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Our dogs each have a collar, they wear their collars pretty much all of the time, and they will keep wearing their collars. The only time we take their collars off, besides when they are getting a bath, is when they are in their crates. We take our dogs with us a lot of places, if they are allowed to go where we are going, they come with us, but when they aren't allowed we leave them at home in their crates. They also sleep in their crates at night, and we always take their collars off before we put them in their crates so they don't choke themselves. Then, the second we take them out of their crates their collars go right back on.
As for walking our dogs, we use prong collars. I know that a lot of people think prong collars are cruel, but they are definitely not. Obviously they can be cruel if they aren't used properly, but at the same time, regular collars, harnesses, head collars, chokers, and pretty much everything else on earth can be cruel when not used properly. We use prong collars when we walk our dogs because that is what works best for our dogs. Just like people, every dog is different, therefor different things work for different dogs. Our dogs walk very well on their leashes so the prong collars are very rarely even needed, however, we own 3 American Pit Bull Terriers, I am 5'3" and 105 pounds... If our dogs were to decide to go after a bird or something I would have my arm ripped off if our dogs weren't wearing the prong collars. The prong collars don't hurt them, and as I said before, our dogs aren't big leash pullers anyway, but for whatever reason they won't pull at all if they are wearing their prong collars.
As for walking our dogs, we use prong collars. I know that a lot of people think prong collars are cruel, but they are definitely not. Obviously they can be cruel if they aren't used properly, but at the same time, regular collars, harnesses, head collars, chokers, and pretty much everything else on earth can be cruel when not used properly. We use prong collars when we walk our dogs because that is what works best for our dogs. Just like people, every dog is different, therefor different things work for different dogs.
Our dogs each have a collar, they wear their collars pretty much all of the time, and they will keep wearing their collars. The only time we take their collars off, besides when they are getting a bath, is when they are in their crates. We take our dogs with us a lot of places, if they are allowed to go where we are going, they come with us, but when they aren't allowed we leave them at home in their crates. They also sleep in their crates at night, and we always take their collars off before we put them in their crates so they don't choke themselves. Then, the second we take them out of their crates their collars go right back on.
As for walking our dogs, we use prong collars. I know that a lot of people think prong collars are cruel, but they are definitely not. Obviously they can be cruel if they aren't used properly, but at the same time, regular collars, harnesses, head collars, chokers, and pretty much everything else on earth can be cruel when not used properly. We use prong collars when we walk our dogs because that is what works best for our dogs. Just like people, every dog is different, therefor different things work for different dogs. Our dogs walk very well on their leashes so the prong collars are very rarely even needed, however, we own 3 American Pit Bull Terriers, I am 5'3" and 105 pounds... If our dogs were to decide to go after a bird or something I would have my arm ripped off if our dogs weren't wearing the prong collars. The prong collars don't hurt them, and as I said before, our dogs aren't big leash pullers anyway, but for whatever reason they won't pull at all if they are wearing their prong collars.
Mine all wear theirs 24/7 as well and won't be removed. They've got their tags on them as well. Not all of my dogs are chipped. The fosters are only chipped per adopters request. So it's a last resort tracking if they do escape and are lost.
I don't like the chockers and pinch collars unless they're used by someone that knows what they're doing. In the hands of an idiot they can do more harm than good.
I have a 75-pound Siberian Husky - a strong dog who was bred to pull. When he was young, we tried a whole variety of collars and harnesses, trying to find the right one for him. We tried regular nylon collars, the "no pull" harness that fits under his armpits, a regular harness, a prong collar, a halti. The collar that finally worked for us is what I call a "modified check-chain collar."
It's a nylon collar that fits loosely around the neck, just as a normal collar would, but there's "check-chain" component in the back so the collar can be tightened or loosened via the leash.
With a check-chain collar, it only really works well if you position it up high on the dog's neck, right under the jawbone. If it falls down around the base of the neck, it doesn't provide a good check of the dog's behavior, and the dog will lean into it and do the choking/gagging thing they do. So the collar I use works the same way. When I need utter control over Bandit, I rein him in and position the collar up high under his jaw and he knows he's on "the short leash" and will walk like a prince at my side. When he's just sniffing and on a "pleasure cruise" the collar falls down around the base of his neck and that's his signal that he's got a bit more leeway from Mom.
my dog has a collar and I won't change it.
what will they think of next? ..if it ruins his trechia ...will he bark less? ...I'm just joking JUST JOKING!
Seriously though, his bark can be heard on mars!
He prefers the collar over the harness so we will stick with it.
I use a harness for walking. My dog is microchipped. And yet she still wears a collar all the time (except baths) for quick ID. Not everyone who might pick up a dog knows to check for a microchip.
Not everyone who might pick up a dog knows to check for a microchip.
I'm such a goob, I made a tag for my dog that says "I'm microchipped, a vet or shelter can help me home." He wears his yellow HomeAgain tag as well, but I figured that the chances were good someone, especially a non-dog-lover, wouldn't know what that tag meant, and I wanted to do whatever I could to ensure that Bandit was returned to me if we somehow got separated.
(Ban also has a tag that says "I'm epileptic and require daily medication." He's a really well-behaved dog and truly beautiful, and I was afraid someone would be tempted to keep him if they found him. But he IS epileptic and DOES require daily medication, so my hope was that someone would read that tag and decide he'd be too expensive or too much of a hassle to keep.)
Prong collars WHEN USED CORRECTLY actually do not choke the dog like choke chains. I think they should ban all choke collars and some regular collars, as some dog owners are total buttholes and drag their dog by the larynx or allow them to pull and choke themselves. These people should be fined heavily and their dog taken away. If you cant invest the time to train your dog, DONT OWN ONE.
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The only time we take their collars off, besides when they are getting a bath, is when they are in their crates. We take our dogs with us a lot of places, if they are allowed to go where we are going, they come with us, but when they aren't allowed we leave them at home in their crates. They also sleep in their crates at night, and we always take their collars off before we put them in their crates so they don't choke themselves. Then, the second we take them out of their crates their collars go right back on. 
The prong collars don't hurt them, and as I said before, our dogs aren't big leash pullers anyway, but for whatever reason they won't pull at all if they are wearing their prong collars.
