Chins in the way!!!!!!

[Rio]

Trying to measure Rio for a new collar, well first collar actually, and I have hit a snag, Rio has multiple chins!!!!!! Is this normal for Chows, will he grow into his chins?
Anyone else have this problem?

[Sirchow]

We have multiple chin problem with Izzie too. It is hard to know where to put the collar. She has so much spare skin you can gather her skin up into a bunch at the back of her head and make it into bunches!!! It is one of the reasons she is always wet after drinking cos it all falls over her head when she puts her head down lol....I have no idea where to measure as we use a harness accept when showing. Then I just make it as tight as possible without cutting off her air supply to prevent her pulling out of her collare as her skin slips around a lot.

[TyChowgirl]

It's tricky. I think part of the chow mane is not just due to fur, but due to all that neck skin. I know I tigheten Ty's enough so it won't slip over easily but the three finger rule still works...though I know if he tried he could probably slip out of it.

[Tippsy'smom]

I had this same issue with Tippsy, and also with Dixie and Jasper. I gave up on properly fitting collars for them forever ago. ~lol~ Now, I just use collars to hold their tags, so it doesn't matter if it's loose.

[TyChowgirl]

I alternate between the harness and the collar depending on where we're going and how long. If it's just a quick outside up the street--- collar or out to the dog run. If we're walking the whole way around the block, going on a trip, or anywhere else, harness. Better control, more secure, and it has all of his tags on it, not just the name tag. That way his hair doesn't go in in just one spot either.

[Tippsy'smom]

My guys always wear their collars with their tags. Jasper has a rolled leather one because his coat keeps breaking under the others, and Dixie has a flat pewter one that's loose. Their leashes are never attached to their collars. Their leashes are either attached to their Roman style harnesses (out in the yard), their easy walk harnesses (walks in the neighborhood), or their prong collars (out in public). I'm too paranoid to have their leashes attached to the collar that has their tags... I'm always afraid of them getting loose and not having any ID on them. So at least if their easy walk harnesses did break (mostly worried about Jazz getting a wild hair, pulling and breaking the plastic buckles), or their prong collars failed, they'd still have their ID tags, rabies tags, and microchip tags on. I actually saw a friends dog back out of her easy walk harness and she didn't have any tags on once she was loose (had her tags attached to the harness)...

[TyChowgirl]

I thought about getting a brown rolled leather one eventually. I feel like this dog has too many accessories!

[Tippsy'smom]

I thought about getting a brown rolled leather one eventually. I feel like this dog has too many accessories!

Haha! I'll post a picture of My crew's stuff on fb later. ~lol~

[Sirchow]

I just bought Isla a pretty collar today and all the while I was buying it I was thinking will I actually use it. I am not one for buying accessories but it was so cute. There is a little privately owned pet shop locally to me and she makes all her own collars, leads and any kind of harness you ask for. She has a website too. the designs are fab. Isla's one is pale lime green with strawberries on it. It looks so cute with her fur but I must be mad really cos she will probably not get a lot of use of it and I ordered a lead to match. Not usually a sucker for accessories but I dont have a puppy every day lol

[Rio]

Oh tell me about it, Rio has more bling than me!!!!! I have seen thus far about 5 collars and their prices range from £30 to £95. One of them is a customised leather one though LOL. I think I will have to stick to his K-9 harness, you can buy velcro patches for that, he has his Ying-Yang tag on that and the harness is bright red! I just love dog collars and the matching leads, that would probably snap with a good tug from a Chow.
Just glad I am not alone in the search for a collar for a Chow.

[Ursa's daddy]

I use the harnesses on my two when we go out. When I first got Ursa, she backed out of a collar, and that determined that I would always use a harness in public. Because they associate the harnesses with outings, I got some nylon web collars with 20 ft leads just to walk then around the property. They know where we are going if I get them out, so I don't worry about them trying to back out of the collars. The 20 ft leads are a bit much. They think the idea is for them to walk me around, and if they get too far away, they are concerned that I am not walking properly, so they wait for me to get closer.

[Rio]

Sirchow can you put the website link on, just so I can 'have a look' LMAO.

[Sirchow]

http://www.woofandmeow.co.uk/category_27/DOGS.htm

I got "in the flower garden" for Isla....I will get you a photo of the collar. She wont be using it for proper walks but I like to have a collar and lead for some occasions and I love the one this lady makes and I also like to buy from the local indi shops as I run one myself It is a little wider than I would have chosen but it suited her fur colour so well and none of the others were quite as nice for her She has a Fb page too but I seem to remember you saying you weren't on Fb.

[Rio]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww that is adorable and the colours really suit her. Heck put her in a black suit and she would look lovely!!!!

[Tippsy'smom]

Siriol, I LOVE that collar on her! So cute!

This is proof of how much of a sucker I am when it comes to buying accessories for my pups. (This is only their collars but they have a TON of other things too. Bandannas and t-shirts/outfits/costumes)

Jasper's collars, harnesses, and leashes


Dixie's collars, harnesses, and leash


Todd's collars, harnesses, and leash

[Rio]

Oh my! I think someone needs to go to DAA (Doggy Accessories Anonymous) I think if it was just me I would have had the same amount as you though Tippsysmom, but Hubby is more level-headed than me,Booooooooooooooooooo.

[Judy Fox]

I never use collars nowadays - except for Matilda and Maisie's "Naughty Girl Collars"!

Years ago when Milly and Mabel were young we used to walk them up to the schools nearby to pick our granddaughters up. One day we were walking back home along the busy main road. Fred was walking in front of me with Mabel and Louise our eldest granddaughter and I was following with Milly and Isabelle and Jessica. As we were walking I noticed, (but only half noticed if you understand me) that Mabel was walking along and the lead was hanging loose with the fastened up collar hanging from it. Mabel was walking along good as gold by Fred and neither of them was aware that she had slipped her head through her collar.
Then suddenly I realised what I was looking at and I froze for a few seconds then of course I grabbed Mabel and alerted Fred - that was the last day they wore collars! As soon as we got home Fred took girls and chow chows in and I drove down to the pet shop and bought harnesses which have been used since.
Those harnesses are now used for Matilda and Maisie.

Their "naughty girl" collars are used only when they are in the front garden as it makes it easier to hold on to them if we have visitors and they need to be let into the garden.

[JustinEason]

Ever use a jewelers chain/box chain? It's all I ever used on Gonzo. The problem is the only places I've found them is at dog shows or online.

[Tippsy'smom]

Oh my! I think someone needs to go to DAA (Doggy Accessories Anonymous) I think if it was just me I would have had the same amount as you though Tippsysmom, but Hubby is more level-headed than me,Booooooooooooooooooo.

Haha! My mom is always asking me "how many collars do they need?" But it's my addiction. ~lol~ It's better than being an alcoholic or a druggie. ~lol~

[Sirchow]

I have never really been into doggie accessories before. They use hand-me-downs and grow into the cast offs till they need the largest size and I just buy the most practical. Isla is the only one I have splashed out on "pretty" for. Not sure why except I see everyone else treating their pups to cute things and thought why not. My friend who bred chow pups same time as me was horrified to see me feeding them on an old plastic lid to a food container. But truth be told it worked great for them and none of the commercial feeding bowls were the right shape and size and I wasn't going to splash out on a bowl each when they were going to their homes at eight weeks but I really should buy Isla a bowl of her own I suppose. She is still eating off a plastic lid lol

[Rio]

If the lid works for her, why change it, I don't think she cares if its sparkly, colourful, made of plastic,metal or ceramic, as long as it comes complete with food what the heck!!!!! We used to feed litters of kittens their food on dinner plates, that way they could all dive in, and walk through it of course

[Cam Atis]

I also choose once then wait for it to be worn out.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Oh I just find it too time consuming to change collars all too often. I use two fingers rule on collars

[Tippsy'smom]

Siriol, I use to just pass collars from one dog to another, but between Tippsy and Cinder (5 year span) we only had 2 small dogs (mini poodle and pomeranian) so after so long, she was bigger than them and needed a collar of her own (plus her being female, others were male). I got her a green leash and collar set (don't much care for the dark green that it was, but my mom thought it looked good against her fur... Deep down, I really wanted purple ) But after that, my mom started buying her other collars (and leashes) that she thought were "pretty", and my addiction started there. And Tippsy ate out of a horse feed bowl.

When I got Jazz though, his first collar was a purple checkered one that had belonged to our female mini schnauzer. Then we bought him a red one. After that, pretty much every collar I bought him, he broke... rolled and flat leather collars, nylon quick release collars, and choke chains... That's when I determined I needed something either stronger for him, or to not attach a leash or tie-out to his collar, and bought him a purple harness (I think purple looks good against his black coat), and then when I started having problems with him walking, I bought the easy walk harness for him. But learned quick it didn't help much out in public with he and Dixie together... Out of all of his collars, only one of his current ones was passed down to him. I bought his leather leash for him when we came up on his 1st gotcha day, and the lupine brand one with his lupine collar to go with his pirate halloween costume.

When I got Dixie, I bought her a girly collar that I just adored when I saw it. I also used the 2 I'd used with Jazz when he was a puppy with her. And as she got bigger, I passed some of Tippsy's collars down to her (8 of her current collars); also passed Jasper's purple harness down to her, and I bought her some here and there (5 in all)... One of which is kinda ratty and needs to be thrown out... And I also purchased the prong collar, easy walk harness, and gentle leader head collar for her. Her leather leash was passed down from Tippsy (who I'd bought it for when she was 3).

Now that I have Todd, I've only bought 1 collar for him. I also bought a roman style harness and an easy walk harness for him. He was wearing one of his collars when we adopted him. I also have Jasper and Dixie's puppy collars for him, and one of my friends gave me a St. Patrick's Day and Christmas collar for him after her little dog passed away. And I've had his leather leash since before I had Tippsy's; now Dixie's...

[wokman]

Collars for tags; size to fit non-adjustable harness to prevent escape when they do the Mule impersonation.
I use a turn buckle on the harness leash ring to prevent leash spring clip from coming unlatched when it gets twisted around.

[Pirate & Pandora]

Oh my! I think someone needs to go to DAA (Doggy Accessories Anonymous) I think if it was just me I would have had the same amount as you though Tippsysmom, but Hubby is more level-headed than me,Booooooooooooooooooo.

Haha! My mom is always asking me "how many collars do they need?" But it's my addiction. ~lol~ It's better than being an alcoholic or a druggie. ~lol~

Boooooo!! Haha. I think I may need to go to DAA ... I haven't started buying my chowling fancy collars since she is still growing and will quickly outgrow them. She only has 2 collars and 2 harnesses because she has outgrown the small size she wore when I first got her, but I am a sucker for those cute dog toys. My boyfriend jokes that I cannot b allowed out because I always come back with at least one new dog toy for Pandora. even if I just go out to get the mail I miraculously come back with a new dog toy!