jazz does most of the time, and as milo has just arrived, i keep putting his on for a few minutes and then taking it back off, to get him used to it

its irresponsible if you think so Laura, but i think its up to me to decide what kind of control i have over my own dogs? if i had a problem then i would go back to having them on collars and leads, but why is this a problem for other owners and dogs? perhaps your comparing them to yours? if we meet a dog, i ask them to 'lie down' until i decide its friendly and they can greet it, or if they should stay until its passed. Perhaps you think that a physical restraint could never be matched by a verbal command.
if i was really irresponsible, surely i would let the other two off to do the same. i already stated i cant trust them.

My dogs are well behaved I can have them off lead but I choose not to, obviously Kip's aggression is a factor but Cassy is good with other dogs if I wanted her to leave the house without a collar or lead I could and know she would walk beside me fine, but its a risk I dont think worth taking. It's all the "what if's" you may be able to trust your dog but what if the dog gets spooked and runs off for some reason straight into traffic or anything like that. Sorry it may work for you which is great but I cant get my head round taking a dog out with no collar on, maybe this would be a better way to put it: what difference would it make to your dogs letting them go out WITH a collar on?

It wasnt a criticism at you of course everybody has the right to do with their dogs as they please it was just a personal view I stand by that.

I agree with Laura on this. You can have the best trained dog in the world but, something totally out of the ordinary scares it and it runs - what happens. No collar, no ID, can you be sure it will be scanned for a chip? No collars indoors, I agree with that, but on walks, in the car, anywhere outside the house & back garden, collars on for mine.

thanks Laura i will look out for them at crufts......

*laugh* this is going to sound stupid to you... but i prefer the 'natural' 'nobody-owns-me' look - when they are running through the forest, it looks to me like they are wild dogs. i like it. I also like well behaved dogs i can trust. I guess its personal preference and circumstance... i am right on the edge of the city, its quiet and my boys 'know' cars. If i was to venture anywhere into town with them (not very often, we generally go up the hills, to the beach, over to the nature reserve) then they would get their collars on. Its just not needed in our day-to-day life. I guess we each know our dogs, and what they can be 'spooked' by, so we have to work with that. My dogs have had alot of experiences (on purpose) so they are virtually bomb proof. When i say my 'dogs' i mean my boys. Honey has come from a different background and is spooked by many things. I leave her at home if we were going into a stessful situation (like where many people would be, i have tried to get her used to it, but she doesnt like it..currently trying her on flower remedies for panic and stress)

Like you say each to their own it wasn't supposed to be a criticism, personally no matter how well I know my dogs I would never trust them not to get spooked or for something to happen out of the ordinary (including other peoples animals) because as much as I know them they are still dogs at the end of the day.

Laura

i have decided to only have maxs collar on indoors when we are in like laura suggested. like i said i have only just started putting a collar on indoors and have found it handy when people knock on the door or he needs to be kept away from something for a second as he is still a baby and over keen on everything and everyone!

i agree with laura, its irresponsible to take ur dog out without a collar. I will not approach a dog with no collar as there are no restraints if something happens! What if a fight broke out with the dogs, how would u seperate them easily? dogs can be unpredictable, and walking a dog by the road with no collar or lead is not a risk most people would take! im sure by law ur dog HAS to wear a collar, and for good reasons!