Why Should Your Pet Wear A Collar?

A lot of people tell me they can't buy an over the collar bandana because their dog or cat doesn't wear a collar. There is of course no need for your pet to wear a bandana, it can just be for decoration or fun or to display an important message, but your pet should be wearing a collar. And here's why:

Why dogs need to wear a collar:

In the UK, dogs are legally obliged to wear a collar with a tag at all times when in public. This is set out in the Control of Dogs Order 1992, section 2: "every dog while in a highway or in a place of public resort shall wear a collar with the name and address of the owner inscribed on the collar or on a plate or badge attached to it"

This does not mean a dog has to have their lead attached to the collar, in fact as an animal behaviourist I don't recommend this and highly recommend a suitable well fitting harness. Regardless of whether your dog wears a harness or not, the dog still must have a collar with a suitable tag attached. The image below (from the Kennel Club UK) shows examples of legally suitable dog tags that need to be attached to your dog's collar:

There are exemptions given in the legislation to certain dogs who do not need to wear a collar:

"(a) any pack of hounds,

(b) any dog while being used for sporting purposes,

(d) any dog while being used for the driving or tending of cattle or sheep,

(e) any dog while being used on official duties by a member of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces or Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise or the police force for any area,

(f) any dog while being used in emergency rescue work, or

(g)any dog registered with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association."

Aside from the legal obligation for dogs to be wearing a collar, there are many benefits for dogs wearing a collar. One of the main benefits of wearing a collar with an engraved tag is so people know your dog has a loving home, and should anyone find your dog without its human, whether due to an accident or an escape artist, they know who to contact straight away! While dogs in the UK have to be microchipped by law, this information can only be accessed by a microchip scanner and contacting the microchip database, while reading the legally required owner information on a dog's collar is much quicker and doesn't require vet involvement.

Wearing a collar can also provide the dog with multiple safety features that can help you and your dog. Reflective collars or light up collars that help them be seen by cars and help you keep track of them on night time walks. There are also small electronic trackers that can be attached to your dog's collar, so you can see where you dog has been and currently is, as well as tracking their movements so you can ensure your dog is living a healthy suitable lifestyle. Some electric attachments can be programmed to play a tune or gently vibrate when activated, which you can train your dog to recall to, coming back to you even over distance or in loud places; this is extra helpful for blind or deaf doggies inside and outside of the home.

The bandanas I make can be used to easily identify dogs that have a loving home or special, especially for long furred pups who's fur hide their collars. They can also be designed to say important messages, like "do not feed" or "blind" or "do not pet".

You can train a dog to be comfortable wearing a collar. Find their favourite treat or toy (for my Eevee it is plain cooked chicken) and find a collar that is a suitable size and design for them. Start off with just allowing your dog to sniff and investigate the collar, rewarding them whenever they have a positive interaction with the collar. Then you begin gently placing the collar on the back of their neck, just so they can get used to the action and presence of the collar, allowing them to pull away when they need, rewarding everytime they allow the collar to be near them. Slowly you can progress to letting the collars full weight be placed on their neck, then progressing to putting the collar around their neck and eventually closing the collars clasp. Once the collar can be put on the dog, you can reward them for wearing it in short bursts, until eventually they no longer have any objections to wearing their collar and having to taken on and off. It is easier to do this training when the dog is young, ideally before they are 6 months old, but it can be done at any age, just may need more time and patience.

Why cats should wear a collar:

Unlike dogs, cats are not legally required to wear a collar. However I believe there are many reasons your cat should wear a collar.

Many cats in the UK are free roaming cats, meaning they are allowed to wander freely out of their house without their owner’s supervision. Having a collar on your cat allows anyone who encounters your cat to know they have a home and are well loved, they are just out having an adventure. Easy breakaway cat collars are easily available for cats that like to go on adventures with risk of strangulation minimised, and as my bandanas are designed to go over the collar, they also should not pose a strangulation risk.

Cat collars can also provide additional safety measures, such as reflective collars or light up collars that help them be seen by cars. There are also small electronic trackers that can be attached to cat collars, so you can see where you cat has been and currently is. Some electric attachments can be programmed to play a tune or gently vibrate when activated, which you can train your cat to come home when it hears it, allowing for easy recall when it is time for kitty to be inside; this is extra helpful for blind or deaf kitties inside and outside of the home.

Should the worst happen and your cat be injured or killed when away from home, a cat collar with engraved clasp or tag can allow information about who your cat is and who owns the cat to be easily available; letting you know what has happened to your cat or where your cat is as soon as possible. In 2023, England made it legally mandatory for cats to be microchipped, however it is not legally enforced in the rest of the UK. Getting your cat microchipped is important, however wearing an engraved collar is still the fastest way to get your contact information to those who need it in emergencies.

The bandanas I make can be used to easily identify cats that have a loving home, especially for long furred kitties who's fur hide their collars. They can also be designed to say important messages, like "do not feed" or "diabetic" or "will bite strangers".

Even if your cat is an indoor cat like my own Litten, wearing an engraved collar at all times and training them in recall methods means if they do manage to get out of the house for any reason, you know your cat is as protected as they can be and anyone who finds your cat who to contact. I recommend clearly showing the fact your cat is an indoor cat on their person, on an engraved collar or tag or embroidered bandana, so if anyone should find them out and about, they know to contact you straight away.

You can train a cat to be comfortable wearing a collar just like a dog. Find their favourite treat or toy (for my Litten it is the creamy pouch treat) and find a collar that is a suitable size and design for them. Start off with just allowing your cat to sniff and investigate the collar, rewarding them whenever they have a positive interaction with the collar. Then you begin gently placing the collar on the back of their neck, just so they can get used to the action and presence of the collar, allowing them to pull away when they need, rewarding everytime they allow the collar to be near them. Slowly you can progress to letting the collars full weight be placed on their neck, then progressing to putting the collar around their neck and eventually closing the collars clasp. Once the collar can be put on the cat, you can reward them for wearing it in short bursts, until eventually they no longer have any objections to wearing their collar and having to taken on and off. It is easier to do this training when the cat is young, ideally before they are 6 months old, but it can be done at any age, just may need more time and patience.

The bandanas I make have been designed to go over standard everyday flat collars, and sized for the standard collar width for the animal that collar goes onto (XS 3mm slip hole width, S & M 4mm slip hole width, L 5mm slip hole width); if your animal's collar is bigger than the standard width available, send me a message or email and I can create a custom size for your needs). The bandanas I make are to help you personalise and enjoy your pet's need to wear a collar!