My Boys Scared Me To Death!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I just had an experience that terrified me.  Guinness and Murph were playing here in the den, and I was on the computer.  They were doing their "shark biting" thing and having a good time.  Then I noticed that there was a problem....they both started thrashing about and Guinness was making an ungodly noise.  I jumped up and realized that their collars were somehow stuck together and Guinness could not breathe...he was strangling.  The problem was that they were thrashing so much that I couldn't get to the release on the collar.  My DH had left already to get the grandkids off to school, so I started screaming for my DS....I have no idea what he could possibly do to help.  Anyway this went on for several more seconds while I struggled with the clasp....at this point Guinness's anal glands released....poor baby probably thought he was dying.  Anyway, I eventually was able to undo the clasp and they are okay.  Guinness is still terrified and hiding under the bed.  For a long time I used breakaway collars for this reason, but they kept coming off at inopportune times, so I stopped using them.  I guess I will have to always remember to remove their collars inside the house from now on.  If I hadn't been right there, Guinness would have died.  If it happened 10 minutes later, I would have been in the shower.  Just something to think about for others with two Doodles who "romp" together.  I'm so grateful that they are okay.  Now I have to figure out how to get this odor out of here and give Guinness a bath.

[cheryl & oliver]

Jane, I am just so relieved tht they are ok, how scary for them and for you....I would have been freaked out, and prob. my hands and fingers wouldn't have been able to do what you did.  I would have been hysterical, I know I prob, would have been fainted....I am so happy that you and the boys are ok, thank goodness this has a happy ending..I do remember someone else saying that one of their doodles got caught in an floor air cond. vent I think, and that too freaked me out.  Hugs to you and the boys, I really have to remove Olivers collar in the house, and I never think to do that, but I am going to after reading this. 

[Bonnie and Kona]

Sue, We have two doodles one who would never leave the yard and one who ... well, let's just say untrustworthy. So Owen wears a collar and Kona doesn't. Would that work for you Murphy and Bella? 

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

It always scares me that one of mine might run out the front door when someone is coming in or out and they just keep running with no collar on. Our house is pretty hectic but everyone knows to watch for the dogs, but still. I guess the risk of the collars getting caught is even more of a risk though. I'm going to take their collars off right now. They wrestle eachother around the neck all the time.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I am so sorry!!!! There are 2 reasons I never keep the girls collars on in the house - that is one.

The other is when I was in high school, back before the wheel was invented as my DD love to remind me, we had a poodle puppy. Coco was kept in the kitchen at night - no crate. The hardware on the drawers had a little extension it both sides. He was a jumper and now I see he was attempting to be a counter surfer. You guessed it, when my Dad came down in the morning, his collar was caught on the drawer and he did not survive. Even though my girls are huge compared to Coco but I will never take a chance. 

Sending you hugs!!!

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

OMD!  I am scared just from reading this.  How horrible.  I have NEVER thought about that before.  I am sooo glad little guy is okay.  I feel so bad for you.  I can only imagine how terrified you felt.  You don't think he hurt his airway, do you?  If he continues to cough by tomorrow, you might want to ask.  I wouldn't borrow trouble though.  This reminds me of when my older son was in 1st grade playing football.  He and a teammate accidentally got their face guards of their helmets stuck together.  The teammate was on top of him & freaking out, so he kept banging his head up & down which bashed Shane's head against the ground each time.  The coach had to finally get over there to calm the kid down so he'd lay still until they got them apart.  I was freaking out.  It is good you posted this, Jane.  You may have saved a doodle's life.  I am new to having two wrestling doodles.  To be honest, the "roughhousing" is becoming more frequent and a little rougher at times.  I certainly hope they don't take it any farther than that.  So far, they're okay with it.  I am just not used to it.  I walked the two of them together with one of those coupler things & forgot that Bexter was wearing a choke collar, so whenever Maggie would get too far, she would choke him a little.  I won't do that again!

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

How scary Jane....I usually just take their collars off at night so I don't hear the jingling of their tags but I think I'll do the same during the day. We have the click collars so I can take them off easily but when they're in a panic and you are too I can imagine that anything would be hard to get off:(

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

So glad you ALL are okay! I am just wondering what type of collars you have. R&b wrestle all the time and never had an issue. They have lupine collars.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Thanks everyone!  We're all doing just fine now.  Guinness has been pretty "low key" all day, and doing some coughing, but he doesn't seen traumatized.  Murph is acting like nothing ever happened.  It was a good lesson.  I should have always removed their collars inside once I gave up on using the breakaways.  Always learning....

[Jennifer]

How scary. I just went and took my dogs collar off. I usually leave it on all the time but will think twice from now on. I'm so glad you were there and were able to help rescue him.

[Anna and Achilles]

Oh my goodness, glad it worked out. VERY SCARY! Give Guinness a hug. Did Murphy react at all afterwords? He was probably upset as well.