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Dog collars serve a variety of purposes to keep your pet safe and close by your side. You may find that you need a different dog collar with a unique function for a variety of situations, such as a glow-in-the-dark collar for added visibility during late-night walks, or a personalized collar that clearly indicates your dog’s need for space along with tagless contact information.
We spoke with dog fosters and rescue workers about what they look for in a dog collar. We tested several of their recommendations in real-world conditions and sought feedback from other dog owners. Our favorite collar, the Lupine Original Designs Dog Collar, combines exceptional fitting options and an indestructible design, backed by a lifetime guarantee.
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Best Overall: Lupine Original Designs Dog Collar ($17)
Best for Puppies: Max and Neo The NEO Dog Collar ($13)
Best for Large Dogs: Black Rhino The Comfort Collar ($25)
Best for Small Dogs: Blueberry Pet Spring Scent Floral Dog Collars ($17)
Best Personalized: Orvis Personalized Side-Release Buckle Collar ($20)
Best Tracking/GPS: Whistle Go Explore Dog GPS Tracker ($150)
Best for Nighttime: Illumiseen LED Dog Collar ($36)
Best Set: Wild One Collar Walk Kit ($64)
Price at time of publish: $17
These dog collars are not only sturdy and soft but also come in a remarkable array of colors and patterns. Crafted from woven nylon, the Lupine Original Designs Dog Collar offers flexibility that prevents any rubbing or discomfort around your dog’s neck. Its durability is exceptional, featuring a custom-designed quick-release YKK buckle and a rust-proof steel D-ring for attaching ID tags and leashes.
With over 80 color and pattern options, including reflective, holiday-themed, solid colors, and limited “MicroBatch” designs, Lupine Original Designs collars offer a highly customizable fit. They come in three widths, with the ideal width increasing for larger dogs, and are available in nine adjustable sizes.
Apart from the standard collar design, Lupine Pet provides an eco-friendly line made from recycled plastic bottles and martingale collars designed to tighten for leash training. Matching leashes and harnesses are also available.
A notable feature of Lupine products is the lifetime guarantee they come with, ensuring coverage even if your dog manages to chew through them.
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Price at time of publish: $13
These vibrant and durable collars boast robust construction, yet the nylon webbing is also soft and flexible, making them suitable even for puppies. The NEO Dog Collar is offered in four sizes, accommodating necks ranging from 8.5 to 25 inches. The extra small size, with its half-inch width and thinner nylon, is particularly well-suited for puppies, ensuring ample flexibility.
The NEO Dog Collar stands out with its thoughtful features. Alongside the metal D-ring for leash attachment, there’s a dedicated “easy loop” for ID tags. The clasp includes a sliding tab “lock” to prevent accidental unbuckling when holding your dog by the collar (note that this extra lock feature is not included on the extra small size collar).
Available in widths ranging from 1/2 to 1 inch, depending on size, all collars feature reflective stitching for enhanced visibility during nighttime walks. For those preferring a martingale design that tightens with leash tension, the NEO Dog Collar is also available in this version.
With seven color options and a commitment to giving back, Max and Neo, the manufacturer, donate a product to an animal rescue for every NEO Dog Collar purchased.
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Price at time of publish: $25
These vibrant nylon collars are equipped with substantial neoprene padding, ensuring the comfort and protection of your larger dog’s neck. The extra-large variant of the Black Rhino Comfort Collar is tailored for big dogs with neck sizes ranging from 23 to 27 inches, and three additional sizes cater to various breeds. Despite its lightweight design, the collar features heavy-duty hardware to withstand the strength and energy of robust pets.
The neoprene padding employed in the Comfort Collar mirrors the material found in wetsuits, making it both quick-drying and odor-resistant. This quality ensures that the collar remains fresh, even if your dog is frequently in contact with water. The inclusion of reflective stitching enhances visibility during low-light conditions.
Available in a spectrum of five colors, the Black Rhino Comfort Collar combines functionality with style for your larger canine companion.
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Price at the time of publish: $17
The Blueberry Pet Spring Scent Floral Dog Collars are a delightful choice for small dogs. Featuring lively designs with vibrant floral patterns and attractive colors, these collars add a touch of style to your petite pup. Crafted from high-density polyester webbing and equipped with a durable chromed steel D-ring, the collars are both durable and lightweight, ensuring comfort for your small furry friend.
The convenient snap buckle makes it easy to put on and take off, and you even have the option to customize the collar with stitching that includes your dog’s name and an optional phone number. This personalization adds a thoughtful touch to the collar. Blueberry Pet extends the collection to include matching leashes, harnesses, and other accessories, allowing you to coordinate your small dog’s accessories with style. With four different sizes available, these collars cater to the unique needs of small dogs, making them a top choice for both fashion and functionality.
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Price at the time of publish: $20
The Coastal Pet Circle T Latigo Leather Round Dog Collar stands out as the best in the leather category, offering a combination of durability and classic style. Crafted from high-quality Latigo leather, this round collar provides both strength and a timeless aesthetic.
The leather material not only ensures longevity but also offers a comfortable feel around your dog’s neck. The round design adds to the overall comfort, preventing any sharp edges from causing irritation. The collar is securely fastened with a sturdy buckle and D-ring, providing a reliable means of leash attachment.
With Coastal Pet’s commitment to quality, the Latigo Leather Round Dog Collar is a reliable choice for pet owners who appreciate the traditional look and durability of leather. This collar is an excellent option for those seeking a blend of fashion and functionality in their dog accessories.
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Price at the time of publish: $20
The Orvis Personalized Side-Release Buckle Collar stands out as the best in the personalized category, offering a perfect blend of functionality and customization. Crafted with quality materials, this collar features a side-release buckle for easy attachment and removal.
What sets this collar apart is the option for personalization, allowing pet owners to add their dog’s name and contact information. The customized engraving is clear and durable, ensuring that vital details remain visible over time. This feature adds an extra layer of safety, providing a quick way to identify your pet in case they go astray.
With Orvis’s reputation for producing high-quality pet products, the Personalized Side-Release Buckle Collar is an excellent choice for those seeking a well-crafted and customizable collar that prioritizes both style and safety for their furry companions.
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Price at the time of publish: $150
The Whistle Go Explore Dog GPS Tracker earns its spot as the best in the tracking/GPS category, offering pet owners an advanced and reliable solution for keeping tabs on their furry friends. This GPS tracker combines cutting-edge technology with user-friendly features, ensuring the safety and security of your pet.
Equipped with real-time tracking capabilities, the Whistle Go Explore provides accurate location data, allowing you to monitor your dog’s movements with precision. The device also features proactive alerts, notifying you of potential issues such as escaping from designated safe zones.
With a durable and waterproof design, the tracker is suitable for various environments, and its long-lasting battery ensures extended use between charges. The Whistle Go Explore stands out for its comprehensive approach to pet tracking, making it an invaluable tool for pet owners who prioritize the well-being and safety of their canine companions.
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Price at the time of publish: $36
The Illumiseen LED Dog Collar stands out as the top choice for nighttime visibility, offering a reliable and innovative solution to keep your dog visible and safe during low-light conditions. This collar is equipped with LED lights that provide a bright and attention-grabbing glow, ensuring that your dog remains easily seen in the dark.
With its durable and weather-resistant design, the Illumiseen LED Dog Collar is suitable for various outdoor activities, providing added safety during nighttime walks or adventures. The collar is adjustable to ensure a comfortable fit for your dog, and the rechargeable battery ensures long-lasting illumination.
Pet owners looking for a practical and effective way to enhance their dog’s visibility during nighttime excursions can trust the Illumiseen LED Dog Collar to deliver reliable performance and peace of mind.
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Price at the time of publish: $64
The Wild One Collar Walk Kit is a comprehensive set that caters to both style and functionality, making it our top pick for dog owners seeking a complete package. This kit includes a collar, a leash, and a poop bag carrier, ensuring you have all the essentials for a stylish and organized dog-walking experience.
Crafted with high-quality materials, the Wild One Collar Walk Kit offers durability and comfort for your furry friend. The collar is adjustable for a secure fit, and the leash provides a reliable grip during walks. The inclusion of a poop bag carrier adds a practical touch, making it convenient to clean up after your dog while on the go.
With its sleek design and thoughtful features, the Wild One Collar Walk Kit is a stylish and functional choice for dog owners who appreciate a well-rounded set for their daily walks.
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An excellent all-around option is the Lupine Original Designs Dog Collar. Crafted from comfortable materials that prevent irritation on your dog’s neck, this collar comes in a wide range of patterns and color combinations. Another top pick is the NEO dog collar by Max and Neo. These vibrant and sturdy collars are suitable for dogs of any size, and their blend of durability and softness makes them particularly well-suited for puppies.
When a dog moves in, you have to take care of many things. Finding the right dog collar is surprisingly challenging. It should match the dog’s fur and not be too small or too large.
But should it be a Hunter collar, a leather collar for the dog, or a greyhound collar? What you need to pay attention to when buying a dog collar is explained in this article.
Firstly, it makes a big difference whether you are walking a puppy or an adult dog. In general, dogs of any age can wear a collar.
However, with a puppy, you must constantly check if the collar is not too tight because a puppy grows quickly. Since the dog’s neck is very sensitive, this check is crucial. The puppy should never wear a collar permanently!
Walking is a bit different. Here, the age of the dog plays a subordinate role. More important is whether the dog pulls on the leash or not. Regardless of whether young or old, a dog that pulls on the leash and only wears a collar can get seriously injured.
Just like in humans, nerves, blood vessels, the airway, and the esophagus, as well as the cervical spine, run through the neck. A tug on the leash – whether from the dog or the owner – can seriously damage these tendons, muscles, vessels, and bones.
If your dog pulls on the leash, a collar is not the best choice. Instead, you should use a dog harness.
Nevertheless, a dog can wear a leather or fabric dog collar. However, you should not attach the leash to it. Especially with young dogs, it is important to get them used to wearing a collar and harness. Therefore, you can put a collar on a puppy as well.
There are dogs for which you should still do without. If a dog is suffering from a disease or injury in the neck area, wearing the collar may be perceived as bothersome. Even if the collar is not tight at all. In such cases, you should skip the dog collar. Once the dog is feeling better, you can put it back on.
The question of whether to put a dog collar or a harness on your dog is not yet clarified by the age and health of the dog. The two safety measures are so different that you should take a closer look.
For what activities do you need which safety measure?
There are some principles you should consider. If your dog rides in the car and doesn’t have its own dog box, you must secure the dog properly. This can only be done with a suitable dog harness.
A collar is never suitable for this! In the event of a collision – no matter how harmless – this can break the dog’s neck. You can find suitable dog harnesses for the car in specialized stores.
For special hobbies such as climbing or dog pulling sports, there are also special dog harnesses. These are much more robust and safer and are designed for the activity the dog is performing.
However, if you just want to go for a walk with the dog, the main question for you is whether to use a collar or a harness. As mentioned at the beginning, this mainly depends on whether your dog pulls on the leash or not.
If it does, you should use a harness until your dog has learned to walk calmly beside you. If your dog does not pull on the leash, you are free to use either a collar or a dog harness. You can put both on your dog, and depending on your mood and the situation, attach the leash to either the collar or the harness.
This way, you’ll see what your dog feels more comfortable with. Also, you have the opportunity to announce special activities to the dog by changing the leash between the collar and the harness.
Dog collars, harnesses, and leashes are made from various materials. Leather and nylon are the most well-known, but you should also pay attention to other options.
Nylon:
Nylon collars are considered versatile in terms of dimensions, colors, and possibilities. They come in many different sizes, with various closures, and some additional options such as reflectors. Furthermore, they are comparatively cheap and still robust.
Leather:
A leather collar for the dog is one of the more traditional collars, also robust, but not as versatile in appearance as a nylon collar. One of the most well-known manufacturers is Hunter.
A leather dog collar is not only well-made here, but you can also choose from different types of leather (cowhide, elk leather, bison leather…).
Biothane:
A rather new and lesser-known material is Biothane. This is a coated polyester fabric that is particularly resistant to dirt and durable. Collars made of Biothane are water and tear-resistant and can be cleaned very well.
However, the material is comparatively hard and stiff and is difficult to adjust in length. Therefore, you have to find the right size for your dog when buying.
Paracord:
Dog owners often complement Biothane collars with Paracord. However, even without Biothane, Paracord collars have become very popular among dog owners. These are exceptionally tear-resistant and can be customized.
You can choose not only the length and width but also adapt the colors and patterns to your preferences. If you have sufficient dexterity, you can even knot the collar yourself.
There is no perfect material for dog collars. Different situations, dogs, and owners require different materials that are particularly suitable.
You will find it easiest to decide when you look at and touch the individual materials. A leather collar for the dog is not always the best choice, and not everyone likes a Hunter collar.
The Length:
A leather dog collar must fit as well as a greyhound collar, a Hunter dog collar, or any other collar. Therefore, before choosing the material and color, you must first know the circumference of your dog’s neck.
Measure it with a tape measure or a string. Pay attention to your dog’s fur when measuring. For short-haired dogs, this doesn’t matter much. For long-haired dogs, there is always a lot of fur under the collar.
Therefore, do not place the tape measure too tightly but let it be loose. You should be able to easily slide your hand between the dog’s neck and the tape measure. The measured neck circumference now provides a clear indication when buying a collar.
The Width:
When it comes to the width of the collar, the size of the dog plays a subordinate role. Of course, there are limits because a small dog with a collar that is too wide cannot move well. However, this primarily depends on personal preferences.
You must consider that very narrow collars on large dogs that pull on the leash can cut into the skin. A wide dog collar distributes the load and thus relieves the dog’s neck a little.
As a simple rule of thumb when choosing the right width, the collar should not be narrower than the dog’s nose. The wider the dog’s nose, the wider the collar.
But also, the longer the neck, the wider the collar, as you can quickly see with a greyhound collar. It is usually narrower in the back of the dog’s neck than at the front. There, it covers about one-third to one-quarter of it.
When choosing a collar for your dog, you should place a lot of value on good quality. A Hunter collar may be much more expensive than one from the supermarket, but the differences are significant.
This may not be immediately noticeable. The catch, however, is that dog collars made of leather, nylon, or any other material wear out over time. This is no different even with a Hunter dog collar.
You will notice this wear over time, and you have enough time to replace the leather or fabric collar. In the case of collars of inferior quality, usually, a single tug is enough, and without warning, the collar tears or the clasp breaks.
This can lead to dangerous situations where you, your dog, or other people can get hurt. Quality plays a significant role. You may have to dig a little deeper into your pocket for the price. However, a high-quality leather dog collar usually lasts much longer.
If you want to buy a particularly individual dog collar, you have the option of ordering a custom-made one. This is not as expensive as you might think. The price depends on your wishes and the size of the collar.
However, you have the option of having the dog collar embroidered or printed with your dog’s name or a phone number. This not only looks good but can also be very helpful if your dog gets lost.
You can order a dog collar with a name in many specialty stores or assemble it on the Internet like a kit. Of course, you can also make it yourself if you have the necessary skills.
Finding the right collar is not difficult in theory. Whether it’s a Hunter collar, a leather dog collar, a greyhound collar, or a dog collar with a name, the selection is huge.
The difficulty in choosing the right collar lies primarily in personal preferences. Either you visit a pet store with your dog and try on some collars there, or you order several collars online, try them out at home, and return the ones you don’t like within the 14-day return period.
This way, you will quickly find the ideal length and width, as well as the right color and material.
What is the optimal material for dog collars?
Dog collars are crafted from a variety of materials, including nylon, leather, and recycled plastic. However, there is no one-size-fits-all material suitable for every dog in every circumstance.
“The choice of material depends on the specific activity,” explained Melissa “MJ” Viera, the founder of MJ’s Pet Training Academy, to The Spruce Pets. “Regardless of the material, it’s always advisable to seek a well-constructed collar. The collar should provide adequate support, and the buckles and clips should be sturdy. While any collar has the potential to break, a high-quality collar reduces the likelihood of such occurrences.”
How should I determine the correct size for my dog’s collar?
To ensure a proper fit, use a flexible measuring tape to measure snugly around your dog’s neck. In the absence of a tape, a piece of string or ribbon can be utilized, with subsequent measurement using a ruler. It’s essential to check if the collar comes with specific sizing instructions for adjustments if you fall between sizes.
“Measurement methods may slightly vary between brands and styles, but it is crucial to have a well-fitted collar for your dog,” emphasized Viera. “Ensure that your dog cannot easily slip out of the collar. Most collars should fit snugly with enough room to comfortably insert your finger. If needed, seek assistance from your trainer in fitting your dog’s collar.”
We’ve assembled a group of writers, editors, and experts who adore pets and contribute to iHugDogs by recommending and testing various products. Our team draws upon extensive experience in training, fostering, veterinary care, and pet ownership. When curating excellent pet items, we prioritize safety, practicality, and durability.
As a dedicated advocate for rescued animals, Lisa Johnson has provided care for over thirty dogs and puppies. In her commitment to keeping them secure and well-behaved, she has explored numerous collar options. With a career spanning more than 20 years, Johnson has covered a diverse range of topics, focusing on nature, pets, science, and initiatives that contribute to a better world.
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