Fit guide

How to measure your dog for a collar

Wrap a soft tape measure around the base of your dog's neck, just above the shoulders, with two fingers lying flat between the tape and the coat. Read the number exactly as it is, with nothing added on. That measurement picks your size band, XS to XL, and we make the collar to order in that size.

Below: where the tape goes, how the collar should fit, the size chart, measuring a puppy, and a breed guide for when you can’t get a tape near your dog.

Where do I measure?

At the base of the neck – the widest part, just above the shoulders, where a collar naturally settles. Not just behind the ears: the neck narrows there, so the number comes out too small and the collar rides up under the jaw.

1. Find the base of the neck
Let your dog stand with their head up naturally, then run your hand down the neck to where it meets the shoulders. That’s where the tape goes, and where the collar will sit.
2. Two fingers under the tape
Slide two fingers flat between the tape and the coat, and take the measurement with them in place. Two fingers lying flat – not pushed in edgeways, not a whole hand. This is the clearance that makes a collar comfortable without making it an escape risk.
3. Read it off
Use the number exactly as you read it – no need to add anything. The calculator below turns it into the size to order. No tape measure? Use string or a phone cable, mark where it meets, then hold it against a ruler. Most people find that easier than wrestling a tape around a wriggling dog.

A note on coats

Double-coated breeds measure bigger in winter than after a spring moult. If your dog carries a lot of coat, take a second measurement with your fingers pressed gently down to the skin and tell us both numbers.

Diagram showing where to measure a dog's neck, with two fingers under the tape

Find your size

Enter the measurement from around the base of your dog’s neck.

Neck measurement

inches

Your size will appear here as you type.

How should a dog collar fit?

Snug at the base of the neck, with room to slide two fingers flat underneath. If three or four fingers fit, it's too loose and could be pulled over the head; if two won't go under, it's too tight.

It should sit low, where you measured. A collar that creeps up under the jaw is either too loose or was measured too high.
Do the two-finger check when it arrives, again whenever your dog’s coat or weight changes, and weekly for a growing puppy.
If it doesn’t fit when it arrives, tell us. We’d rather remake or adjust it than have your dog wear something that doesn’t fit.

What size collar does my dog need?

The size whose range your neck measurement falls in: XS 20–28cm, S 28–35cm, M 35–43cm, L 43–52cm, XL 52–63cm. Each range includes its lower number and stops just short of the higher one, so 35cm exactly is size M.

Collar sizes and their neck ranges
Size	Neck (cm)	Neck (inches)
XS	20–28cm	7.9–11.0"
S	28–35cm	11.0–13.8"
M	35–43cm	13.8–16.9"
L	43–52cm	16.9–20.5"
XL	52–63cm	20.5–24.8"

The size is what we make: each collar is made to order in the size your measurement picks, and adjusts within it. Smaller than 20cm or bigger than 63cm? Send us the number – we can make bigger to order, and we’ll tell you honestly whether we can go smaller.

What if my dog is between sizes?

Size up. Every collar adjusts inwards within its size, but none of them let out beyond it, so a size up will still come in to fit.

How do I measure a puppy for a collar?

Exactly as you would a grown dog – around the base of the neck, two fingers flat under the tape – but pick a size your puppy's measurement sits low in, so the collar has room to let out as they grow. If the number is within 2cm of the top of a size, go up one.

When to re-measure

Puppies outgrow collars alarmingly fast, so do the two-finger check every week. When two fingers won’t slide under even on the loosest setting, measure again.

Because everything is made to order, a replacement isn't pulled from a shelf of fixed sizes: we make it new, in the size the new measurement picks. That takes 3–5 working days to make and 3–5 in the post, so order the next one when the collar is on its loosest setting, not once it's already tight.

Larger breeds

For a bigger breed it’s often more sensible to use something inexpensive until around ten months, when growth has mostly settled, and then buy a collar that will last for years. And whatever their size, take the collar off when your puppy is crated or unsupervised.

Breed guide

A starting point, not an answer. Dogs vary enormously within a breed – two labradors from the same litter can be two sizes apart – so please treat this as a sanity check on a measurement rather than a substitute for one.

Most asked about

Search breeds

Crossbreed or not listed? Measure your dog instead – it beats any breed average.

146 breeds

Typical adult neck measurements and collar sizes by breed
Breed	Group	Typical neck	Usual size
Affenpinscher	Toy	25–30cm	XS–S
Airedale Terrier	Terrier	40–48cm	M–L
Akita	Working	50–60cm	L–XL
Alaskan Malamute	Working	50–60cm	L–XL
American Bulldog	Working	48–58cm	L–XL
American Cocker Spaniel	Gundog	33–40cm	S–M
Anatolian Shepherd Dog	Pastoral	55–65cm	XL+
Australian Cattle Dog	Pastoral	40–48cm	M–L
Australian Shepherd	Pastoral	40–50cm	M–L
Basenji	Hound	30–38cm	S–M
Basset Fauve de Bretagne	Hound	33–40cm	S–M
Basset Hound	Hound	40–50cm	M–L
Beagle	Hound	33–41cm	S–M
Bearded Collie	Pastoral	40–48cm	M–L
Beauceron	Pastoral	48–58cm	L–XL
Bedlington Terrier	Terrier	33–40cm	S–M
Belgian Malinois	Pastoral	43–53cm	L–XL
Bernedoodle	Crossbreed	45–58cm	L–XL
Bernese Mountain Dog	Working	50–60cm	L–XL
Bichon Frise	Toy	25–32cm	XS–S
Bloodhound	Hound	50–60cm	L–XL
Border Collie	Pastoral	36–46cm	M–L
Border Terrier	Terrier	30–38cm	S–M
Boston Terrier	Utility	33–41cm	S–M
Boxer	Working	45–55cm	L–XL
Bracco Italiano	Gundog	45–53cm	L–XL
Brittany	Gundog	38–45cm	M–L
Bull Terrier	Terrier	43–51cm	L
Bull Terrier (Miniature)	Terrier	35–43cm	M
Bulldog	Utility	43–53cm	L–XL
Bullmastiff	Working	55–66cm	XL+
Cairn Terrier	Terrier	30–37cm	S–M
Cane Corso	Working	53–65cm	XL+
Cavachon	Crossbreed	26–33cm	XS–S
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	Toy	28–35cm	S
Cavapoo	Crossbreed	28–36cm	S–M
Chesapeake Bay Retriever	Gundog	45–55cm	L–XL
Chihuahua	Toy	20–26cm	XS
Chinese Crested	Toy	22–28cm	XS
Chow Chow	Utility	45–55cm	L–XL
Clumber Spaniel	Gundog	45–55cm	L–XL
Cockapoo	Crossbreed	30–40cm	S–M
Cocker Spaniel	Gundog	33–41cm	S–M
Collie (Rough)	Pastoral	40–48cm	M–L
Collie (Smooth)	Pastoral	40–48cm	M–L
Coton de Tulear	Toy	25–32cm	XS–S
Dachshund (Miniature)	Hound	25–32cm	XS–S
Dachshund (Standard)	Hound	33–40cm	S–M
Dalmatian	Utility	43–52cm	L
Doberman	Working	48–58cm	L–XL
Dogue de Bordeaux	Working	55–68cm	XL+
English Setter	Gundog	43–52cm	L
English Springer Spaniel	Gundog	38–46cm	M–L
Flat-coated Retriever	Gundog	43–53cm	L–XL
Fox Terrier (Smooth)	Terrier	33–40cm	S–M
Fox Terrier (Wire)	Terrier	33–40cm	S–M
French Bulldog	Utility	35–43cm	M
German Shepherd	Pastoral	48–58cm	L–XL
German Shorthaired Pointer	Gundog	40–48cm	M–L
German Spitz	Utility	25–32cm	XS–S
German Wirehaired Pointer	Gundog	40–48cm	M–L
Giant Schnauzer	Working	50–60cm	L–XL
Golden Retriever	Gundog	43–53cm	L–XL
Goldendoodle	Crossbreed	40–52cm	M–L
Gordon Setter	Gundog	43–53cm	L–XL
Great Dane	Working	55–63cm	XL
Greyhound	Hound	38–46cm	M–L
Havanese	Toy	25–32cm	XS–S
Hungarian Vizsla	Gundog	40–48cm	M–L
Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla	Gundog	40–48cm	M–L
Irish Setter	Gundog	43–51cm	L
Irish Terrier	Terrier	35–43cm	M
Irish Wolfhound	Hound	48–60cm	L–XL
Italian Greyhound	Toy	20–27cm	XS
Italian Spinone	Gundog	45–55cm	L–XL
Jack Russell Terrier	Terrier	28–36cm	S–M
Japanese Spitz	Utility	30–38cm	S–M
Jug	Crossbreed	30–38cm	S–M
Keeshond	Utility	40–48cm	M–L
King Charles Spaniel	Toy	28–35cm	S
Labradoodle	Crossbreed	38–50cm	M–L
Labrador Retriever	Gundog	43–53cm	L–XL
Lagotto Romagnolo	Gundog	35–43cm	M
Lakeland Terrier	Terrier	30–37cm	S–M
Lancashire Heeler	Pastoral	28–35cm	S
Leonberger	Working	55–68cm	XL+
Lhasa Apso	Utility	28–35cm	S
Lurcher	Hound	38–48cm	M–L
Maltese	Toy	22–28cm	XS
Maltipoo	Crossbreed	22–30cm	XS–S
Mastiff	Working	60–72cm	XL+
Miniature American Shepherd	Pastoral	33–41cm	S–M
Miniature Pinscher	Toy	22–28cm	XS
Miniature Schnauzer	Utility	33–40cm	S–M
Newfoundland	Working	55–63cm	XL
Norfolk Terrier	Terrier	25–32cm	XS–S
Norwegian Elkhound	Hound	43–50cm	L
Norwich Terrier	Terrier	25–32cm	XS–S
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	Gundog	38–46cm	M–L
Old English Sheepdog	Pastoral	48–58cm	L–XL
Papillon	Toy	20–27cm	XS
Parson Russell Terrier	Terrier	30–38cm	S–M
Patterdale Terrier	Terrier	30–38cm	S–M
Pekingese	Toy	28–35cm	S
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen	Hound	33–41cm	S–M
Pointer	Gundog	40–48cm	M–L
Pomeranian	Toy	22–29cm	XS–S
Pomsky	Crossbreed	30–40cm	S–M
Poodle (Miniature)	Utility	28–36cm	S–M
Poodle (Standard)	Utility	40–50cm	M–L
Poodle (Toy)	Toy	22–29cm	XS–S
Portuguese Water Dog	Working	40–48cm	M–L
Pug	Toy	33–40cm	S–M
Puggle	Crossbreed	33–40cm	S–M
Pyrenean Mountain Dog	Pastoral	55–65cm	XL+
Rhodesian Ridgeback	Hound	48–58cm	L–XL
Rottweiler	Working	53–63cm	XL
Saint Bernard	Working	55–63cm	XL
Saluki	Hound	33–41cm	S–M
Samoyed	Pastoral	45–55cm	L–XL
Schipperke	Utility	30–38cm	S–M
Schnauzer (Standard)	Utility	38–46cm	M–L
Schnoodle	Crossbreed	28–38cm	S–M
Scottish Deerhound	Hound	43–53cm	L–XL
Scottish Terrier	Terrier	33–40cm	S–M
Shar Pei	Utility	45–55cm	L–XL
Shetland Sheepdog	Pastoral	33–40cm	S–M
Shiba Inu	Utility	33–41cm	S–M
Shih Tzu	Utility	28–35cm	S
Shih-poo	Crossbreed	25–33cm	XS–S
Siberian Husky	Working	43–53cm	L–XL
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	Terrier	36–44cm	M–L
Springador	Crossbreed	40–50cm	M–L
Sprocker Spaniel	Crossbreed	35–43cm	M
Sproodle	Crossbreed	33–41cm	S–M
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	Terrier	40–50cm	M–L
Tibetan Spaniel	Utility	28–35cm	S
Tibetan Terrier	Utility	33–41cm	S–M
Weimaraner	Gundog	45–55cm	L–XL
Welsh Corgi	Pastoral	35–43cm	M
Welsh Springer Spaniel	Gundog	38–46cm	M–L
Welsh Terrier	Terrier	35–42cm	M
West Highland White Terrier	Terrier	30–38cm	S–M
Whippet	Hound	33–40cm	S–M
Yorkipoo	Crossbreed	22–30cm	XS–S
Yorkshire Terrier	Toy	20–27cm	XS

XL+ means some dogs of the breed measure beyond our XL (63cm); we can make bigger to order.

Lead lengths

Our standard leads are 1.2m, which suits most pavement and park walking: long enough that your dog isn’t held tight to your leg, short enough to stay out of the mud and off other people. If you can’t find anything suitable, pop us an email.

Got your number?

Everything is made to order in the size you pick, so once you know your dog’s size you can choose the colours and we’ll make it.

Have a look at what we make