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SIZE GUIDE
With the exception of the premade collections, everything is custom made to order. Making sure you are measuring your pet's neck size accurately is imperative to getting a good fit. Please refer to the guide below, and reach out if you have questions.
My size guide is based on a well fitting collar fitting snugly around the neck with space for two fingers. Collars should not be loosely dangling on the neck or fit your whole hand under them. If this is how you prefer to size your collars you will need to size up after determining your neck size.
Measuring your pet's neck size
Method 1: Using flexible soft tape measure
Using a soft tape measure, measure your dog's neck, approximately 1-2" down from their head, depending on their size. The tape measure should *not* be placed at the base of their neck, this is too low and your measurement will be too large, and will have your collar fitting like a necklace. Wrap the tape measure snugly around your dog's neck and take note of the measurement where the tape measure first overlaps. The tape measure should be snug but not tight.
This measurement is your dog's neck size.
If you don't have a soft tape measure, you can use a piece of string or cord. Wrap it around your pet's neck in the same way as described above, and mark the spot where it overlaps. Ensure it is snug. Then take the string and lay it out flat on a ruler or non-flexible tape measure. The length of the string to the mark where it overlapped is your pet's neck size.
For adjustable collars, choose a size range that goes 1-2" larger and includes the neck size number. Example: My dog's snug neck size is 17.5". I would choose a collar 17-19".
For non-adjustable collars, when measuring snugly, slip two fingers underneath the tape measure. This measurement should be the collar size. Or you can measure a well fitting collar, see Method 2 below.
Method 2: Measure a well fitting collar
If measured properly, a well fitting collar is a good way to get a proper measurement for a collar whether it is adjustable or fixed. It is also a good method for fluffy dogs, as their neck size might be misleading to how you want the collar to actually fit.
Choose a collar that fits your dog well, not too loose or tight. Unbuckle the collar and lay it flat with the inside facing up toward you. Lay a soft tape measure on the collar to measure the length of the collar. For plastic buckle collars, measure from the outer end of one buckle to the inner end of the other buckle. Both ends of the buckle should not be in the measurement. For a leather style collar with a tongue buckle, measure from the center bar of the tongue buckle to the hole that your dog wears the collar on.
This measurement is your collar size, and can be used for your collar sizing on non-adjustable collars, or for adjustable collars. If my dog's measurement using this method was 17", I would choose a collar from 16-18".
Measuring for a Martingale
For martingale collars that must slip on over the head, two measurements are required. A neck size and a head size. The neck size can be measured using one of the methods above. The head size should be measured over the widest part of the head and jaw (including the ears). For ease of removing the collar, I recommend adding 0.5-1" to this measurement for the "desired collar size" or "max collar opening" so the collar can come on and off easier. The amount of size you add to make it slip on and off easy will depend on the dog and their ears.
You can test this sizing by holding the tape measure at your determined size and slipping it over your dog's head and back off. If it is hard to get over the ears, it might be too snug.
For dogs that have much larger heads than their necks - I do not recommend any collars that must slip on over their head. Once it slips over, the collar will be way too large on their neck. Instead, choose a martingale or slip with a buckle, and size it according to their neck size.
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