Martingale Collars, often referred to as Greyhound Collars, Sighthound Collars, Whippet Collars and No Slip dog Collars, are popular amongst dog trainers and owners of sighthounds with narrow heads and other breeds that want to enjoy the benefits of the martingale system.
What does a Martingale Collar look like and how does it work?
The Martingale Collar is made of two loops; a large loop where a dog’s head goes in and a small loop with a D-ring which tightens the collar only when a dog is pulling.
When it’s attached to a lead and when your dog pulls, the small loop adjusts the length of the collar which ultimately makes the martingale collar tighten. This prevents your dog’s head from slipping out of the martingale collar.
You may think that it would be uncomfortable for your dog to wear the martingale collar because of its tightening functionality. However, because of its unique structure, the martingale collar sits loosely around the hound's neck when no tension is applied.This makes it much more comfortable for your dog compared to the standard collars.
Your martingale collar does not need to be too tight around your dog’s neck all the time, as it will automatically tighten only when it’s necessary and revert back to its original length when the tension is lifted.
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Why is a martingale collar recommended for sighthounds?
Sighthounds have a small and narrower head than other dog breeds. Often their necks are wider than their heads.This makes it extremely easy for them to slip out of their standard collars without the martingale system, which you do not want given how quick they are when they start running.
Martingale Collars for sighthounds come in multiple widths. Here at Dahoud, we have wider options available. We recommend:
- 5cm wide martingale collars for large sighthound breeds e.g. Irish Wolf Hounds and Borzois
- 5cm or 4cm wide martingale collars for Greyhounds and Salukis
- 4cm wide martingale collars for standard size Whippets and large Italian greyhounds
- 3cm wide martingale collars for standard size Italian Greyhounds
We make our martingale collars wider than the standard collar (which is generally 1cm ~3cm wide) because wider martingale collars spread the tension on your dog’s neck when it’s tightened. This prevents the collar from cutting through their neck.
What materials are martingale collars made of?
Martingale collars can be made of various materials. The most popular and common materials used are nylon or poly webbing for durability and it’s often covered with trendy fabric for the look. Why not? Your dogs are precious and deserve to be fashionable!
Here at Dahound, we make our martingale collars with poly webbing, covered with the most trendy premium quality fabric made of natural fibre imported from Europe, US, Japan and South Korea. Our martingale collars are covered with fabric inside and out so that it’s nice and soft on your dog’s neck. You can check out our martingale collar range here.
Are Martingale Collars exclusive to sighthounds?
The answer is no. It’s certainly not for every dog breed, especially when your dog is very small, but many other dog breeds enjoy the benefit of martingale collars.
Check out our blog post about four benefits of martingale collars for more information.
Can a martingale collar be a replacement for a house collar or an ID tag collar?
Martingale collars are not suitable to be used as a house collar because of the same reason why the martingale collars are recommended for walks. When the D-ring gets caught, your dog won’t be able to slip out of the collar without your help, which may lead to a choking hazard.
For this reason, we strongly recommend that your dog wears a martingale collar under your supervision at all times, and have a separate thin house collar for the ID tag.
Think of your martingale collar as a nice functional but fashionable jacket that you wear in winter. You don’t wear jackets around at home. You wear it to go outside, and take it off when you get home.
