Introduction
Dog owners may concern very much about what’s the most suitable size of the dog’s harness or collar. In addition to some factors like the colors, designs and materials, dog owners should know about the recommended space between a dog’s collar and its neck. This sounds easy, but in fact, many people still don’t know what it is and how to do it. Let figure out in this article.
Space Between Dog’s Collar and Its Neck
Some people are afraid that wearing a collar for dogs will make them feel uncomfortable. It’s considered as a bad treat on them for that reason. That’s not true! A good-quality collar can make their dogs feel quite comfortable and give you a good time walking them. If their dog looks too distressing, the reason may be on the space between the dog’s collar and its neck.
Usually, a collar which is 2-3 inches wider than the real neck size of your dogs is recommended by experts.
Please note that do not use a smaller or bigger one. That’s because a smaller one can make your dogs feel difficult to breathe and get allergy, while a bigger one can give your dogs the chance to escape from your control.
Here are several steps that will help you choose a suitable collar size for your four-leg friends:
- Step 1: Measuring his neck size using a measuring tape or some soft objects like ribbon and tape.
- Step 2: Add 2-3 inches more in the result that you have received.
- Step 3:Buy a collar based on that size.
- Step 4:Try it on your dogs and remember to adjust the straps.
- Step 5: Check its upper neckline to make sure the collar isn’t too loose for your dog to slip out.
- Step 6: Recheck the wide of the collar by moving it from right to left, then put two fingers which are tantamount to three inches into the space between the neck and the collar.
What Kind of Collar Should You Get?
Choosing a collar which is suitable for your dogs is also an important part because sometimes, your dogs slip out of their collar not because of the collar’s size but the type of collar. Take a look at the following kinds of collars to know more about them and consider which one is the most suitable for your dogs.
Flat Collar
Flat collar is the only kind of collar recognized by the American Kennel Club as a standard collar that all kind of dogs can fit. It is used wider than other kinds of collars because many dogs seem to feel more comfortable than wearing other ones.
Photo credit: bulldog1
Furthermore, a flat collar is an effective tool to control distracted and mischievous dogs. Moreover, its materials are quite varied, such as nylon, cotton, leather, etc. So, as a dog owner, you will have various options to choose from.
However, the biggest drawback of a flat collar is that your dogs can slip out of it if it’s a little bit looser than their neck. Besides, some dog breeds whose neck is bigger than their head can escape easily. One more thing, there’re several studies show that this collar may cause skin diseases if the dog owners let their furry friends wear it for a continuous, long time. Hence, if not necessary, try not to put it on your dogs’ neck.
Back-Clip Harness
This kind of collar is as common as the flat one. It is designed to fit all the dogs’ chest with the leash clips on the dogs’ back. The back-clip harness is preferred by small dogs whose throat is quite narrow, like the Chihuahua or Dachshund. This way, it not only helps the dogs feel quite comfortable when wearing but also protects their neck, especially to breeds which have vulnerable neck bones.
On the contrary, the back-clip harness can’t help you control your dogs when they’re getting angry and aggressive on the street. Hence, our advice is that you shouldn’t wear it for aggressive dog breeds (such as Rottweiler, Bull Terrier, etc.) or those whose temperament is aggressive by nature.
Front-Clip Harness
Front-clip harness looks like back-clip one, except its leash attachment is on the low check of the dogs. Usually, it is used for trained dogs because the leash attachment’s position makes it easy to reduce the pulling leash of the dogs. Moreover, thanks to this special feature, the dog trainers will have more chances to control the direction of the dog’s movement, so they can make the dogs face them if necessary.
Despite used most by dog trainers, a front-clip harness is not safe enough for use on big-and-aggressive dog breeds. If you still want to go with it, we recommend you to use a tool control so that people and other dogs on the street can be safe.
Conclusion
Before buckling the collar up, it’s essential to check the space between the dog’s collar and its neck to ensure whether they fit together or not. However, that space isn’t the only reason why your dogs feel uncomfortable and find it easy to escape from the collar. So, pay attention to the kind of the collar, then your problem will be solved.
Hopefully, this article has provided you with lots of useful information. If you have any questions, please leave them below. Thank you for reading!
