There’s an ongoing debate about which is better: a collar or a dog harness. While the scientific community decides on which of these two canine accessories is a lot safer for our furry pals, we can take confidence in the fact that our lovable pooches do look more adorable with their collars around their necks. Some collars are great for training, too. And if you’re like countless other dog owners who love turning their pets into fashion icons of the animal world, try our list of the 10 best dog collars in 2019.
The 10 Top-Rated Collars for Dogs
1 GoTags Personalized Nylon Dog Collar
- Brand: GoTags
- Breed Size: Medium Breeds, Large Breeds
- Closure Type: Quick Release
- Material: Nylon
- Life Stage: Adult
If you love embroidered things, then GoTags is for you.
Each nylon band of the GoTags comes with personalized names and other information you would want to be embroidered onto the colorful collar. The GoTags come in 4 different sizes, so an accurate measurement of your pet’s neck circumference must be obtained.
Ordering your pet’s GoTags is also made super easy, as you will only need to choose the collar’s color, the thread’s color, the collar’s size, and the embroidered text.
Sadly, you don’t get to choose the style of the font to be used. It would have completed the customization options of the GoTags. Nevertheless, the 15-thread color options should make up for it. The GoTags Personalized Collar also comes with heavy-duty nylon webbing, a side release buckle, and a durable D-ring made of stainless steel. Your only concern now is to get a matching leash.
You may also like our guide on The Best Dog ID Tags.
2 Soft Touch Collars Leather Dog Collar
- Brand: Soft Touch Collars
- Breed Size: Medium Breeds, Large Breeds
- Closure Type: Buckle
- Material: Leather
- Life Stage: Adult
For those who appreciate the luxurious qualities of genuine leather, this one’s for you.
One of the things you’ll appreciate about the Soft Touch Collars Luxury Real Leather Padded Collar is just how classically elegant the design is. The contrasting stitch provides a wonderful addition to the fine grains embedded into each leather variant. From classic black to contemporary brown or teal and even edgy turquoise or light pink, you will find something that best reflects your pup’s unique personality.
Since the leather material is padded, you can feel a lot safer about your pet’s optimum comfort, although leather is already quite soft and gentle on your pet’s skin. The leather is also naturally tanned without the need for the addition of harsh chemicals. The solid brass buckle and D-ring also add to the overall appeal of the Soft Touch.
3 Blueberry Pet Classic Solid Nylon Dog Collar
- Brand: Blueberry Pet
- Breed Size: Small Breeds
- Closure Type: Buckle
- Material: Nylon
- Life Stage: Adult
Some folks like it grand, while others prefer to keep it simple.
If you’re the latter kind of dog owner, then you will also love the Blueberry Pet Classic Solid Color Dog Collar Collection.
Available in either a straight collar or bandana style design, the Blueberry makes for a simple yet effective way to put an accessory around your pet’s neck. The band can also be customized if you want.
The Blueberry is constructed of heavy-duty nylon fabric complete with eco-friendly plastic easy-snap buckles and chrome-plated D-ring. We do recommend getting the matching leash to really complete your dog’s fashion.
Do understand, however, that the collar and the leash are sold separately. At the very least, you won’t have difficulty looking for a leash that matches well with the collar.
4 PetSafe Quick Snap Buckle Martingale Dog Collar
- Brand: PetSafe
- Breed Size: Large Breeds
- Closure Type: Quick Release
- Material: Nylon
- Life Stage: Adult
It cannot get any simpler than this. The Martingale Dog Collar with Quick Snap Buckle comes with a very straightforward, unassuming, and unpretentious design.
It would seem that you can easily make one yourself, provided you have the materials available. The PetSafe Martingale comprises only 3 different materials: metal D-ring and loops, sturdy plastic buckle, and heavy-duty nylon band that comes in 3 different widths. The quick snap buckle allows for one-handed closure and opening of the canine neck accessory.
Compared to the usual belt-style buckle, this can come in handy for folks who may have issues with their fine motor movements. The use of nylon as Martingale’s band is also considered thoughtful since nylon is a very strong and durable material. It may not have the luxurious look and feel of leather, but nylon sure can project a character of its own.
Best of all, it is cheaper by several dollars than leather dog collars, too, making it an excellent option for cash-strapped dog owners.
5 Black Rhino Ultra Soft Dog Collar
- Brand: Black Rhino
- Breed Size: All
- Closure Type: Buckle
- Material: Neoprene
- Life Stage: All
If your furry companion is quite strong and rambunctious and manages to get out of every possible collar you put on them, the Black Rhino Comfort Collar may be the product you’re looking for.
Heavy-duty, strong, lightweight, and comfortable, this dog collar is perfect for powerful and highly energetic dogs. It’s made of incredibly tough materials that can withstand not only a lot of tugging and roughhousing but also all kinds of outdoor elements, meaning it’s great for walking, jogging, and hiking with your pup.
The collar also features neoprene padding, which provides comfort and helps protect your pet’s skin from irritation.
This material also easily dries and has great odor resistance, making it ideal for swimming. Various sizes and colors are available, so finding the right fit for your pup should be easy.
6 Perri’s Padded Leather Dog Collars
- Brand: Perri’s
- Breed Size: All
- Closure Type: Buckle
- Material: Leather
- Life Stage: Adult
Perri’s Padded Leather Dog Collar looks much more like the Soft Touch but with one slight difference.
While both products come fully padded, Perri’s padding takes on a more colorful design to provide contrast to the main band, which is typically black. Aside from black, Perri’s also come with the brownish Havana color. The padding is soft lambskin leather, providing a very comfortable fit around your dog’s neck.
The hardware is made of heavy-duty solid brass for the Havana variant, while stainless steel is the material of choice for the black-banded Perri’s.
Regardless of the variant you choose, you can always feel confident about how your dog will look with the Perri’s around their neck.
7 Custom Catch Personalized Dog Collar
- Brand: Custom Catch
- Breed Size: All
- Closure Type: Buckle
- Material: Leather
- Life Stage: All
Compared to the personalized canine neck accessories by GoTags, the dog collars of Custom Catch come fully engraved.
At the very least, you won’t have to worry about strands of thread loosening from the embroidery. Having the name of your pup, including its contact number or any other piece of information, engraved into the soft leather band of the Custom Catch is a lot more effective and longer-lasting than having it embroidered. It is also less expensive than having it embroidered.
The good thing about personalized dog collars is that you have absolute control over what to put in the collar and how it will look in the end. You also get to choose from various adornments like paws, hearts, and bones, just to name a few.
It is no wonder then that a lot of pet owners love the Custom Catch dog collars as it affords them a substantial degree of control over what their pets will wear.
8 Illumiseen LED USB Rechargeable Nylon Dog Collar
- Brand: Illumiseen
- Breed Size: Large Breeds
- Closure Type: Buckle
- Material: Nylon
- Life Stage: Adult
This is one cool dog collar you would always want your dog to wear every time you take it out for a walk or run in low light conditions or at night.
Along the entire length of the Illumiseen is a flexible strip of LED light that should increase your dog’s visibility in the dark. This greatly improves your and your dog’s safety as other people, especially motorists, will be alerted of your presence even from a distance.
Moreover, if your pooch happens to bolt, locating it will be a lot easier. The LED light can last 5 hours upon a full charge, which usually takes about an hour. The Illumiseen comes in 3 different light modes: slow flashing, rapid flashing, and steady beam.
Aside from its safety features, the Illumiseen is also constructed of durable materials, so you can always count on it to last your dog’s lifetime.
9 Blueberry Pet Floral Prints Polyester Dog Collar
- Brand: Blueberry Pet
- Breed Size: All
- Closure Type: Buckle
- Material: Polyester
- Life Stage: Adult
Looking for cute dog collars for your puppy? The Blueberry Pet’s Floral Pattern Collar is a fantastic choice.
Made of high-density polyester, this attractive collar is both durable and soft. Although made of (eco-friendly) plastic, the buckles are pretty sturdy, while the nickel-free coated D-ring adds even more durability to the mix.
While soft, the collar is not stretchable, which you should keep in mind when picking out the sizes (the manufacturer advises leaving only 2 fingers between your dog’s neck and the collar).
This Blueberry Pet model comes in a host of different floral patterns – all pretty and adorable-looking, perfect for everyday use and occasions. Various sizes are available, so finding the right collar for your pooch should be a piece of cake.
10 AOLOVE Leather Dog Collars
- Brand: AoLove
- Breed Size: All
- Closure Type: Buckle
- Material: Leather
- Life Stage: All
Available in extra-small to large sizes, the AOLOVE Basic Classis Padded Leather Pet Collars make for an excellent choice for collars, especially if you intend to collect all 10 color variants.
Each premium quality leather band comes with 5 holes for easy adjustment to the circumference of your pet’s neck.
At any rate, this should help ensure you get a snug fit. Its heavy-duty D-ring plus nickel-plated hardware also helps ensure the security of the collar attachment.
At any rate, the overall styling is simple yet adorable enough to allow pooches to have their signature look.
The Best Dog Collars: Buying Guide & FAQs
What to Look Out for When Buying a Dog Collar
Choosing a dog collar cannot solely depend on what color compliments your pet’s fur shade. Unfortunately, the process of purchasing a collar is far more complicated. We’ve identified the fundamental categories that must be individually considered – the size, design, material, and type of collar – before choosing the right collar for your best friend.
*Side Note: We will not discuss the materials used to make prong or chain collars or list them as types of collars below. This decision was made because of the harmful mental and physical consequences these collars inflict. Above all, we believe dogs should be treated ethically, and wish to depict this principle in our content.
Size
It shouldn’t be said, but the collar you picked out for your Great Dane won’t fit your Chihuahua. How to measure the correct collar size for small and large dogs alike is explicitly detailed in our FAQ section below.
Design
There are so many collar aesthetics for dog owners to choose from, ranging from bold to dainty. Personalized dog collars, in particular, add charisma and individuality to an accessory that all dogs wear around their necks. On one end of the spectrum, owners cleverly imprint their phone number and their dog’s name on their collars just in case their hanging tag falls off, whereas some owners arguably take it a little too far by customizing these collars with a photo of their dog.
You may also like Spiked Dog Collars.
Material
- Neoprene: Also known as polychloroprene, neoprene collars are extremely lightweight and recommended for dogs with sensitive skin. To the advantage of both dogs and their owners, neoprene collars are fully waterproof – meaning that your dog jumping in the water for a splash won’t damage their accessory.
- Leather: Although leather collars usually come with a steep price tag, the comfort and class they exude make it all worth it. Due to their longevity and durability, your dog will be bouncing around for years with their favorite leather collar around their necks. Don’t be duped by fake leather collars, such as bonded leather composed of both real and fake leather (leftover pieces of hide).
- Nylon: Nylon collars are certainly fun; we’ll give you that. For only a couple of bucks, you can walk into any pet store and choose between an immeasurable number of kooky collars boasting all sorts of patterns and colors. Yet their inexpensive nature often results in them breaking or looking ragged within a few months to a year.
Type
There are heaps of different types of dog collars on the market, yet only a minority are appropriate to place around our pet’s delicate necks. Let’s check out the leading varieties below.
Different Types of Dog Collars
- LED Collars: Up early for work in the morning or consistently arriving home late to find your pup pestering you for a walk? LED collars give you peace of mind when out on early morning or nighttime walks: your pup can now run off the lead as they please, thanks to a combination of flashing and solid LED lights and reflective material on their collar. If worse comes to worst and your dog runs off into the night, this type of collar alerts other pedestrians and road users to their presence.
- Standard Collars: These collars are usually composed of a plastic or metal buckle. They’re simple and perfect for dogs requiring minimal walking supervision.
- Martingale Collars: Although we in no way condone the use of prong and choke collars, the martingale collar is a much less extreme alternative for training dogs. Initially designed for sighthounds by their necks being larger than their heads, resulting in buckle collars slipping cleanly off, a martingale collar ensures more control. Composed of two loops – one for adjusting the fit of the collar around your pup’s neck, the other providing extra control when on the lead – the dual mechanism places tension around a dog’s neck if they start to pull. The collar slackens as soon as your dog stops pulling on their lead. Although a dog should never be left unsupervised when wearing a martingale collar due to the potential that the metal elements may slip down and cause your pup to chew on them, consequently damaging their teeth, these collars pose no other safety risks.
Are Dog Collars Dangerous?
Humane dog collars like those outlined above are recommended for your furry friend, as they provide a place to keep a dog owner’s contact details. This being said, some dog collars are dangerous and should be banned. Animal rights organization PETA actively campaign against prong and choke collars, deeming them to fly in the face of positive reinforcement tactics. The very design of these collars is to punish dogs by administering pain or discomfort.
One graphic fact indicating the type of abuse prong collars inflict on dogs is that dogs develop scar tissue around their necks due to the painful metal protrusions pinching the skin around them. As scar tissue has no feeling, dogs continue to pull, completely unaware that they’re hurting themselves. Likewise, choke collars are physically and mentally dangerous. Regarding the former, their use has been affiliated with crushing tracheas, fracturing bones, and prolapsing eyeballs. Concerning the latter, simply imagine the incredible fear a dog must feel having a collar that chokes them around their neck, and you’ll sympathize.
Accordingly, you must read the correct information on collars to ensure that you don’t buy the wrong one and end up unintentionally harming your lovely dog. To safeguard your pup’s health, the FAQ we’ve compiled below aims to point you in the right direction so you can be confident on your walks together.
You may also like our guide on the Best Anti Bark Collars.
Sources:
- Sherry Woodard, Dog Collar Sensitivity, Best Friends Animal Society
- Jessica Hamilton, DVM, The Importance of E-Collars, The MSPCA–Angell
- The Importance Of Pet Collars, Animal Humane Society
Frequently Asked Questions
Although it depends on the state laws, it is a legal requirement in several states for your pooch to be on a dog leash in public outdoor areas. Not only should a collar be worn for legal reasons, but if your dog wanders off anywhere, having your contact details around their neck will increase the chances that they’ll arrive home safe and sound.
By following a few simple steps, your dog will be measured quickly and precisely for their new collar.
- Find a reliable tool for measuring: Measuring around your dog’s neck cannot be properly carried out if all you have lying around is a ruler. Before achieving this task, invest in a reliable measuring tape – preferably a cloth seamstress’s tape measure. If you’ve lost all your collars and can’t wait until you have time to purchase a measuring tape, using a piece of string to measure for a tight fit and then measuring this string with a ruler is your best chance of success.
- Take your measurement: You should measure your dog for a collar several inches down from their head. Add two inches for medium to large dogs; for small dogs, add one inch.
- Ensure you don’t measure for the collar too tightly: Taking the perfect measurement relies on ensuring the measurement is ‘snug’, not tight, around your dog’s neck. An effective benchmark is sliding two fingers under your dog’s collar. Is the space between your pup’s neck and the collar too small to carry out this request? Your dog requires a larger collar. Contrarily, too much space calls for a smaller size of the collar.
Training your dog to behave on the lead is often an arduous process, but it should commence once they reach ten weeks old. As your puppy won’t have received the necessary jags at this point to go out on walks, you can practice walking with them on the lead in your garden or even inside your home. Before training your puppy on the lead begins, your pup should have spent a few days adapting to the feeling of a collar around its neck.
Puppies’ necks are so petite and delicate that neoprene or nylon collars are recommended due to their lightweight construction. However, if you own a puppy from a breed with slimmer heads, such as Greyhounds, a martingale collar is the way to stop your puppy from slipping out of their collar.
The majority of dog collars aren’t machine washable, leading to some owners disregarding this chore entirely. However, you’ll regret this decision when your pet’s collar starts to smell funky, rubbing off on your dog’s skin, and then spreading to their beds, your couch – you name it!
To prevent this stench from spreading throughout your home, all you have to do is take the normal shampoo you use to wash your pet and add a small amount to a bowl of hot water. Next, place your dog’s collar in the bowl – if it’s really grimy, rub the dirt off while it’s in the water. After letting the collar soak for twenty minutes, squeeze out any residual water and place it on the radiator or outside in the sun to allow it to dry off nicely.
Related Posts
