Collars- Get It Right!

We frequently see quite a few incorrectly fitted collars daily here at Morehead Animal Hospital.  A collar that hangs like a necklace on your dog is pretty useless because they can back right out of it the minute they do not want to follow whoever is holding the leash. To correctly fit, a collar should have two human fingers worth of give for comfort. With certain breeds and their particular anatomy, you may not be able to use a slip collar that goes over their head because the neck and head are very close to being the same size with an example being greyhound varieties.

Dogs with short, smooth coats can use flat buckle collars (preferably the type that can be laundered or cleaned with leather soap) whereas long-haired dogs would have their coat flattened by such a collar. There are fur-saver collars and round nylon or leather collars for these coated breeds that will not chew away or flatten their beautiful coats.

Before you purchase your dog a collar, measure his or her neck with a tape measure or tie a piece of string around it and then measure that.  When you do purchase the collar, ask if you can exchange it if the fit is not right because just like humans and shoes, the fit can vary from company to company.

Training collars, also referred to as choke  or  slip collars, are only meant to be on your dog while on a leash. They can be dangerous left on your dog unattended. I knew someone whose English Mastiff had a chain slip collar on and while lying in the sun on their sun  deck had one of the rings slip between the deck boards and get caught. The poor dog could not escape and panicked. The owners found him dead of heat stroke right outside their back door.

The correct way to put on a training collar is to have the collar in your hands and form the letter P with it as you face your dog. That way when you place the collar over his or her head, the active or live ring will work correctly when your dog is on your left side when heeling. If you put it on the opposite way, it will not slip back into position after a tug; it will stay in the choke position.

Chain collars work best when small, smooth links are used. Large links will not slip and release easily but tend to catch on each other. Training collars come in a variety of nylon with some being braided for extra-strength for stronger or larger dogs.

We would be happy to help adjust your collar on your pet if you have any questions.