janice - The advice you've already received is great. I would add that the MSPCA has training classes which use the positive approach only. In fact, during the first class, humans are advised that no prong or choke collars will be allowed during training class. Spencer and I attended both Puppy Kindergarten and Good Manners classes at the Shelter. Spencer also earned his CGC through the Shelter.
Spencer wears a rolled leather collar and I do keep it on him at all times. The dog I had prior to Spencer was a Papillon and as soon as she reached full size (all 6-1/2 lbs. of her), I got her a rolled leather collar which she wore daily for the fourteen years of her life. I've not had a problem with staining from a leather collar on either dog. I know many folks who use the Martingale collars and they do like them very much!
 
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