This article was co-authored by Ray Spragley, DVM. Dr. Ray Spragley is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and the Owner/Founder of Zen Dog Veterinary Care PLLC in New York. With experience in multiple institutions and private practices, Dr. Spragley’s specializations and interests include non-surgical management of cranial cruciate ligament tears, Intervertebral Disk Disease(IVDD), and pain management in osteoarthritis. Dr. Spragley holds a BS in Biology from SUNY Albany and has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (DVM) from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. He is also a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT) through the Canine Rehab Institute as well as a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA) through Chi University.
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A Martingale collar is a more humane and safe option for most sighthounds than other collars. This is particularly because of sighthounds' generally narrow heads. Learning how to properly fit a Martingale collar is easy and can highlight your sighthound's ability to be a wonderful training aide.[1]
Steps
Measuring Your Dog’s Head and Neck
Use a soft tape measure or piece of string to measure your dog’s head. Measure the largest part of your dog’s head and the middle of their neck. If your dog’s head is larger than their neck, you’ll need a collar that can fit comfortably over their head. If their neck is larger than their head, you’ll need a collar that fits comfortably around their neck.[2]
Take your first head measurement. Take your tape measure and measure the circumference of your dog’s head starting from under their jaw up around to the front-base of their ears.Advertisement
Take your second head measurement. Measure, starting from where their neck meets their jaw, up around and over their ears. Both of these first two measurements should give you a complete measurement of their head.- The Martingale collar only needs to fit over your dog’s head and will mostly be fitted around their neck.
Measure around the base of your dog’s neck. This will give you the size of their neck and will inform you as to what size Martingale you will need.- Choose a collar size where your measurement is in the middle of the size range. For example, if your dog’s neck is 15 inches, choose a size that is 13-18 inches rather than 15-20 inches.
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Fitting the Collar
Familiarize yourself with the design of Martingale collars. Understanding the design of the collar will help you make the best fitting for your dog. Locate the two loops of the collar, the large outer loop and the small control loop where the leash attaches to a D ring.- The larger loop is the adjustable part of the collar and should be adjusted to fit your hound correctly.
Slip the collar over your dog’s nose and head. Make sure the nylon adjuster is at its largest size before slipping the collar on your dog.[5]- If you have a buckle Martingale, you can simply place the collar around the neck and connect the buckle on the side release.
Pull the collar up just behind the dog’s ears. It is crucial to adjust the collar here because this is the point at which the collar could slip off the dog’s head.[6] The two metal rectangles should be at least two inches apart from one another.
Pull up on the D ring. Pulling up on the D ring will test how well you’ve fitted the collar. If the hardware on the collar is touching (where the control loop meets the larger loop around your dog’s neck), the collar is too loose and needs to be tightened.[7]- The control loop should close when you pull up on the D ring.
Look to make sure the collar is properly fitted. A properly fitted Martingale collar should rest around the middle of the dog's neck.[10] If it is still tightened up behind their ears, the collar is too tight and might cause them discomfort.
Check the fit of the collar each time it is placed on your dog. Martingale collars do stretch over time and need to be adjusted and occasionally completely refitted.[11]Advertisement
Expert Q&A
- QuestionHow do you know if a collar is too small?
Ray Spragley, DVMDr. Ray Spragley is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and the Owner/Founder of Zen Dog Veterinary Care PLLC in New York. With experience in multiple institutions and private practices, Dr. Spragley’s specializations and interests include non-surgical management of cranial cruciate ligament tears, Intervertebral Disk Disease(IVDD), and pain management in osteoarthritis. Dr. Spragley holds a BS in Biology from SUNY Albany and has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (DVM) from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. He is also a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT) through the Canine Rehab Institute as well as a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA) through Chi University.
VeterinarianPull up on the circular ring and try to slide your fingers underneath the collar by the dog's neck. Ideally, you should only be able to fit 1-2 fingers under the collar. If more fingers fit, it should be tightened; if fewer fingers fit, it should be loosened.
Tips
- Try a buckle Martingale if you dog doesn’t like having their ears touched.Thanks
- Check the collar to make sure it's in working order and adjust fit prior to each use.Thanks
Warnings
References
- ↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/collars.html
- ↑ http://www.theartfulcanine.com/guide-to-fitting-martingale-collars/
- ↑ http://www.theartfulcanine.com/guide-to-fitting-martingale-collars/
- ↑ http://www.theartfulcanine.com/guide-to-fitting-martingale-collars/
- ↑ http://www.theartfulcanine.com/guide-to-fitting-martingale-collars/
- ↑ Ray Spragley, DVM. Veterinarian. Expert Interview. 19 August 2021.
- ↑ http://www.theartfulcanine.com/guide-to-fitting-martingale-collars/
- ↑ Ray Spragley, DVM. Veterinarian. Expert Interview. 19 August 2021.
- ↑ http://www.theartfulcanine.com/guide-to-fitting-martingale-collars/
- ↑ Ray Spragley, DVM. Veterinarian. Expert Interview. 19 August 2021.
- ↑ https://greytarticles.wordpress.com/safety/a-martingale-collar-is-only-as-safe-as-you-adjust-it/
About this article
To fit a Martingale collar, start by slipping it over your dog’s nose and head with the outer loop at its largest size. Then, pull the collar up behind your dog’s ears, making sure the metal rectangles are at least 2 inches apart. After that, pull up on the D ring, where you would attach the leash, and make sure that the adjustable part of the collar closes. Once you’ve adjusted the collar, check that it's not too tight by seeing if you can put 1 or 2 fingers underneath it. For tips from our Veterinary reviewer on how to measure your dog to figure out what size collar to buy, read on!
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