Should You Remove Your Dog’s Collar When at Home?

You’ve arrived back home from your daily walk with your pup. Now, should you leave their collar on or take it off? The answer depends on a few different factors—but it’s important to be well-informed to best make your choice. 

Should dogs always wear a collar?

“If I’m at home and my dog is supervised, then the collar could be on,” Emma Murdock, professional dog trainer at Walk With Me Dog Training in Ottawa, Ontario, tells Mental Floss. “But if they are home alone, I would take the collar off.”

Collars can pose a safety risk. They can get caught on furniture or other household objects; this can potentially lead to injury and sometimes even death as the animal contorts themselves and attempts to break free from the snag. According to the Ryder Safe Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on dog collar safety, an estimated 26,000 collar related injuries happen every year, with 50 percent of vets having seen a incident of this kind in pets. 

Murdock suggests removing a dog’s collar when they’re in a crate or a kennel because the garment itself or any identification tags on it can get caught and cause a dangerous situation for your pet. She acknowledges that there could be some situations where it may be ok to put your pup in a crate with their collar still on, but the dog must remain supervised. In general, though, if your dog is confined in a kennel or crate, it’s best to take the collar off.

The type of collar you use for your pet on a daily basis also matters. “I would never allow a dog to wear a chain-type or choke-type collar that goes over the head,” Murdock says. “I know dogs that have died of that.” When choosing a collar, make sure it has a quick-release clip that allows for easy removal if your dog becomes caught on something. Remember that collar-related incidents can happen not only in your home, but also in the yard, at the dog park, or in other locations, so you want to be able to release it quickly and safely. 

If your dog has to wear one for much of the day, choose a well-fitted collar—you should be able to put two fingers stacked or four fingers flat under it, no looser, no tighter. Make sure to adjust the size as your dog’s body changes, like when your new pup grows into a mature dog or if your pet loses or gains weight. Some dogs might also react to certain collar materials like metal or nylon, so if their skin shows any signs of irritation, switch to one made from leather or cotton. 

When to Keep Your Dog’s Collar On

Removing your dog’s collar at home decreases the risk of injury, but what if you have a dog with a tendency to flee at the first sign of an open door? “If you have a dog who is a flight risk, who bolts out the door or escapes the yard, then it’s more beneficial to keep it on,” Murdock says. Make sure that your dog is microchipped—that will serve as another form of identification if your pet ever escapes without their collar in place. 

Another reason you might have a collar on in the home is if you are actively training your dog, as you’ll need a collar and a leash as part of their regimen. But typically, a dog in training is supervised, so the risk to your pet is controlled. 

For some people, the sound of the tag jingling is enough to drive them to take their pet’s collar off even if it should actually be kept on. But there are solutions to that too. “You can get tag quieters or you can have the collar engraved,” Murdock says.

The easy answer is if you are at home and your pet is supervised, it’s OK to keep their collar on; if your dog is home alone or in a crate, take it off. In situations when keeping your pet’s collar on is a necessity—because they might flee or they are in training—then you must first make sure the piece is comfortable, well-fitted, and has a quick-release-type clip. 

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