How To Tighten A Dog Collar

Introduction

The collar isn’t just a stylish accessory: it’s an essential safety item for any canine. It provides a place to attach a leash, and it can also hold important information such as the dog’s name, owner’s details, and rabies tag. A properly fitting collar is also key to making sure your dog is comfortable and secure.

A proper fit is essential for caring for your dog. If the collar is too loose, it might slip off and your dog could end up lost or injured. A collar that’s too tight can become a choke hazard and irritate your pet’s skin.

A proper fit is essential for caring for your dog. If the collar is too loose, it might slip off and your dog could end up lost or injured. A collar that’s too tight can become a choke hazard and irritate your pet’s skin.

• You should be able to easily fit two fingers between the neck and the collar when you measure it on your dog.
• The best way to ensure a proper fit is to have your pet wear an existing collar first while measuring his neck so that you know what size will work best (many collars come with sizing information).

Most adjustable collars use a plastic clip that you can slide to snug up the fit of the collar. The trick is knowing how to do it the right way. Here are the steps:

• If the collar is too loose, you should be able to fit two fingers comfortably under the collar.
• If it’s just right, you should be able to fit one finger comfortably under the collar.
• If it’s too tight, you should be able to fit no fingers comfortably under the collar (and possibly start feeling like a blood vessel may pop in your neck).
• And finally, if it’s too tight and feels like it’s going to choke your dog, then that’s definitely not good!

Stand over your dog, face-to-face, with one hand on top of his head and your other hand on his shoulder.

It’s important that you don’t let your hands go where they shouldn’t.

• Don’t put your hand on the collar.
• Don’t put your hand on the back of his neck, or anywhere near it.
• Don’t put your hand on his chest, or anywhere near it.
• Don’t put your hand on his stomach or lower belly, or around there in general—he has a sensitive tummy! (If he’s a girl dog and you’re wondering why we said “tummy” instead of “belly”, well now you know.)

With your dog standing still and looking straight ahead, run your fingers under the collar, keeping them close to the neck. There should be room for about a finger’s width between the skin and the collar.

With your dog standing still and looking straight ahead, run your fingers under the collar, keeping them close to the neck. There should be room for about a finger’s width between the skin and the collar.

If you can’t fit even one finger underneath, your dog’s collar is too tight. You also might want to check that it isn’t rubbing against their skin—this can cause redness or irritation. If you can fit two or more fingers beneath it though—even if they’re overlapping—that means that their current collar is likely too big for them and should be replaced soon with one that fits better (and always make sure they have an ID tag on at all times).

Unhook or unsnap the plastic clip. Slide it along its track until you have about a finger’s width between the skin and the collar. Then fasten or snap it in place again. Check that it fits without pulling excessively tight when you give him a pull on leash (be sure not to jerk him).

To avoid pain and injury, don’t pull on the dog’s neck. Don’t pull on the collar or leash either. Pulling will only tighten it more and cause further harm to your pet’s sensitive skin.

As with anything else that involves a collar, be sure not to jerk it or jerk your dog’s head around suddenly while they’re wearing their collar because this could cause injury as well!

Conclusion

Give your dog’s head a squeeze, then his shoulder. You’ll probably see why this is now the preferred method of testing a collar fit. It’s faster and easier than the old technique, plus you can tell if your dog has moved during your check.