I need your ideas! I'm running out of collars and need a solution...

[Phentex]

The pups have always rough-housed (rottweiler mix) and tumbled around but it's always been the female to go after the male's neck to the point of leaving scabs. We have tried to correct this and still do when we see it happening, but when they go outside, we can't watch them every second. The nylon snap on collars didn't last long at all and she would manage to tighten them so we stopped using those. Then I tried a buckle collar. Then I got a thick leather collar with a buckle and studs (not spikes) just to try and protect poor Sammy's neck. We had it on as tight as we could without choking him (he's got a lot of jowl skin.) She still got it off and then chewed part of it. I also caught him chewing a piece of it.

I don't want to put him in spikes because then he'll grind those into US when he sits on our laps or next to us.

I bought some bitter spray and sprayed it on but that stuff is nasty! Just the stuff that got up my nose left a terrible taste in my mouth. I know that's the point but it seems cruel. I have not put that collar back on yet. Most of the time, he's naked except for when we walk. But he's not chipped yet and I'd like for him to wear his tags when he's outside.

I googled a metal collar and it's $349!!

What say you, the experts?

[SharonAnn]

1. Muzzle the biter.

[Warpy]

5. Good idea since the other dog's safety is an issue.

It's a nuisance taking them off and putting them back on around mealtimes, but it might be the only way to get her out of the habit. That with a studded collar on the male might work.

There are muzzles made of relatively soft nylon that will work without being too uncomfortable.

[Phentex]

8. I think it might work if they both had one...

otherwise I'm sure she'd chew it off.

They are young enough to probably get used to it especially if just outside.

[Phentex]

6. I'm going to read up on this...

It feels like a moment. They are both super chewers.

[TygrBright]

2. How about an old-fashioned chain "choke" collar wired to NOT choke?

Past a certain point, anyway.

Might be talking through my hat on this, not sure they even sell them anymore. But you used to be able to buy chain collars that had a ring on each end. One ring slightly smaller, just enough to pass through the larger one.

You bought them a little on the loose side so that you could pass the smaller ring through the larger one, making the collar a loop, and then pass it over the dog's head. Back then, the idea was, you attached the tags to the larger loop, and then the leash clip to the smaller loop. When the dog hit the end of the leash, it would pull the chain through the larger loop, choking the dog.

Horrid things, really.

But if you bought them just a bit on the large side and then clipped or wired a chain link behind the smaller loop, to the larger loop, it would act as a "stop" and not actually choke the dog.

They weren't terribly good in any case because they could damage show coats, and, being a bit loose, get caught on things and inadvertently choke the dog, but people did use them. They may still be around. They weren't really expensive, IIRC.

And as a temporary alternative, to teach the female that chewing Sammy's collar isn't a great notion, it might be worth a try.

helpfully,
Bright

[Phentex]

7. Thanks. We have that for walking...

and that would solve the tag issue. But it won't really protect his neck. He's much bigger than she is and you'd think he'd snap at her or something but she seems to be the alpha.

[murielm99]

17. Our eleven year old lab mix

wears a choke collar. It is loose, and not meant to choke her. She wears it because she loses or breaks every other type of collar we have tried. When we go out, we clip a leash to the collar.

We can stop her if she bolts or jumps. She only does that if she sees a coon or possum, or something like that. We learned that the hard way, too. She had a chunk bitten out of one of her ears when she tangled with a coon.

She has the leash off and goes for a run every day on the nature trail. She is one of the most fit and youthful eleven year old dogs I have ever seen.

[UpInArms]

3. A nicely fitting choker chain

Will not get chewed up, Will keeps the tags around easily ... not break the bank and be easily used for dog walking ...

Watch how you put it upon ... should look like the letter p

And it is a lovely training tool that is not meant to cause pain ...

[Phentex]

9. a good temp solution...

for the tags but it won't protect his neck. But I think I should start with this. We use it when we walk anyway.

[Doreen]

4. Try a harness.

find a harness that is light weight and can fit lightly but snug enough to not move around to much. It might be possible she will not go for that. You could then put the tags on. I would suggest also to have them chipped in case the tags get lost.

[Phentex]

10. We have one for the car...

but it's nylon. I don't think she'd chew it up necessarily but it won't protect his neck. I feel like he needs a chastity belt for his neck!

[Doreen]

11. You buckle up your dogs in the car?

[Phentex]

13. The harnesses attach to either the seatbelt or

to clips in the space in the back of my husband's car. Yeah, we live in Atlanta so they don't go anywhere without safety restraints. On long trips, they can lie down in back but they are still hooked to keep from flying out a window.

[Doreen]

15. I am glad that you use those.

I use them with my dogs ( well, when I had them. ) Years ago I had a service dog who was sitting in the back seat behaving very well when I had to hit the breaks and he went between the door and my seat and I ended up having to push him out with my foot. If he had been sitting in the middle he would have gone through the window. I was only going 25 miles an hour. I went home and did some research and found a very good harness and have never had an animal in my care that was not restrained. It has saved their lives a few times. I try to encourage people to use them.

[luvMIdog]

12. I had chocolate labs that would chew each others collars off. I had to use leather spiked collars

They were not biting each other though, they were just chewing each others collars off.

[Phentex]

14. She's such a sweetie...

but devious and bossy to her brother at times. I do think she's going for the collar. They both bite at each other on their backs and legs but it's puppy play and not enough to cause pain. The neck thing? He doesn't yelp but it's hard enough to leave scabs! Maybe I am overthinking it. If it doesn't bother him enough to get her to stop, maybe my only concern should be getting tags on him.

[littlemissmartypants]

16. I'd probably do the same thing.

Is there a taste they don't like? Infusion as a solution?