Should my dog wear a collar all the time?

In a public place, a dog must wear its owner’s name and address on a collar or on a tag attached to the collar. That comes from the Control of Dogs Order 1992 and applies even though your dog is microchipped. Our dog tag law guide has the detail, including the few exemptions.

Indoors and in your own garden, the law doesn’t tell you either way. That’s a safety decision.

• In a crate or a car harness, where a tag can hook on the bars or the buckle.
• When dogs play rough together: a jaw through another dog’s collar is a real and nasty accident.
• If your dog is left alone somewhere with things to catch on, like a fence, a radiator or garden netting.
• When the coat underneath is damp, sore or rubbed thin.

• Every walk, every car trip, and any time the front door might open.
• In the garden, if the gate has ever been left open or the fence isn’t solid.
• Around fireworks, builders, deliveries and parties: the nights dogs bolt. See fireworks and pets.
• Any time you have visitors, because doors get held open.

1. Slide two fingers flat under the collar. They should fit snugly, with no room to spare.
2. Try to pull it forward over the ears. If it slips off easily, tighten it a hole.
3. Check a puppy’s collar every week: they grow faster than anyone expects.
4. Look at the skin underneath once a week for rubbing, damp or a smell.

• A flat collar with a buckle for walks; check it, don’t assume it.
• A slide-on ID tag, or details stitched or printed on the collar, so nothing dangles in a crate.
• A QR tag for everything an engraved one can’t hold: photo, medical notes and a way to reach you without showing your number. See QR tag or engraved tag.
• A safety collar that pulls apart under pressure if your dog plays rough, remembering it may also come off if someone grabs it.

This is where the microchip earns its keep, as long as the details are right. Check yours today with update your pet’s microchip details, then work through the lost dog checklist if it ever happens.