Dog Collar Fit and Sizing: Measure Once, Buy Right

On this page

• Collar Sizes Compared, With Prices and Where Each Is Fitted
• How to Measure a Dog for a Collar: Tape Placement and the Two-Finger Rule
• Picking Between Sizes When Your Dog Lands in the Middle
• Flat Collar, Slip Collar, or a Sized Training Collar
• Options We Do Not Sell That Some Dogs Do Better In
• When the Plain Flat Collar Is the Right Answer
• Puppies and Growing Dogs: Re-Measuring Without Rebuying Twice
• Fit Checks That Catch a Problem Before a Walk Does
• Frequently Asked Questions

Every dog owner who has stood in a store aisle holding two collar sizes has asked the same question: does it actually matter this much? It does, and fixing it takes less time than picking a color. Below is the current lineup from the Partners Dogs Shop, priced and compared, followed by how to measure a dog for a collar, style by style. Our trainers fit collars in person at both the Scottsdale and Cave Creek locations, and everything here works just as well if you are ordering online and measuring your dog yourself.

Collar Sizes Compared, With Prices and Where Each Is Fitted

Prices shown reflect 2026 rates and can change; see the current pricing page for today's numbers.

The Nylon Collar is the right starting point for most households, and it is also the least expensive option on the table. Kim K., who boarded her dog Cooper at our Scottsdale campus, said as much about the staff's approach during his stay.

"They took time to explain training, collar options and how they handle daily potty breaks."

Kim K., Scottsdale

That kind of walkthrough is available in person at either location, though every collar here ships and sizes correctly from the chart alone. It is one reason the reviews add up: 4.8 stars across more than 2,000 published reviews. None of the four collars fits every dog; the right pick depends on what it needs to do on the leash, not what it costs.

How to Measure a Dog for a Collar: Tape Placement and the Two-Finger Rule

The tape measure goes exactly where the collar will sit day to day, not around the widest part of the neck. That spot changes with the collar type, and getting it wrong is the most common reason a new collar feels off the first time it goes on.

• Everyday flat collar: measure around the mid-neck where the collar will ride, lay the tape flat against the fur, and add about two inches. That matches the sizing guidance published on the Nylon Collar's own product page, and it is the simplest of the four to get right on your own.
• Slip collar: measure the same mid-neck spot, then check that the loop also clears comfortably over your dog's ears and skull before it tightens. A biothane slip collar has no buckle to loosen further, so size toward the option that still leaves two fingers of room at rest.
• Chain training collar: measure high on the neck, right behind the ears, where a training collar is meant to sit. Add two to three inches beyond the closed loop, the high-and-tight fit trainers use, rather than sizing it like an everyday collar.
• Prong collar: measure the same high spot, snug, with no added slack. Because it is sized by link count instead of inches, this is the one style worth fitting in person rather than sizing from a tape measurement alone.

Picking Between Sizes When Your Dog Lands in the Middle

Round toward the tighter option on an adjustable collar and the looser option on a fixed one. The Nylon Collar's S, M, and L sizes each adjust across a range. Choose the size where your measurement sits in the lower half of that range, since the buckle can only cinch down so far before it runs out of strap.

A fixed-inch collar works the opposite way. The Chrome-Plated Training Collar is sold in exact sizes from 14 inches to 26 inches with no strap to adjust afterward, so round up to the next available size rather than down. A collar with a little extra length can still be fitted correctly high on the neck; a collar that will not close around the neck cannot be worn at all.

The prong collar sidesteps this problem, since its 2.25mm links add or remove to close any gap. It ships and sizes fine on its own, but of the four collars on this list, it is the one worth taking us up on for an in-person fitting at Scottsdale or Cave Creek if you are new to the tool.

Flat Collar, Slip Collar, or a Sized Training Collar

Each of the four collars on the table earns its place for a different situation, not because one is more advanced than the rest.

The Nylon Collar is built for daily wear: tags, a leash clip, hours on and off with no supervision required, and a welded D-ring that holds up over time. It does not correct pulling, and it is not meant to.

The Partners Slip Collar goes on and off over the head in one motion, which is useful for a dog who bolts the second the front door opens; our door-bolting guide is worth a look if that sounds familiar. It gives quick, even feedback on a leash during an active walk, but it is not an all-day collar and should come off once the walk ends.

The Chrome-Plated Training Collar and the Black Stainless Steel Prong Collar are traditional obedience tools, sized exactly and fitted high behind the ears for leash pressure a dog can actually feel and respond to. Both are built for a dog who is still learning to listen under distraction, not for a dog who simply needs somewhere to hang a tag. If the gap is a dog who tunes out once real distraction shows up, building reliable listening closes that faster than a stronger collar does on its own.

Options We Do Not Sell That Some Dogs Do Better In

Front-clip harnesses and head halters are not stocked in the Partners Dogs Shop, and for a specific set of dogs, either one solves a problem a collar cannot.

A front-clip harness attaches the leash at the chest instead of the neck, which redirects a hard pull sideways instead of straight into the throat. It is a genuinely better default for brachycephalic breeds, for a dog recovering from a neck or tracheal issue, or for a smaller handler managing a dog strong enough to pull them off balance. The tradeoff is that a harness gives up some of the precision a trainer relies on when actively working leash manners.

A head halter fits over the muzzle and the back of the skull and redirects the dog's whole head when he pulls, not just the leash. It is effective for a dog whose pulling is strong enough that a collar or harness alone cannot manage safely, but most dogs paw at it and need a short, deliberate desensitization period before they wear one without a fight. Neither option is available through Partners, and either is worth asking a trainer about directly if your dog's situation calls for it.

When the Plain Flat Collar Is the Right Answer

For most family dogs, the plain flat collar is the correct purchase, not the budget one. If your dog already walks on a mostly loose leash, does not need corrective feedback to stay out of the street, and mainly needs somewhere secure to hang an ID tag, the Nylon Collar does everything required and nothing it does not.

Reaching for a training collar because it looks more serious will not fix leash pulling by itself. If pulling is the actual problem, a private lesson built around the leash itself will get further than any collar upgrade, and our pulling on leash guide covers what that work looks like session to session.

The training collars on this list earn their place for a dog already receiving guidance on how to use one, not as a substitute for that guidance.

Puppies and Growing Dogs: Re-Measuring Without Rebuying Twice

A growing puppy needs a collar that grows with him, which rules out most of the fixed-size options on this list until he is closer to adult size. Buy the adjustable Nylon Collar, and put a reminder on the calendar to re-measure his neck monthly. A puppy who measures small enough for the smallest chain training collar size in month one can outgrow it well before month four.

Wait to size the Chrome-Plated Training Collar or the Black Stainless Steel Prong Collar until neck growth has leveled off, which for many breeds is well past six months old. Buying the fixed-inch or fixed-link version early usually means buying it again once the growth spurt catches up, where an adjustable flat collar just moves to the next hole on the strap.

Fit Checks That Catch a Problem Before a Walk Does

Run through this list before the leash clips on, not after something has already gone wrong on the sidewalk.

• Two fingers slide flat under the collar at rest, without forcing them in.
• The collar sits where you fitted it, not slipped down toward the widest part of the neck.
• No fur loss, redness, or matting under the collar, a sign it has been sitting too tight.
• The buckle or clasp stays closed under a firm tug, tested before the leash goes on.
• Tags and ID move freely on the D-ring and do not catch on the collar's edge.
• Any slip, chain, or prong collar comes off the moment the walk or session ends. None of the three is built for crate time or an empty house.

"Great, efficient setup and collar training. Trainers were great, and kind to my dog and me! They thoroughly explained everything."

Annette C., Cave Creek

That thoroughness is what a fit check stands in for at home: the same walkthrough a trainer gives in person, run by you, before every walk that uses a training collar. A well-fitted collar and a trained leash habit solve two different halves of the same walk, as Melanie L.'s experience at our Cave Creek campus shows below.

"The entire staff is so friendly and accommodating. I took my pup here for private lessons with Emily and she was amazing. She helped our issue of pulling on the leash and even worked on a few more things with us as well."

Melanie L., Cave Creek

Frequently Asked Questions

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