What's The Correct Collar For Your Dog?

I have been deciding what I want my contest give-away to be this month and have settled on the idea that a collar would be a great thing to give away this month. If you are like me, once you get a collar for your doggy, they can wear that collar for years. At least until it either gets too grungy or doesn't fit anymore, in the case of a growing puppy. A new collar is always a good thing, I think.

Once I decided on the collar for the contest, I started thinking about collars and what all we should know about choosing a collar for our dogs. The different types of collars all serve different purposes and may be more suitable for your individual doggy. Whichever type of collar you choose for your doggy, it should always be comfortable for your baby. Always use a soft measuring tape loosely around your doggy's neck to measure for size. The tape should be placed at the base of your dog's neck when you are measuring. You should be able to put 2-3 fingers between the tape measure and your dog's neck. The collar should not be too tight or too loose. Too tight and your doggy may have trouble breathing causing it to cough. Too loose and your doggy can slip out of his/her collar. With a puppy, be sure and check the fit every couple of weeks. Older dogs should have the fit of their collar checked regularly also. Older dogs can gain or lose weight and checking the fit of their collar will help you realize this. Just like with people you are around all the time, you might not notice this weight gain or lose.

The first type, and most popular type of collar, is the the flat collar. The flat collar can be made of many types of materials. They can be made of leather (faux & real) , nylon,  or ribbon, I am of the opinion your dog should always have a flat collar on regardless of what type of collar or harness you use for walking. The flat collar should have your dog's tags on it and this would be in addition to micro-chipping. The flat collar might not be the best for walking your dog. Some dogs pull at their leash and the flat collar can cause them have trouble breathing when walking.

A martingale collar may be the perfect solution if you have a doggy who pulls when walking. Martingale collars are also known as the humane choke collar. This type of collar is also known as a Greyhound or Whippet collar because these types of dogs have a neck which is bigger than their head and a regular flat collar can slip off so easily. Martingale collars have gained a lot of popularity with dog trainers over the traditional choke or pinch collars. A martingale collar has 2 loops with the larger loop slipped over your dog's head. Your leash would then be clipped to the smaller loop. A dog pulling would cause the collar to tighten then loosen back up to a comfortable fit when the pulling behavior stopped.

Whichever type of collar you choose, there are lots of great choices out there to fit you and your doggy's sense of style.