We bought Lily a new collar and she has worn it for two days. We were all in the back yard and we started to hear dog cries. Bailey and Lily were playing together and Lily had manage to get her collar caught on Baileys k-9's.  I know that sounds really strange and we have no freaking clue how it happened but when I ran over to try and take the collar off it was already starting to strangle Lily (not to mention she was freaking out because she was caught and the collar kept getting tighter). I didn't have time to get the scissors to cut off the collar and it was hurting both of them. By the time I got the collar untangled from Baileys teeth Lily wasn't breathing. Jaymes started to preform CPR on her and she came back. We laid on the yard for a half hour before she really started to move and get back to "normal". We are going to see the vet tomorrow. The collar that Lily had on is a newer cloth choke collar that you can loosen and tighten. Bailyes teeth got wrapped around the slit part. We have no idea how this happened and it was beyond terrifying. We will no longer be using these types of collars. I will take some pictures of them and post them online tomorrow. Tonight we are just going spend and give lots of love with our dogs. 

My stomach just kept rolling over reading this. Thank god you knew CPR. Hope the vet gives her a clean bill of health. How terrifying it had to have been...

Jean

I use a chain style choke collar on Michigan, used to simply unhook the leash and let her run about. One day, a fellow dog owner mentioned that he used to do the same until one day another dog got his teeth caught in it and it was a very dangerous situation.

They, and other choke style collars, are effective tools when used as required. Their time and place is on the leash, though. I remove them when it's off leash playtime. Very glad I did not have to experience anythign like this, good luck to all of you.

As Dwayners said any kind of slip collar (both cloth and chains) can be dangerous if left on the dog.  The best collar for your dog to wear all the time is the kind that Wildrose was recommending in another thread.  They are the hunting collars with the ring.  If a dog catches this type of collar they are designed so the dog can slip out of the collar.  Here is a link: www.gundogsupply.com/cerisaco.html. Any collar that can be pulled and it tightens, even the Martingale type collars, can be dangerous if caught on something.  I use the ring collars when out hiking, swimming, etc. You can also add a nameplate so you don't have tags hanging down all the time to get caught.  At home my dogs wear flat buckle style collars. 

Also, be sure the collars fit right.  Most people leave collars too loose which makes them more susceptible to catching on things even the flat buckle style collars if worn too loose can be dangerous.

I suspect that your dogs were playing.  When they play allot of times they will grab each other around the neck area.  Probably one time the older dog caught the collar and the natural reaction for both was to pull back.  When that happened the collar tightened and both panicked.  I am just glad Lily is alive today thanks to some quick thinking, and I am praying the vet gives her a clean bill of health.

On another dog safety note, be sure you all electric cords that are plugged into the wall are hidden from dogs, especially puppies.   Dogs will chew on electric cords and the resulting shock can  put them in cardiac arrest.  My brother had this happen to his 7 month old lab.  Thankfully he too new how to do CPR and the dog survived.

Please let us know how Lily does at the vet today. 

Here are the photos of the collar we were using. I don't know the make of it but I can ask our supplier. TexasBelle again thank you for the site!