how to measure your pup for a collar

Our collars are sized by inch and, in general, the best fit collar will be the next whole inch measurement to their actual neck circumference. That means if your pup’s neck is 16.4 inches, you’ll want to purchase a 17-inch collar. But how do you get the circumference measurement? That depends on the materials you have at home.

fabric tape measure

The most accurate measurement is taken directly and if you have a fabric tape measure at home, it’s really easy to do! All you’ll need to do is take the beginning end of the tape measure and wrap it around your pup’s neck.

Keep three fingers under the tape measure as you take the measurements; this ensures the collar’s fit won’t be too tight and will keep your dog comfortable for extended wear.

To get the total circumference, place the metal end of the fabric tape measure on the longer tail end, where the tick marks are for the fractional measurements. If your metal end aligns with a whole inch measurement (yay!), that’s the collar size your pup needs. If your metal end aligns with a fractional measurement, round up to the nearest whole inch to get your collar size.

string

No fabric tape measure at home? No problem! Most people will have string or ribbon available, and that can work as well.

To measure with string, wrap the string around your pup’s neck holding the very end of the string between your thumb and pointer finger. Keep three fingers under the string as you measure; this ensures the collar’s fit won’t bee too tight and will keep your dog comfortable for extended wear. Pinch the place the end of the string meets the longer tail of the string and keep it pinched – this is the endpoint you need to measure to!

To get the total circumference, use a ruler or metal tape measure to measure from the end of the string to the part of the string you are pinching (where the end met the tail wrapped around your pup’s neck). If this measurement is a whole inch, that’s the size of the collar you need. If the measurement ends in a fraction, round up to the nearest whole inch to get your collar size.

your pup’s flat collar

If you don’t have a fabric tape measure, you can also use your pup’s existing flat collar to get their measurement.

Put your pup’s collar on and make sure it is adjusted to a comfortable position (the standard rule of collar comfort is being able to easily slip three fingers between the collar and your pup’s neck).

If your collar has a safety buckle (where you insert a prong end into a slotted end), lay your collar on a flat surface and use a ruler or metal tape measure to measure from buckle to buckle. If that measurement ends in a whole inch, that’s the size collar your dog needs. If the measurement ends in a fraction, round up to the nearest whole inch to get your collar size.

If your collar has a belt-style buckle, lay your collar on a flat surface and use a ruler or metal tape measure to measure from the end of the buckle to the slot you buckled through. If that measurement ends in a whole inch, that’s the size collar your dog needs. If the measurement ends in a fraction, round up to the nearest whole inch to get your collar size.