Dog Collars

A collar is the one piece of kit your dog wears every single day, so it pays to get it right. It carries their identification, it is what you clip a lead to in a hurry, and it sits against their skin for hours on end.

The good news is that choosing well is mostly common sense once you know what to look for. Fit, material and hardware do almost all the work.

Getting the Fit Right

Measure around the base of your dog's neck with a soft tape, then allow a little room. The two finger rule is the easy check: you should be able to slide two fingers flat between the collar and the neck, no more. Too loose and it slips over the ears, too tight and it rubs. Puppies grow fast, so check the fit weekly and expect to size up more than once in the first year. Breeders raising a litter often start with lightweight identification collars in different colours so each pup can be told apart at a glance.

Materials and Hardware

Nylon is light, quick drying and easy to wash, which suits dogs who swim or roll in everything. Leather softens with wear and looks smart, but it wants drying out properly if it gets soaked. Chain and metal styles are heavier and better suited to larger dogs. Whatever you pick, look closely at the buckle and the D ring, because that is where cheap collars fail. An engraved nameplate is worth adding, since a tag your dog cannot lose beats one that jingles off.

Care and Common Mistakes

Wash collars regularly, as trapped grit and damp are the usual cause of neck irritation. Slip the collar off before crate time in a dog crate and before a session in the dog pool so nothing catches, and keep a poop bag dispenser clipped to the lead instead of the collar.

Ready to find the right fit? Explore the RPBA collection of dog collars to find a style, size and material that suits your dog.