YOUR DOG NEEDS A BREAKAWAY COLLAR!!!

We've all heard of breakaway collars for cats but did you know they are equally as important for dogs too?

In January of 2023, I almost tragically lost one of my fur babies. Our Rottweiler Cooper had been left outside for the day, like he always has been for the past 6 years; to do his job - guard the ranch. Somehow, while he was he was patrolling the fenceline, his collar got hooked on the fence and he literally almost strangled himself to death. By the grace of God, he miraculously snapped a SUPER heavy duty collar in half and broke himself free. We were spared.

When we got home, we immediately noticed that he didn't have his collar on, which was strange. My husband asked me if I took it off and I said no, he hadn't either. I wondered if the dog sitter took it off for some reason, so I text her and waited for a reply. He also wasn't acting like himself. He was lethargic, coughing, his neck was tender to the touch and he wouldn't eat his dinner or breakfast the next morning. The dog sitter text back the next day and said she didn't remove the collar, my heart sunk and I was simultaneously confused. I scheduled him an appointment at the vet and immediately began to look around our property . . . . EVERYWHERE. I looked in the yard, along the fence line, around the perimeter of the house and I finally found it, it was completely snapped in half. HOW?!?!?! I honestly don't know because it was one of those super heavy duty collars that you buy for big dog breeds, like rottweilers. So yeah, he got his collar caught on something. My heart broke imagining how scared he must've been and how badly it must have hurt to break himself free. When I got him into the vet a week later (they couldn't get him in right away but he was stable, so I just kept a close eye on him to make sure he didn't decline), the vet said he had a decent amount of scar tissue already and that there's a chance he might have permanent throat/neck/trachea/esophagus damage (time would tell) from how violently he must have had to thrash to break himself free from the collar that was trying to strangle him to death. The vet actually couldn’t believe that he was actually able to break through such a heavy duty collar! It was by the grace of God. If he didn't successfully fight like he did, I could have come home to a VERY different situation, I could've arrived home to a dead dog. I am sooo thankful that I didn't but this terrifying experience brought to my attention something that I previously didn't even know was a "thing". I had always heard that you should always use breakaway collars on cats, for this very reason actually but NEVER has anyone ever advised that I should use a breakaway collar on my dogs too. In fact, until that day, in my 40+ years, I had never even heard of a dog being strangled by their collar. It only takes once though. I immediately got online to look for “dog breakaway collars” and what do you know . . . they are almost impossible to find! There are several that are "quick release" but that is TOTALLY different, those won't break away in an emergency situation like this. During my search I also came across several blogs and videos of people sharing tragic and unfortunate stories about coming home to strangle dogs. It's actually "a thing" but for some reason, not a thing that people are talking about. I have no idea why.

I was finally able to find a few sellers that make breakaway collars for dogs online but nothing really cute or eye catching. Regardless, it was enough for the time being, I ordered a couple for my 2 dogs (at the time) and immediately continued my search for cute ones. NO LUCK! Just the same 3-4 sellers I found on my previous search but again, their patterns were not really my style. I even googled "how to make your own breakaway dog collar" and NOTHING came up! Plenty of tutorials came up on the web for how to make regular dog collar and cat specific breakaway collars but nothing for dogs. I knew I only had once choice . . . . to make them myself!

I will NEVER use a regular collar on my dogs again. I also wanted to make sure to spread the word and give people a place to purchase SAFE and stylish collars for their dogs; so they never come home to an injured or strangled fur baby. Like I said, it only takes once of hooking onto a fence/gate, crate/kennel, another dog, vent/grate, deck board or anything else not mentioned here for things to end tragically for your family.

5 Common misconceptions about breakaway collars:

• They are only meant for cats - although they are certainly more “popular” amongst cats, they are not exclusively meant for cats.

• There is no way to reinforce them so they don’t break during walks - this is just not true. Each breakaway collar is equipped with two D rings, one on either side of the breakaway clasp. This securely reinforces your collar during walks, etc. You simply connect the leash hook to both D rings and your breakaway collar will stay in tact and not break apart.

• They aren’t suitable for large breed dogs - Again, this is another common misconception that is simply not true. Breakaway collars can potentially save the life of dogs of all sizes and can be used in every way that a “regular” collar can be used.

• They are flimsy - I feel like a broken record but breakaway collars are not flimsy. They are durable and made using the same high quality materials that “regular” collars are made from. They are simply put together differently, to be safer for our beloved fur babies.

• There is really no need for them and regular collars are “better” - Now I’m not sure what people think makes a traditional collar “better” but in my opinion, anything that isn’t going to potentially kill my pet and can perform all of the functions that a “regular” collar can perform is automatically better in my book.

COLLAR OPTIONS:

* 5 styles/colors: My 2 solids come in “burnt sienna” and “molted berry” & my 3 “earthy mushroom” prints come in duck egg, rose pink & olive.

The solids and the threads are both colored using natural plant dyes, giving the collars a unique marbled look.

* 5 sizes:

XS - 7” - 11” dog neck range & 5/8” collar width

S - 10” - 15” dog neck range & 3/4” collar width

M - 12” - 19” dog neck range & 3/4” collar width

L - 12” - 19” dog neck range & 1” collar width

XL - 17” - 29” dog neck range & 1” collar width

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PRICING: $55 / Any Size (launch sale $49 for collars ordered before April 4th)

Want to buy a collar?

HOW TO ORDER:

To place a PRE-ORDER, click the button below and make sure to include the style/color you would like, as well as the size. Please also include your full mailing address for a shipping and handling quote and how you’d like to pay. I accept Zelle (NO surcharge) & all major credit cards (4% surcharge). :) Please remember that the price above does not include shipping & handling, which varies for all US orders. Collars will ship this summer.

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