How to Measure Your Dog's Neck
Every collar I make is cut and stitched here at the ranch, so it needs to fit your dog. It takes about thirty seconds to measure. Here's how.
You'll need: a soft tape measure. No tape measure? A piece of string and a ruler works just as well.
Four steps
- Find the spot. The collar sits at the base of the neck — a little lower than right behind the ears, just above the shoulders. That's where you measure.
- Wrap the tape around. Keep it flat against the coat and snug, but don't pull it tight.
- Check with two fingers. Slide two fingers flat under the tape. If they fit, that's the room your dog needs. If they don't, loosen a little and read again.
- Read the number where the tape meets itself, and round up to the nearest half inch. That's your dog's neck measurement.
Using string instead
Wrap the string around the base of the neck the same way, mark where it overlaps with a pen, then lay it flat against a ruler. Same number.
Size chart
Every collar has a run of adjustment holes, so your measurement doesn't have to be exact — it just has to land in the right band.
| Size | Neck measurement | Dogs it usually suits | Strap width |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 10–13" (25–33 cm) | Yorkie, Dachshund, Mini Poodle, Pug, Shih Tzu | 3/4" |
| M | 13–17" (33–43 cm) | Beagle, Cocker Spaniel, Border Collie, Corgi, Aussie | 3/4" or 1" |
| L | 17–21" (43–53 cm) | Labrador, Golden Retriever, Boxer, Husky, Pit Bull | 1" |
| XL | 21–25" (53–64 cm) | German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Great Dane, Mastiff, Newfoundland | 1" or 1 1/2" |
Breed names are only a guide. Two Labradors can be two inches apart. Measure the dog.
A few things worth knowing
- Measure the dog, not an old collar. Collars stretch, and the one you've got may never have fit right in the first place.
- Thick coats: smooth the coat down flat under the tape. A heavy winter coat can add an inch that isn't really there.
- Puppies grow. If your pup is between sizes, go up — and expect to re-measure in a few months.
- Between two sizes? Go up. The adjustment holes take care of the rest.
- Wider isn't always better. A wide strap looks handsome on a big dog and swamps a small one. Stick close to the width in the chart unless you have a reason not to.
Off the chart?
I cut every strap myself, so a dog outside these bands is not a problem. Put the measurement in the order notes and I'll make it to size.
What you can choose
Hair-on hide: black and white, brindle, or brown and white.
Smooth leather: maroon or dark brown.
Their name: branded straight into the leather with my letter set, or stitched on as a separate leather patch.
Tooling: hand-tooled patterns are available on the smooth leathers — just ask.
Because everything is made by hand here, I take a limited number of orders at a time — no rushing, no shortcuts. If the order window is open, your collar gets my full attention.
Questions before you order? Send me a message and I'll help you get the size right.
