Ren's harness is a Susan Lanci ultrasuede step-through. When I first bought it, I liked how the material felt so soft, and decided to get him a collar too. This was intended to be an everyday collar - something he would wear all the time, with his license and nametag.

However, since he's had it on, he keeps scratching at his neck. He doesn't have a rash or fleas there, so it's just the collar. I figured it would just take some getting used to, but after several days, he's still doing it.

Something I think is cute is that whenever he scratches an itch (either around the collar, or any other place), he makes what I call "his scratching face." He sort of turns his head to one side, scrunches up his face, and stretches his lips back, almost like a big smile but without teeth showing. I'm not sure if all dogs do that or it's an individual thing.

So whenever he scratches around the collar, he makes that "scratching face." But I noticed that now, since having the collar on, any time I pet him near that area, he makes the same face - as if I am relieving an itch or discomfort when I touch that area.

Last night I felt sorry for him and took the collar off. Now when I touch him near that area, he doesn't make that face, and he doesn't scratch it much.

Any ideas? He is microchipped, but I liked the idea of him having a nametag on all the time in case he runs out the door. Should I only put a collar on when we go out? Or is there a more comfortable material I should look for in a collar?

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I bought my chi one of those rhinestone collars. She started itching like that too. I thought the rhinestones might be putting off some kind of chemical reaction so I put clear nail polish on the part that was coming in contact with her fur. At some point, I tried her wearing the collar again & it doesn't bother here. She wears it every day & it's getting wore out. I just ordered a new one for xmas.
Maybe you could try wiping it down with a damp cloth. Wait for a few days, then try again. If it still itches, it may be the suade; whatever they treated the suade with.

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I'm wondering what kind of material for a collar too. The nylon kitten collar are itchy and the current collar I have now it's the leather kind with fake diamonds on it and both of them make Star itch. She has a bald spot on her neck. It's off now and I just put it on her when we go out.

I have the tags on my dogs harness and leave the harnesses on most of the time, it hasn't been a problem. Maybe the problem is location instead of material?