Size Guide – Collars by Chris

Here are a few different methods for measuring your dog:

Measure your dog with a sewing tape.

Wrap a string around your dog. Mark the string and then measure the length of it with a ruler or tape measure.

Remove your dog’s current collar and stretch it out flat. Then measure from the center of the buckle to the current sizing hole or adjustment being used.

Collar

Neck Size: Loosely measure the neck where the collar would normally sit sliding two fingers between the dog’s neck and measuring tape. Adding the two fingers should make the collar size about 2″ (5cm) larger than the dog’s neck size, closer to 1″ (2.5cm) on very small dogs. This ensures that the collar isn’t too tight.

Sizes
Adjustable

Small 10-18 inches (25-46 cm)
Medium 14-24 inches (36-60 cm)
Large 17-30 inches (44-76 cm)
Extra Large 20-30 inches (51-76 cm)

Harness

H Type Harness

The Dog Harness Figure H (flattened out, it has the shape of an “ H”) loops around the pet ’s chest and its waist, connected by cross-bars on the pet’s back and under its chest.

Chest Plate Harness

The chest harness is fastened to the dogs body with a chest strap and a girth strap. The chest strap extends horizontally at the level of the sternum, between the two shoulder joints.

Figure 8 Harness

It’s comprised of straps in the shape of the number eight. The harness wraps around the bottom of your dogs neck to form a secure cross on his/her back just after the armpits.

To determine your dog’s girth, use a sewing tape or string to measure behind your dog’s front legs to get their chest circumference. You should be measuring around your dog’s rib cage behind the front legs at the widest part of their chest.

Sizes
Adjustable

Small 14-18 inches (35-45cm) – 1/2″ wide Large Breed Puppies, Jack Russell Terriers, Shelties
Medium 19-25 inches (48-63cm) – 3/4″ wide Border Collies, Spaniels
Large 25-35 inches (63-89cm) – 1″ wide Labradors, German Shepherds
X-Large 34-46 inches (86-116cm) – 1″ wide Mastiffs, Rottweilers

Martingale

Martingale collars, also called non-slip collars, are a type of dog collar that provides more control than a typical flat collar, and prevent dogs from backing or slipping out. They look similar to a flat collar, but about 1/3 of the length of the collar is actually a smaller loop of fabric with a D-ring attached.

The collar works by constricting when the dog pulls on the leash. Tension on the leash causes the smaller loop to tighten, which in turn pulls the larger loop tighter – but not too tight! Martingale collars are adjustable, and should not tighten past the width of the dog’s neck. They offer comfortable security without harming your dog.

They’re a good choice for any dog who tends to back out of their collar, or for people who want a little more control of the leash without putting their dog in harm’s way. Safety, control and comfort in one easy tool!

Standard Martingale

Loosen slide on collar to fit over dogs neck. Then tighten slide to proper fit.

Measure the dogs neck as well as all the way around the head to be sure the collar can be slipped on and off over the head. Use the larger of the two as the size.

Sizes
Adjustable

X-Small 8-12 inches (20-30cm) – 1/2″ wide Miniature Pinscher, Maltese, Chihuahua
Small 11-15 inches (28-38cm) – 1/2″ wide Large Breed Puppies, Jack Russell Terriers, Shelties
Medium 14-21 inches (35-53cm) – 3/4″ wide Border Collies, Spaniels
Large 18-26 inches (45-66cm) – 1″ wide Labradors, German Shepherds
X-Large 20-30 inches (50-76cm) – 1″ wide Mastiffs, Rottweilers