Dog found with torn/cut collar?

Hooked

Evening all. But of an odd one here... During the week I was out playing football after work, so got home a little later than usual. Bout 8pm.

Dogs were let in from yard, and I noticed one of them was missing his collar. I found it in the yard, near the gate, and it was torn/cut. The clip was still closed.

A few facts, so others don't get the wrong opinion... Dogs are mostly in the house as my wife works from home. She is out of the country at present - hence dogs being alone in secure yard. They sleep in crates, indoor, each night. Both are on the sofa snoozing as I type. Much loved and both very very friendly. Even with strangers.

Back on topic. If I'm honest, I'm scratching my head as to why the collar is so cleanly cut. And as its near the clip, it's a double loop. Both are cut in line with each other. The dogs were totally fine on the night in question. And have been since.

Has anyone on here seen a collar cut like this by say being snagged on something sharp, then torn? Both dogs rough-house a lot. Would their teeth be capable of such a cut? It's a strong Trixie type collar.

I know I can never know for certain what happened. I'm just half curious and half concerned that I've had a visitor. But why on earth they'd cut a dogs collar and leave, I've no idea...

They can't be inside all the time, so I've since set up CCTV with motion detection, saving videos to an online server. A tad reactive, I know. But... Stuff like this vexes me.

Any opinions?

3dogs

I think I would be suspicious if I saw any of my dogs collars like that. I have had dogs bite through collars and it didn't look like that.
I think cctv and a sign advising it's there is a good idea

Hooked

3dogs wrote: »

I think I would be suspicious if I saw any of my dogs collars like that. I have had dogs bite through collars and it didn't look like that.
I think cctv and a sign advising it's there is a good idea

So maybe I'm not going mad. Done and done regarding CCTV and sign(s).

VonVix

Months ago I was looking after a 6 month old Saluki who was wearing a harness which looked like the same fabric as your collar does. Found her harness cut cleanly in one place exactly like your collar was (she was left outside with her brother while wearing the harness), but there was 100% no person involved. No-one had an idea how it happened, though I knew the dog in question was meant to have her harness off when indoors because she would try to chew it off, but not sure how she could have made such a perfect cut unless it's something to do with this type of fabric.

Hooked

Cheers VonVix

I'm literally torn between those 2 replies. Part of me can see how only a knife could cut it so cleanly. Then part of me wonders... Who jumps a wall, into 2 dogs (who are huskies) and then cuts a collar off, and leaves.

Then as bizzare as that sounds, I wonder what strange, but possible, series of events could lead to a collar gerting snagged (on a fence, nail, etc) and Jack (one of the furkids) freeing himself and finishing the tear. He is very strong.

The mind boggles.

VonVix

Have you tried cutting the collar yourself with a scissors on another part to see how tough or easy it is to emulate?

Or hold it out to one of your dog's to see if they are interested in chewing it at all?

Also, just noticed with the photos, there are threads coming out from where the tear is. If it was cut by a person, I wouldn't imagine any threads would stick out like that? It would be completely clean.

Hooked

VonVix wrote: »

Have you tried cutting the collar yourself with a scissors on another part to see how tough or easy it is to emulate?

Or hold it out to one of your dog's to see if they are interested in chewing it at all?.

My brother and dad suggested this. But I guess ill never know. Just glad both dogs are ok!

borderlinemeath

I don't think you'd get a dog to bite so cleanly through a double layer as this one is. A single layer, maybe, but that looks far too "clean" on both bits of fabric to be a bite in my opinon.

Any kids nearby who would be daring each other to jump in and mess with the dogs?

Hooked

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I don't think you'd get a dog to bite so cleanly through a double layer as this one is. A single layer, maybe, but that looks far too "clean" on both bits of fabric to be a bite in my opinon.

Any kids nearby who would be daring each other to jump in and mess with the dogs?

I'm in an estate alright, in a major city, but the house backs on to a long lane way, with locked gates. My yard is surrounded with high walls, fences and bolted gate. Motion triggered light and CCTV camera (which now is set to record online via wifi). Plus signs to highlight CCTV.

The dogs look 'unapproachable' to most due to their size and the fact there's 2 of them. Just confused as to why someone would cut a collar and do nothing else.


The only other thing I can think of... They have a shared type of open kennel, under a raised deck. They are on a small raised pallet each, separated by gridded mesh. In the same 'space'

I wonder was Jack over in Hugos half, trying to goad him into playing, and got caught on something.

Guess I'll never know.

Gen.Zhukov

I would think it's been cut. That nylon webbing is very, very strong. Way too clean to be bitten through or caught on something. Loose threads would suggest the implement was not razor sharp.

borderlinemeath

Hooked wrote: »

I'm in an estate alright, in a major city, but the house backs on to a long lane way, with locked gates. My yard is surrounded with high walls, fences and bolted gate. Motion triggered light and CCTV camera (which now is set to record online via wifi). Plus signs to highlight CCTV.

The dogs look 'unapproachable' to most due to their size and the fact there's 2 of them. Just confused as to why someone would cut a collar and do nothing else.


The only other thing I can think of... They have a shared type of open kennel, under a raised deck. They are on a small raised pallet each, separated by gridded mesh. In the same 'space'

I wonder was Jack over in Hugos half, trying to goad him into playing, and got caught on something.

Guess I'll never know.

That style of collar can be quite dangerous when they get caught on things, you have a double layer and if it gets caught on a crate, or a fence, or another dog pulls on it, it can tighten and then stay restricted and choke the dog.

deadlybuzzman

That material is the same material that's used in seat belts, to hold down lorry trailer tarps and powerlifting straps.
It's doesn't fray, if it looks like a clean cut its because it's been cleanly cut. If youre not sure, try to cut it with something blunt and see for yourself

Zapperzy

Is it possible the dog jumped and got his collar caught on the fence and a passerby or neighbour seen it happen and cut the collar to free him? Have you asked any of your neighbours about it? They might've seen someone suspicious hanging about either?

Certainly seems like a strange one. Definitely looks like a clean cut to me.

shel64

I'd go with zapperzy's answer, sounds the best bet,,,

aonb

Can understand why you are freaked. There are so many dogs being stolen from homes and gardens lately. Could someone have tried to grab him, cut his collar off, then had to leave fast, cos the dogs changed his mind?!?!? Id be very cautious about leaving them outside for the next while - someone could come back for them - god! - or not, if the dogs scared them off.
Someone took a friends dog from their house last week, they found the dog a few miles from home, missing his collar - friends presume the dog was dumped because he turned on the thieves???

gercoral

looks like a cleam cut alright..way too perfect to have snagged and torn itself. you woulkdn't know what people would do these days. i remember our own dog, a gentle soul. my g=father let him out for a whizz one night, went back in to watch a soccer match, forgot about the dog. my mam came back hours later from visiting, heard the dog barking... he had been tied up with a choke knot baling twine thing at the far end of the garden. we live in the back arse of nowhere. none of us did it. some cnut had jumped our fence and did it. nothing was missing or anything. our dog was generally unharmed, but scared as hell no doubt. lucky my mam found him coz it was the kind of knot that the tighter you pull, the tighter it gets and doiesnt loosen.

so not trying to scare you...but nothing scares "people" these days. no fear whatsoever. >:( mind yourself and the little fellas

Nekarsulm

Bit through by the dog.
A couple of years ago, I was moving cattle on the farm for TB testing. Our red setter was being an absolute pest, always in the wrong place etc, so I shut him into the jeep. He wasn't very happy about it.
Let him out when we were finished after about three hours. He had eaten the padding off the steering wheel in one spot, eaten the corner off the dash beside the door, and cut the seatbelt.
Couldn't believe the way the seatbelt was cut, you would swear it was done with a Stanley knife.

Thoie

In the unlikely event I was trying to steal a dog, I wouldn't start by cutting his collar, as that would give me something to hold on to while stealing him. I'd only remove the collar once well away, and, having opposable thumbs, I'd use the convenient clip designed for the purpose, rather than mucking around with a knife near the neck of a strange dog.

In your situation, I'd still be concerned, and go with the CCTV (which you've already done).

maggiepip

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Bit through by the dog.
A couple of years ago, I was moving cattle on the farm for TB testing. Our red setter was being an absolute pest, always in the wrong place etc, so I shut him into the jeep. He wasn't very happy about it.
Let him out when we were finished after about three hours. He had eaten the padding off the steering wheel in one spot, eaten the corner off the dash beside the door, and cut the seatbelt.
Couldn't believe the way the seatbelt was cut, you would swear it was done with a Stanley knife.

Ah you just made me remember! My dog ate through a seatbelt in the car too, about 5 years ago now and it was cut clean, just like you describe. I think they can just grind through a material like that.

Nekarsulm

They probably find that "sweet spot" where the edges of their molars are exactly right for cutting, kind of like the blades of secateurs passing each other.

Gen.Zhukov

Let me get this straight.

The dog wearing the collar stays perfectly still while another dog precision chews his way through 2 layers of nylon webbing ?

There's a career in entertainment for those 2 dogs for sure.

maggiepip

My guess would be either the collar caught on something and your dog managed somhow to chew through it, or your other dog chewed through it for him (which would be pretty clever, but you never know!) or the front of the collar somehow lodged in your dogs mouth, if you know what I mean, while the back was still on his neck, and he chewed his way out.
One of my cats actually came in one day with the front part of the collar stuck in his mouth while it was still around his neck .
Eta OR his collar was pulled off playing with your other dog and one of them simply chewed it.

Hooked

Cheers for all the replies one and all...


I guess I'll never know for sure. The neighbours "freeing him" is a non runner. Folks to the right are in their 70's. No way they'd have gotten in to where the dogs are. Folks to the left (in their 60's simply couldn't have scaled the wall). In either event - we all get on well, as the 2 boys are saints - and they'd be the type to tell me.

The idea of them doing it themselves is VERY possible as they play rough a lot. Lots of places to get caught/snagged. However, the clean cut does have me cautious. They'll be left alone only in exceptional circumstances from now on. They're simply too important to us.

Though, as one poster above said... why remove the collar if stealing them? And why not simply unclip it? And you'd never lift Hugo (the older one) over the 6ft wall/fence... He's 30KG and HATES to be lifted. In that event, the first thing any potential robber would do is kick in the gate. This would alert neighbours (I'm mid terrace). Then you'd have to get them out into the back lane. This has a steel door on it, bolted and padlocked. Once in the lane, this too is gated and locked - a good 15 houses down...

All that aside... Second CCTV camera is going in today after work regardless. As I said in the OP, my wife is home most days and has the lads in the house with her when she works. These past few months she takes my car through lunch, goes to her Mams (in the country) with the dogs for long walks.

This weekend I popped out for groceries, collecting family, take-aways, etc... and the dogs were crated indoors or came with me for the spin! :P

If anything, it has served as a sobering reminder that there are people out there that will tie-up, torment or steal your pet, if you allow them the opportunity. :mad:

My wife took today off (away last 5 days with work) so I'm looking forward to getting home to see the fur-kids at 2pm for lunch...


Thanks again everyone!

aonb

Its kinda sad when you're going home from work for lunch, your wife has been away FIVE days, and you're looking forward to seeing the dogs :D:D:D your poor wife :D:D:D

Hooked

aonb wrote: »

Its kinda sad when you're going home from work for lunch, your wife has been away FIVE days, and you're looking forward to seeing the dogs :D:D:D your poor wife :D:D:D

Ha ha!!! I'll have you know that my wife was met off the bus at 5.45pm yesterday, with red wine, peanut m&ms, hunky dorys and an Indian take away... And the fire lit when we got in the door. All washing done, house cleaned and shopping done.

How I managed all of that while walking the dogs/glued to the rugby all weekend... I don't know! ;P

aonb

Hooked wrote: »

Ha ha!!! I'll have you know that my wife was met off the bus at 5.45pm yesterday, with red wine, peanut m&ms, hunky dorys and an Indian take away... And the fire lit when we got in the door. All washing done, house cleaned and shopping done.

How I managed all of that while walking the dogs/glued to the rugby all
weekend... I don't know! ;P

^^^ oh well thats ok then

actually "All washing done, house cleaned and shopping done." would merit you brownie points for the rest of the year in this house

Nekarsulm

Hooked wrote: »

Ha ha!!! I'll have you know that my wife was met off the bus at 5.45pm yesterday, with red wine, peanut m&ms, hunky dorys and an Indian take away... And the fire lit when we got in the door. All washing done, house cleaned and shopping done.

How I managed all of that while walking the dogs/glued to the rugby all weekend... I don't know! ;P

Its amazing the work a cleaner can get through in a few hours.........

Hooked

aonb wrote: »

^^^ oh well thats ok then

actually "All washing done, house cleaned and shopping done." would merit you brownie points for the rest of the year in this house

We've no kids (yet), so to be fair I've a lot of free time at the weekends. I'd be shot if I didn't at least cover the basics.

Hooked

Hooked wrote: »

Evening all. But of an odd one here... During the week I was out playing football after work, so got home a little later than usual. Bout 8pm.

Dogs were let in from yard, and I noticed one of them was missing his collar. I found it in the yard, near the gate, and it was torn/cut. The clip was still closed.

A few facts, so others don't get the wrong opinion... Dogs are mostly in the house as my wife works from home. She is out of the country at present - hence dogs being alone in secure yard. They sleep in crates, indoor, each night. Both are on the sofa snoozing as I type. Much loved and both very very friendly. Even with strangers.

Back on topic. If I'm honest, I'm scratching my head as to why the collar is so cleanly cut. And as its near the clip, it's a double loop. Both are cut in line with each other. The dogs were totally fine on the night in question. And have been since.

Has anyone on here seen a collar cut like this by say being snagged on something sharp, then torn? Both dogs rough-house a lot. Would their teeth be capable of such a cut? It's a strong Trixie type collar.

I know I can never know for certain what happened. I'm just half curious and half concerned that I've had a visitor. But why on earth they'd cut a dogs collar and leave, I've no idea...

They can't be inside all the time, so I've since set up CCTV with motion detection, saving videos to an online server. A tad reactive, I know. But... Stuff like this vexes me.

Any opinions?

So.. Here we are... 7 months on, and an almost identical repeat of the cut collar.

The image attached is from last Friday.

Same type of cut
Same place on the collar
Same dog (Jack)
Collar found in same place

The difference? I've 2 CCTV cameras pointing toward the yard. My wife locked the yard gate at 10.45am. I was home for lunch a little more than 3 hours later.

The cameras recorded a lot of trees shaking and windmill turning. My wife locking the dogs, me letting them up... But no intruder. It's as if both dogs were in bed all morning.

The upstairs camera can see the back wall (3 houses wide) and the garden, lower one can see the rest.

But... As the dogs are under a raised deck (prob 3 ft high max), it can't see them in their bed as its obscured.

I've no idea what's causing this. But I'm almost certain I've had no intruder. Could his brother be getting tangled while play fighting? Is it getting caught or snagged on a sharp edge or nail?

Jack has been slow to eat since Friday, as if his neck or throat is sore?

And I'm at a loss as to how it happened.

Again!

Hooked

Here's Friday's pic

Hooked

Hooked wrote: »

Here's Friday's pic

And there are 3 images on this web page that are very similar (chewed collars)?

https://freedomnopullharness.com/Repair-Harness-Chewing-Warranty-Chewed-Harness.html

tk123

I'd be in under the deck for a look to see if something could have snagged it....but I'm short so would fit in no probs That would drive me mad not knowing!! You can even see the stress mark/crease next to the slider thing on the right where it was pulled and stopped/ran out of slack.
Would you be worried now leaving a collar on him in case he IS getting caught on something? I'd maybe put a harness on (with a tag attached for ID) to be safe?

Hooked

tk123 wrote: »

I'd be in under the deck for a look to see if something could have snagged it....but I'm short so would fit in no probs That would drive me mad not knowing!! You can even see the stress mark/crease next to the slider thing on the right where it was pulled and stopped/ran out of slack.
Would you be worried now leaving a collar on him in case he IS getting caught on something? I'd maybe put a harness on (with a tag attached for ID) to be safe?

To be fair, I've always had the collars very loose. I've tightened them since Friday, using the 2 finger rule. Tight but comfortable. Thinking back they were far too loose.

Seeing how they make short work of brisket bones, I'm starting to lean towards it being chewed off. Big, sharp back teeth.

The more 'examples' I see online, the more I'm thinking the bugger ate it.

Can't see any frayed strands under the deck, though there are multiple places it could've been snagged.

The mind boggles