Just a quick note to ask if you could remind your readers to be extra cautious when pets and candles are in the same room. I just finished cleaning up after a small fire caused by my dog's swinging tail. After placing a lit candle on my coffee table, I left the room to answer the phone. While I was gone, my dog's tail swept over the table, the candle ignited some sheer curtains and it was quite the mess. Thankfully I was able to stop the fire from spreading. Thank you for your column - I really enjoy it.

Cathy

Dear UrbanAnimal,

Have you ever written about the hazards of keeping a collar on a dog while in the house or playing with other dogs? When my dog was a puppy, we had a terrifying experience when his bottom jaw became stuck in another puppy's collar.

Iryna

Dear Cathy,

I'm glad your experience didn't turn into a disaster. It's a good reminder to place candles in safe places and away from furry paws, mouths and tails.

Safer candle use would include putting away those beautifully elegant tapered candles in favour of the type that are squat and less likely to topple over. Place candles in safe holders in a location not accessible to pets.

Also, as you witnessed, some types of material are more flammable than others and sheer curtains can ignite quickly.

We've all seen house fire footage on television news and it's pretty obvious that fires can start and spread quickly. Just like the fire department says in their promotional material, "Never leave a candle unsupervised."

Thank you for the reminder, Cathy.

Dear Iryna,

I agree that we need to re-think how and when we use collars on our dogs.

Collars are a must when we need to attach a leash or use it to pull a dog gently away from a dangerous situation. They're also a necessary device when attaching identification tags.

Many pet experts advocate microchip identification because it's inserted directly under your dog's skin where it remains for life. If the pet becomes lost, the information contained in the chip can be read with a hand-held scanner available at veterinary clinics and animal shelters. If the pet's only identification is written on collar tags - and the collar and/or tags are lost - not good.

The chip is the only form of identification that can't be lost. Your veterinarian or local animal shelter can give you more information about microchipping.

I'm a big believer in providing lots of identification on my dogs and cats including microchip and a few collar tags. Even my dogs' collars are embroidered with my telephone number. You do have to keep on top of things, though.

The microchip company needs to be kept informed if you change your contact information and the collar tags should be regularly inspected for signs of wear and damage. Check the collar itself for tears and fraying, damage to the buckle and replace the metal tag rings when they become weak or loose. And make sure the collar still fits the dog.

If you can insert two fingers easily between collar and neck, it's a comfortable fit.

Even if your dog isn't high energy, a collar worn in the house or yard can become caught on any number of items from furniture to shrubbery. And if your dog roughhouses with other dogs, their collars can become locked together or paws and jaws can become trapped. Dogs in this situation can become panic-stricken and cause serious injury or, horribly, death can occur through choking.

Buckle, snap-release, Martindale-style and harnesses are all commonly used on dogs and cats but, unfortunately, none are programmed to release automatically when trouble arises.It's always a good idea to review when and where your dog needs to wear a collar.

E-mail jacque-newman@rogers.com with a question, comment or suggestion.