Which is the gentlest collar?

I`ve been puzzling over what could have caused the abscess under Razzle`s chin, and the only thing I can think of is that we did try walking him a while ago, but he got distressed so we decided to leave that till he was more confident. I`m wondering if it was the collar.
In the future I`d like to try taking him out again (when he`s healed obviously) but don`t want to risk another injury. What would be the kindest collar to use? I assume a very wide soft one?
Can anyone recommend a gentle collar? Not a harness - he`d freak as he is wary of being held.

I use a half check collar on Georgie for that very reason, coz I found if I used any type of collar around his neck, where the air couldn't get to his skin, he would break out in his usual sores which could result in an abcess, so I use the half check and it's loose, and of course, it only ever gets put on for a walk and then comes straight off again.

It can be very loose too! I never put it on the way you should, i.e. by having the chain part tight, I have it dangling for Georgie, but tight enough that he can't slip it coz you know what they're like for that!

That's my best advice, but hopefully there's something better maybe.

I use a half check now. As you say, it sits very low. Maybe I`ll try to get a very wide one or a padded one?

Oh I suppose because of his nervousness you have to have him in a collar all the time indoors perhaps?? If that's the case, then you need something really, really soft, light and something that will let the air through, nothing with those plastic backs coz the sweat just sits there and goes back to the skin if you see what I mean.

If it's not a collar for going outdoors in, can't you make something out of pure cotton perhaps? What about a bandana type thing, so you can still get hold of him indoors if you need to?

If Georgie wore a collar indoors it would cause all sorts of probs for him, big spots, sores, oh I've been there when I first had him

Sorry, I'm confused coz you said he only wore it once when you tried to take him out, so I was guessing that you wanted something for indoors?

Have you looked into the fabric martingale collars they work like a half check but much gentler Ollie wears one of these when out it has his id tags on and for when we have visitors as we need to have a collar on him then.

When on our own he doesn't need one. He does wear a harness for walking but unlike Razzle likes his harness he isn't freaked by it.

http://www.grweshop.co.uk/index.php?...ingale_Collars

Heres a link to one site but if you google martingale collars it brings up a good selection of sites to browse.

He wears his half check all the time - I need to occasionally get hold of him. It`s very loose and sits low, so doesn`t cause a problem.
I think what happened is that when he panicked outside he twisted round and round (spins) and also lunged and the collar rose up and tightened under his head.
So when I try taking him out again I thought maybe a wide flat collar? So it doesn`t tighten or rub? He couldn`t wear it long because he has a heavy ruff.

Ollie has a very heavy ruff so that is why I use the fabric martingales they don't damage or catch the fur.

It took me a while to work out those martingale collars, but they seem to be the same as a half check but without the chain? Maybe they might be a good idea then for Razzle, because you can keep it loose enough not to cause any sweating, and if it twisted again like it did before, then no harm is done with fabric as opposed to chain.

I know you don't like a harness, but what about the snugglepets harness which just slip over the head and that's it, no leg lifting, so not causing too much stress, you just slowly click up the back? They're really, really good and will do away with the neck, plus they're made of a lovely soft fleece which won't cause any sweating or rubbing! Good luck.

i use a fabric martingale collar for ollie (my labrador) from the grwe shop, excellent collars. we also bought a flat collar from crufts this year which is fleece lined and quite gentle xx

Thanks for all your thoughts. Happily I have a martingale here in my box of dog stuff. ( It has little sheep and clouds on it. ) and will try that on him when we feel brave enough to go out next.