Dog Collar Size Guide: How to Measure Your Dog's Neck
The short answer: measure around the base of your dog's neck, where the collar actually sits, then add two fingers' width. For most dogs that means adding 2cm to 5cm depending on size. If the number falls between two sizes, go up.
That is the whole method. The rest of this guide is how to get an accurate number from a dog who will not stand still, how to translate it into a PAWD size, and the handful of mistakes that make a well-made collar fit badly.
What you need
- A soft tape measure, the fabric kind used for sewing.
- No tape measure? A piece of string and a ruler works just as well.
- Two fingers. Yours, not someone else's. More on that below.
- Thirty seconds and something your dog likes.
How to measure your dog's neck, step by step
Step 1: Find where the collar actually sits
Not at the top of the neck under the jaw, and not down on the shoulders. A collar sits in the middle, roughly two to three finger-widths below the ears, in the natural dip at the base of the neck. That is the spot you measure.
Step 2: Have them stand up
A sitting dog bunches the skin at the neck and you will measure a size too big. Standing, head level, weight on all four feet. If your dog treats a tape measure as a toy, measure while they are eating.
Step 3: Wrap the tape, do not pull it
Snug against the fur, flat all the way round, no tension. You are measuring the neck, not compressing it. Read the number where the tape meets itself.
Step 4: Add two fingers
Slide two fingers flat between the tape and the neck and read the number again. That second number is your collar size. Two fingers is roughly 2cm on a small dog and closer to 4cm or 5cm on a large one, which is exactly why the rule uses fingers rather than centimetres: it scales with the dog.
Step 5: Measure twice
Do it again a minute later. If the two numbers differ by more than 1cm, you have pulled the tape too tight on one of them. Take the larger.
The two-finger rule, and when it is wrong
Two fingers between collar and neck is the standard for an adult dog with a normal coat. Three exceptions:
- Thick double coats (husky, samoyed, chow, groodle in winter). Measure through the coat as it is now, then expect the fit to change after a groom. Err towards an adjustable collar with plenty of holes.
- Sighthounds (greyhound, whippet, italian greyhound). The head is narrower than the neck, so a standard collar slips straight off. These dogs need a martingale or a wide collar with a limited-slip design, measured at both the neck and just behind the ears.
- Puppies. Two fingers still applies, but you will be re-measuring every few weeks. See below.
PAWD collar size chart
| Size | Neck measurement | Typical dog | Recommended width |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 20cm to 25cm | Chihuahua, toy poodle, kitten-sized | 10mm to 15mm |
| S | 25cm to 30cm | Mini dachshund, pomeranian, small cavoodle | 15mm |
| M | 30cm to 38cm | Beagle, cocker spaniel, border collie, corgi | 20mm to 25mm |
| L | 38cm to 48cm | Labrador, golden retriever, boxer | 25mm to 38mm |
| XL | 48cm to 56cm | German shepherd, rottweiler, great dane | 38mm |
Every PAWD collar is adjustable within its size, so a measurement near the top of one range and the bottom of the next will fit in either. In that case take the larger size: you can always tighten a hole, you cannot add one.
Quick reference by breed
Use this as a sanity check on your own measurement, never as a substitute for it. Individual dogs vary by a surprising amount inside a breed.
| Breed | Usual neck | PAWD size |
|---|---|---|
| Cavoodle | 26cm to 33cm | S or M |
| Labrador | 40cm to 48cm | L |
| Golden retriever | 42cm to 50cm | L or XL |
| Border collie | 33cm to 41cm | M or L |
| French bulldog | 33cm to 41cm | M or L |
| Staffy | 38cm to 46cm | L |
| Beagle | 33cm to 40cm | M |
| Dachshund (standard) | 28cm to 36cm | S or M |
| German shepherd | 46cm to 56cm | XL |
| Greyhound | 33cm to 46cm | Martingale, measured separately |
| Pomeranian | 20cm to 28cm | XS or S |
| Cat (adult) | 20cm to 28cm | XS, breakaway only |
Puppies and growing dogs
A puppy's neck can gain 1cm a fortnight through the fast growth months. Check the fit weekly with the two-finger test and expect to buy a second collar.
Most owners go through two collars before the adult size: a small adjustable one from about eight weeks, then the adult collar somewhere between six and twelve months depending on breed. Large breeds keep filling out until about eighteen months. Buying the adult size early and running it on the tightest hole does not work, because the excess tail of the collar flaps and the buckle sits wrong.
How wide should the collar be?
Width matters more than people expect. Too narrow on a big dog and the pressure concentrates on a thin band. Too wide on a small dog and it fouls the jaw every time they look down.
- Under 5kg: 10mm to 15mm
- 5kg to 15kg: 15mm to 20mm
- 15kg to 30kg: 20mm to 25mm
- Over 30kg: 25mm to 38mm
Sighthounds are the exception again: a wide collar, 38mm or more, spreads load across a long neck and is the traditional choice for good reason.
Five mistakes that make a good collar fit badly
- Measuring over a thick winter coat and not re-checking after a groom. A groodle can drop two full centimetres in an afternoon.
- Measuring while the dog is sitting. Reliably a size too big.
- Pulling the tape tight. You are measuring a neck, not fitting a belt.
- Using the old collar's length as the measurement. Collars stretch, and the old one may have been wrong.
- Sizing down to stop a dog slipping out. If a dog backs out of a collar the answer is a martingale or a harness, not a tighter collar.
Collar, martingale or harness?
| Type | Best for | Avoid when |
|---|---|---|
| Flat collar | Everyday wear, ID tags, dogs who walk calmly | Dog pulls hard or has a narrow head |
| Martingale | Sighthounds, escape artists, gentle correction | Unsupervised wear, because the loop can catch |
| Harness | Pullers, puppies, flat-faced breeds, neck or throat issues | Nothing much, though a collar is still needed for ID |
| Breakaway collar | All cats, always | Never attach a lead to one |
Measuring a cat
Same method, smaller numbers, one non-negotiable: the collar must have a breakaway clasp. Cats climb, and a collar that cannot release is a hazard. Measure the neck, add one finger rather than two, and check it weekly. Most adult cats land between 20cm and 28cm.
Frequently asked questions
How tight should a dog collar be?
Snug enough to stay in place, loose enough to slide two fingers flat underneath. If you can fit three fingers it is too loose and the dog can back out of it. If one finger is a squeeze, it is too tight.
Where exactly do I measure my dog's neck?
At the base of the neck, in the natural dip where it meets the shoulders, roughly two to three finger-widths below the ears. This is lower than most people guess and it is where the collar will actually rest.
Should I measure my dog's neck or use their weight?
Measure. Weight is a poor predictor of neck size: a 20kg staffy and a 20kg border collie need different collars. Breed charts are a sanity check, not a method.
What if my dog is between two sizes?
Take the larger one. Every PAWD collar adjusts down within its range, so the bigger size will reach your measurement. The smaller one may not reach at all.
How do I measure a dog who will not sit still?
Measure while they are eating, or have a second person offer a treat at nose height to keep the head level. Failing that, use a piece of string, mark it with your thumb, and measure the string afterwards at your leisure.
How often should I check the fit?
Weekly for puppies, after every groom for long-coated breeds, and every few months for an adult dog. Weight changes, seasonal coat changes and collar stretch all move the fit.
Can a collar be too tight without me noticing?
Yes, and the signs are easy to miss: hair loss or a flattened ring in the coat where the collar sits, coughing on the lead, scratching at the neck, or a reluctance to have the collar put on. Check with two fingers rather than by eye.
My dog keeps slipping out of their collar. What should I do?
Do not tighten it. A dog who backs out of a collar usually has a head narrower than their neck, which is a shape problem rather than a sizing one. A martingale tightens just enough to prevent escape without choking, and a harness removes the issue entirely.
What size collar does a puppy need?
Measure now and buy for now. A puppy collar should fit today with room on the adjustment, not fit in six months. Expect to replace it once or twice before the adult size.
Is leather or webbing better?
Leather softens to the shape of the neck, lasts longer and looks better as it ages, but dislikes being soaked repeatedly. Webbing is lighter, washable and better for dogs who swim. Both are good; it depends on your dog's week.
Do cats need a different kind of collar?
Yes. Cats need a breakaway clasp that releases under sustained pressure, because cats climb and get caught. Never put a dog collar on a cat, and never clip a lead to a breakaway collar.
How much room should there be under a cat collar?
One finger, not two. Cats have smaller necks and more flexible shoulders, and a two-finger gap on a cat is loose enough for a front leg to get through.
Still not sure?
Send us the measurement and the breed and we will tell you which size to order. If it arrives and the fit is wrong, send it back within 30 days and we will swap it.
