You may be searching the internet for dog tag dog collars. I agree, that is a great place to start when you have a new puppy, rescue dog or new dog family member. The point of the collar is identification of your pet. I believe all dogs should have this collar – or a combination of collars and harnesses which serve the same purpose. You will learn about the standard collar and then create a personalized dog collar for your pup.
Collar Description: Flat/Buckle Dog Collar (Standard)
This is the most standard found dog collar. It is usually flat with a buckle like a human belt. The collar can be made of various materials including leather, nylon or cloth. The standard dog collar has a buckle for size adjustment and a loop for dog identification tags, license tags and leash attachment.
It is important to understand that these collars are used for owner identification and left on the dog at all times. This is used to find the owner should the dog become lost.
These collars are meant to be loose enough to avoid chaffing on the dog’s neck. The collar should be snug enough so the dog cannot back out of the collar but not too snug to restrict airflow. Many of these collars are built to “break away” if the dog collar gets wrapped around something that inhibits the dog’s movement. Similar to cat collars of the same type, the collar may have an ability to stretch if the collar is choking the dog.
Due to this design, it is best NOT to utilize this collar as an attachment to a leash. I have found that some dogs pull so much that they can break the collar’s belted apparatus, or they may back out of the collar when they want to go another direction. These collars are great for identification but not for leash walking.
Main Functional Purpose:
- Identifying the dog and owner
- Style
The products below are standard dog collars. Nylon is a flexible material and tends to be soft on the dog’s skin. Different colors and buckles are available.
$11.99 + depending on the size
For identification, I love the collars with the dog’s name and owner’s phone number. This collar eliminates the dangling tag. But it also eliminates writing space for anything else you may have on the dog collar tag. I purchased mine off of Amazon but there are other merchants with these at great prices.
What about Breeds, Sizes, or Age?
Size: All dog sizes can utilize this collar. There are very small collars to very large collars available. Measure your dog’s neck and add 2 inches.
Breed: When used for identification, this collar can be used on all breeds.
Smaller framed dogs: For any dogs with thinner necks, such as Whippets, these could cause damage to the trachea or spine if jerked.
Large neck dogs: If your dog has a thicker neck, such as a Bull Dog, the collar should be loose around the largest part of the neck if worn all the time for identification.
Age: As your dog ages, you may find the need to purchase larger collars to reduce your dog’s arthritis pain.
What I Love About This Collar
Since this is a collar that your dog will wear all the time for identification purposes, you can play with the color, style of the collar for the season (Christmas, Summer, Halloween, Birthday, etc.). You can also use these collars to match your dog’s personality. I have a beautiful female Am Staff Pit Bull who I have given her a “pink” collar. This collar shows perfectly against her gray coloring, but it also projects a playful, happy (nonthreatening) demeanor to humans. Due to her breed many people are scared of her. This pink collar helps project her personality instead of her breed’s preconceptions.
There are those people who want to project the opposite. If you want to have your dog look more aggressive, then black collars with spikes would help to pull that look off for any dog.
These collars are also great to display the owner’s favorite sports team or school. In Colorado, many dogs sport collars with the Denver Bronco colors.
Cautions or Risks
Used for identification, this collar does not have many risks. Used for attaching to a leash, these collars have these risks:
- The dog may gag or choke when exerting force against the collar when the leash is tightened.
- The dog can slip out of the collar by backing out.
- This collar puts pressure on the airway when the dog is pulling.
- This collar is ineffective for dedicated pullers.
- The collar can cause damage to trachea or spine when jerked.
Price Range
You will be able to find collars from a few dollars at standard pet stores or Walmart to high end priced collars.
$5 (simple standard) to $20+ (more personalized)
Conclusion
Get this collar for your dog to hold identification and contact information. Change up the colors for the seasons or your dog personality. I highly recommend you DO NOT use this to attach to a dog leash due to the possibility of injury or dogs getting loose on a walk.