A dog collar is one of the few accessories that has to be right rather than nice. Too loose and it slips over the ears. Too tight and it rubs. Everything else — colour, material, how good it looks in photos — comes after that.
Here is how to get the size right the first time, and how to keep a rope collar looking new.
Measure the neck, not the old collar
Old collars stretch, and the number printed on them is often the range, not the fit. Measure the dog instead.
- Use a soft tape measure, or a piece of string you can mark and lay flat afterwards.
- Wrap it around the base of the neck, where the collar naturally sits — lower than the ears, above the shoulders.
- Keep it snug against the fur, not pulled tight.
- Read the number. That is your neck measurement.
The two-finger rule
Once the collar is on, you should be able to slide two fingers flat between the collar and the neck. Not one — one is tight enough to rub on a long walk. Not four — four means it can come over the head if the dog backs out of it.
Double-coated breeds are the classic trap here. A collar fitted in winter, through thick fur, can be loose by spring. Re-check the fit after a heavy shed.
Picking a size from a range
Our collars come in five sizes covering 25–50 cm. If your measurement lands between two sizes, size up — the adjustment takes up the slack, and a collar at the very top of its range has no room left if your dog gains a little weight or grows a winter coat.
| Neck measurement | What to pick |
|---|---|
| Comfortably inside a size range | That size |
| Right at the top of a range | The next size up |
| A growing puppy | The next size up, and re-measure monthly |
Why rope, and what it means for care
Our handmade dog collars are made from marine rope with a printed ribbon over the top and clip fastenings, so they go on and off without dragging over the ears. Marine rope is chosen for a reason: it is built to get wet, dry out and stay strong.
What it needs from you is small:
- Hand wash in cool water with a mild soap. No machine — the spin cycle is hard on the clips and the printed ribbon.
- Hang to dry, away from direct heat. A radiator will stiffen the rope.
- Rinse after the sea. Salt left in rope dries hard and abrasive, and that is what rubs the neck, not the rope itself.
- Check the clips monthly. Any fastening is only as good as its weakest moving part.
Collar and lead: matching is the easy part
The colours in our dog range are made to work together, so a collar and a matching lead in the same family look deliberate rather than accidental. Sizes and stock move, so check what is available before you plan a full set.
A few things people get wrong
- Leaving a collar on 24/7 without checking it. Fit changes with coat and weight. A monthly two-finger check takes seconds.
- Attaching a heavy tag to a light collar. A tag that swings all day will wear a groove in any material.
- Buying for the photo. Colour is the fun bit, but fit and fastening are what you live with.
The short version
Measure the neck at the base, add the two-finger check, and size up if you land between sizes. Rinse after the sea, hand wash, hang dry.
See the full range of handmade dog collars. Free shipping over €150.
