Just Say “No” to Martingale Collars for Shelter Dogs

Please understand, I have nothing against martingale collars in general, and I believe they really are a must have for breeds like Greyhounds and Whippets, where their heads aren’t any bigger than their necks. I love their ability to tighten evenly and not put undue pressure on a dog’s windpipe. Yes, overall, I am a fan of martingale collars. But not, I repeat, not on your brand new rescue/foster dog.

If you’ve paid close attention to our pictures, you might have noticed that Howie has (had) a martingale collar. When he first came to us, we had to learn how to remove it, but we did. It wasn’t easy- his head is bigger than his neck. It was best if he was in a relaxed position and we made sure to move it up to his jaw line, then gently tuck his ears under, the remove it. It was a process, and we did notice, as months went on, that it was getting a little more difficult to remove without upsetting him. But then there were the ear infections and the dental issues and we figured that was part of the problem.

Then, this weekend, it was time to give the dogs a bath. While I had Larry in the tub, C tried to remove Howie’s collar. There was much doggy crying, and Howie got a bath with his collar on. (It helped me remember not to get water near his ears, and I managed to keep it mostly dry.)

Last night, with our two closed in with me, C decided to give removing the collar one more try. It was just him and Howie, so Howie was relaxed (he’s less relaxed when Larry is around). Howie got lots of petting, including over the ears and around his jaw first, to make sure that he wasn’t experiencing any pain or discomfort from contact with those areas.

It took C probably less than 2 minutes to get the collar off- but it shouldn’t have taken more than 30 seconds. C used every single trick we had learned, but the collar was difficult to remove (he mentioned he felt like he was squeezing Howie’s head) and Howie certainly felt it was at least a little traumatic. (Luckily he forgives quickly and five minutes later was asking C for pets.) The collar will not be going back on.

And that’s when it occurred to us. Howie has been with us 9 months now. He’s gained weight. Most of it was early on, but we’re now safely removed from the ear infections and the dental issues and he’s slowly gained to a good weight- to have filled out not just around his chest, but his head and face, too.

Martingale collars are great for healthy dogs. But for a dog fresh from the shelter, especially for one who very specifically failed to thrive in a shelter environment, they are a bad choice. They aren’t easily adjustable (or at least the one Howie came with couldn’t be adjusted while on,). What fits them when they first come home may very well not fit them a few months down the road, even if they only gain a few pounds, especially if the collar is already at it’s largest limit. Remember, for a 30lb dog, 3lbs more or less is 10% of their body weight. It makes a difference.

I’ll admit that for some dogs, it won’t matter. Moree and Junebug were both in the shelter less than a week (we filled out adoption paperwork for both of them the day they were surrendered). But Smokey and Larry, who had both been in shelters for a longer period of time (and perhaps abandoned/neglected before that) both gained significant weight in the first few months we had them.

And with Howie, it wasn’t just getting back into a home environment, we had the health issues as well.

So my request to all the shelters and rescues out there- please don’t send your dogs to homes (forever or foster) with martingale collars.* Understand that as the dog starts to thrive, to become fully healthy and reach a stable weight, their neck size (and head size) is going to change. Howie got bigger. Some dogs get smaller. For their health and protection, an adjustable collar is should be a requirement. And then, once they are fully healthy, their new families can decide whether or not to get a martingale collar, and they can get one that fits, and will continue to fit. Simply taking their collar off should never be a 2 minute, traumatic process for a dog. It just shouldn’t.

So this week we will be buying Howie a new collar and switching over all of his tags. We have another one which we are using temporarily, but it’s a little too big for him, and we are concerned that he might be able to slip it.