a PSA

after training thurs night, berlin jumped in the car crate and i didnt think anything of it- when i got home (8 minutes, 10 miles) i opened the back of the truck and her crate door and she didnt jump out - i looked in and she still had her prong on, and she was hooked on the side of the crate and choking. she wasnt thrashing and she was oddly calm waiting for me to help her - but she was completely stuck, her prong was almost completely cutting off her air, and she was gasping as it was pulled completely into her neck. i starting flipping out trying to unhook it, but i couldnt - she was completely stuck and the pressure she had on the links meant i couldnt unhook her (and she wasnt wearing a quick release ) - i tried pushing her head out, but i couldnt get her head to fit through. i was crying at this point, but she just sat there making the most god awful noises trying to breathe, not moving at all. finally i lifted her entire crate out of the car halfway and pushed as hard as i could backwards and managed to get the prong collar backwards and she pulled at the same time and the collar came off the crate.

she bounced out of the crate and jumped up onto rahs crate like she always does waiting for him to come out, noticed i had a bag of food for lydia, and promptly sat to beg for it - i fed her almost all of the cinnamon sticks and she ran into the yard like nothing had happened. she's completely unaware how freaked out i was (am), how dangerous it was, and how completely and utterly stupid i was to leave the collar on her in the crate.

im kicking myself for leaving the collar on her in the first place. i mean, im the person that wont leave a FLAT collar on my dogs in the house. they cant wear ANY collars in the crates PERIOD normally - at nationals i wouldnt leave a single ID tag, a single collar on my dogs at ALL in the crates, even in the hotel. im so afraid things will get caught. and here, my dog gets her stupid collar stuck. when i leave to go to the BANK i take collars off of them. THANK GOD it was such a short ride. and she was so calm, thats the only saving grace i had that i was able to get her out - lydia was working an odd shift and wasnt home, i had NO help. 13 years ago i saw a dog that broke his own neck when his collar got stuck on his crate and no one was home to free him, and i never wanted my dogs to ever have that happen to them - and here i broke my own rule.

so my public service announcement. again. no collars in crates, PLEASE.