Many of our customers swear by martingale collars, in fact, they’re our bestselling style of collars. If you’re unfamiliar with martingales, this post will explain what they are and how they work so you may decide if they’re a good fit for your dog.
What are martingale collars?
Also known as limited slip collars or greyhound collars, martingale collars are used to prevent dogs from slipping out of their collars while walking on a leash. Besides keeping dogs safe by preventing escapes, martingales also provide you with more physical control over your dog and peace of mind during your walks. As one of its names suggests, martingale collars were popularized with greyhounds and other sighthounds whose heads are narrower than their necks. Due to their unique shape, sighthounds can easily back out of a traditional buckle collar. But since this concern affects dogs of all breeds and shapes, martingale collars soon became a preferred choice for many dog owners, who rely on the martingale’s practical design and safety features. We receive overwhelming positive feedback from customers, including professional dog trainers who use and recommend them for training and daily use.
History
The origin of martingale collars is unclear. One theory is that it was inspired by a piece of horse tack, which is also called a martingale and works similarly to its canine counterpart. The horse gear fits on the horse’s head and is managed by the rider to control the horse’s head movement. This is important information because if this gear can control the movement of a 1,000-lb animal, it’s more than ideal to control our canine companions.
How do martingale collars work?
A martingale collar is made with two loops connected together. The larger loop serves as the main body of the collar and goes around your dog’s neck. The smaller loop, which we refer to as the control loop, has a D-ring to which you clip your leash. When your dog pulls or struggles, the tension engages the control loop and it becomes taut, which in turn tightens the larger loop and the collar. This tightening action prevents your dog from getting their head out of the collar. Properly fitted, the collar will not tighten enough to cause discomfort or choking.
What makes a Sirius Republic martingale collar?
Our martingale collars are made with nylon webbing and steel hardware. We thoroughly test and select our materials to ensure their durability and quality. Each collar is carefully hand-sewn and inspected. High-stress points such as D-ring are triple sewn to ensure security. We guarantee each collar’s quality and durability so you can rest assured that they will not break and fail you when it matters. Finally, each collar is decorated with artfully printed cotton fabric so they’re stylish as well. We offer a variety of beautiful, colorful patterns to choose from. Optionally, we also make martingale collars with leather and waterproof materials to fit your various needs.
Are martingale collars a good choice for my dog?
We believe martingale collars are a good choice for dogs of most breeds, sizes and shapes. They’re not just for escape artists and reactive dogs who may struggle on walks, although we highly recommend them for such uses. As mentioned earlier, many professional dog trainers choose martingales for their training programs. We don’t recommend martingale collars for tiny or toy-sized dogs, as well as dogs with very sensitive necks.