The best dog collar for your new puppy

What is the Best Dog Collar For a Puppy?

ST ARGO is one of the best dog collar brands on the market for bringing home your new puppy. We have 1000’s of 5 star reviews, but here’s some important points on what makes ST ARGO the best! Your new fluffy family member is in good hands with a ST ARGO Collar.

 

Lightweight Collars for Puppies and Small Dogs

When bringing home a new puppy, you have to consider their comfort as the #1 factor. Mostly, these puppies have never even worn a collar before, so the feeling of something on their neck will be unfamiliar and at times uncomfortable.

You need to consider the weight of the collar and this is directly associated with the material used. For example, a thick and heavy genuine leather collar will be more uncomfortable for a new puppy or a small dog.

The ST ARGO collars are made from a lightweight leather alternative, so they have the beautifully chic leather look, without the weight! Our collars are perfect for small pups wearing collars for the first time. For this reason, vegan leather is an excellent option for small dogs and puppies.

Fun fact: One of the main reasons ST ARGO came into effect, was because we struggled to find a cute pink collar that was small enough to bring our Cavoodle puppy home in! We settled for a hot pink animal leather collar at the time. It was horrible. It had embellishments all over it and a massive overhang that looked uncomfortable. But it was the only pink collar that was small enough! Now she wears the Pale Pink Collar, designed simply with love.

 ST ARGO Pale Pink Vegan Leather Dog Collar

Read our reviews and see what other verified customers have to say about the ST ARGO collar sizing. The extra small and small sizes are literally MADE for puppies!

...'The ST ARGO Peach collar in extra-small was the only collar I managed to find that would comfortably fit my little dachshund when she was a puppy. everything else was waaaaay too big. I'm glad I had ST ARGO as a comfortable and stylish option for her as a puppy. We loved the style and quality so much that it's all she wears now as a 2-year old!'...

 Size Extra Small Dog Collar in Peach on Dachshund Puppy ST ARGO

Choosing the Right Sized Collar for Your New Dog

Selecting the best size collar for your puppy is SO important! You need to ensure it is sturdy but not bulky. For small dogs this can be extra tricky! Luckily, our extra small and small collars are only 1cm wide. This is a nice thin width which is perfect for puppies and dogs under 6kg who are wearing collars for the first time. So many customers will comment that their dog will not wear any other collar now. The ST ARGO collar can barely be felt because of the sleekness in design and lightweight material used.

For context, a small puppy (breeds such as Dachshunds, Cavoodles and Chihuahuas) will have neck circumferences from under 17cm to 22cm. This is the exact size of our extra small collar. Larger breed puppies (such as Huskies, Labradors and Golden Retrievers) will be needing the size small collar to go home with – the collar sizing here is 22-27cm. Check our size guide for a more comprehensive overview on our whole range.

 

Choosing a Durable Collar for Your Puppy

When it comes to materials of dog collars, the two main options on the market are nylon or leather. We have already discussed why our leather alternative is superior to animal leather for many reasons, but what about nylon?

Well, something you need to consider with nylon and a puppy is: puppy teeth! Puppy teeth are incredible sharp (we’ve all been nipped). Nylon is lightweight but not as sturdy as vegan leather. For this reason, a rogue puppy and a nylon collar is like a knife through butter. If you manage to avoid your puppy totally shredding their nylon collar, consider also the fraying of the collar if he/she is especially rambunctious. Nylon collars are great for small and docile dogs. More on this in our collar material article.

 For a puppy, we recommend vegan leather.

 

Making Sure Your Puppy’s Collar Fits Properly: Overhang!

In addition to comfort, selecting the correct size is important for your puppy because you want to ensure that there is no substantial ‘overhang’ on the collar if it is too large for your pup. If there is overhang on the collar, a new puppy will be tempted to chew this and quickly ruin their new collar!

This is why we have achieved the perfect sizing for both small and large dog breeds when bringing them home as puppies. The extra small collars are ideal for an 8-10 week old small breed puppy, whilst we recommend our small collars for an 8-10 week old larger breed dog.  

 

How to Tell if Your Dog’s Collar is Too Tight or Small:

Okay, so you know you want a lightweight, cute collar for your dog that’s not too tight but also not too loose… how do you accurately measure this?

 When measuring your dog for a collar, take a tape measure and wrap around your dog’s neck. Ensure you have 2 fingers under the tape measure at this point. Whatever measurement this is, should be a correct fit that is not too tight for your pup! The last thing you want to do when putting a delicate puppy into their first collar, is put them in a collar that is too tight, so this is a very important step!

measure dog's neck with measuring tape and two fingers under tape for accurate measurement 

Check if your dog’s collar is too tight by slipping two fingers under the collar and the dog’s neck. If it sits comfortably like this, it is a good fit, as a general rule of thumb. Check for signs of discomfort. One good example of your dog not being comfortable is if they are constantly scratching at the collar.

If you need any help with collar sizing, feel free to contact us via our live chat function, Instagram DM or email us and we can easily recommend a size by judging off photos, age and breed. After giving thousands of recommendations on sizing, we are experts!

 

Should I Choose a Dog Collar with a Buckle or Quick-Release Closure?

 

Quick Release Buckle Closure for Dog Collar and ST ARGO Traditional Buckle Closure for Dog Collar

 

Another consideration when choosing the best collar for your dog is thinking about the kind of closure the collar has.

There are two main kinds of closures:

  1. Buckle closure; and
  2. Quick release closure.

 Quick release closures have two side buttons which easily pop open the collar. These are great for kittens who climb or are outside cats who are at risk of getting stuck in a branch or a gate and will need to get out of their collar. 

The ST ARGO collar has the traditional buckle closure. They are made from our high quality zinc-alloy material. This material is highly durable, scratch proof and customised (for cuteness). It’s high quality but lightweight so as not to weigh down your puppy! We have many breeders who are registered ST ARGO retailers, who choose ST ARGO collars for just this reason – they are lightweight enough to be comfortable for an 8 week old puppy, but extremely chic with the traditional buckle closure.

Dachshund Puppy in ST ARGO Sage Dog Collar

Other Considerations when Selecting Puppy Collar

Some other features of a dog collar to consider wen you bring a new puppy home are covered below.

  1. D-slot for lead. You will eventually get to the stage where your new pup is fully vaccinated and ready to face the outside world! You want to ensure your pup’s collar fits to a leash via the d-slot. Our ST ARGO collar has been designed so that the custom d-slot is lightweight but durable, and connect easily with the ST ARGO leash. You’re all ready for your boujee walks and we love coming on walks with you and your new family member. Ensure you have a decent amount of poop bags, and why not try our poop bag holder to complete your walk set!
  2. D-slot for ID tags: If you’re anything like us, the more accessories the better! We don’t sell ID tags yet, but there are hundreds of cute options for personalised pet ID tags on Etsy Australia. They’re often made by small/local businesses and often totally customisable! How fun. Maybe we should release a range in the future… Anyway, we have designed our hardware to be slim so that the vast majority of pet ID tags can easily slot over the d-slot. Who knew dog accessories could be so fun?
  3. Exchange policies – it’s important to remember that often when you bring a new puppy home, you aren’t actually able to measure their neck so won’t know their sizing! You can of course always ask the breeder, but if you are gifting a collar to a friend or family member, this can be tricky! Always ensure you check the exchange policy when purchasing a new collar. At ST ARGO, we offer easy exchanges so long as the collar is in new condition still. We have a 28-day exchange policy and ship from Sydney. Super easy and our customer service team will reply to all exchange enquiries within ½ day! The last thing you want is to be purchasing your puppy’s dream collar, only to have selected the wrong size and have no option to exchange for a size up or down, or the option to exchange is there but it is shipped from the other side of the world, and by the time you receive the size you needed, the puppy has grown again!

ST ARGO Easy Collar Exchange Guide

We hope this blog post has been informative! Remember, when selecting a dog collar for your new puppy, some key considerations are:

1. Material;

2. Sizing;

3. Hardware Features;

4. Adjustability; and

5. Exchange Policies.

Choosing products for your new fluffy family member can be very overwhelming. At the end of the day, as long as you give them lots of love, your new pup will be happy and you will learn as you go. Plus, we’re always here to help with any dog- accessory related questions! Check out other useful tips on our FAQ blog post.

If you're having trouble sizing your dog for a ST ARGO harness, check out our blog post on how to choose the best harness for a dog. Or, do you have a cat or thinking of welcoming a kitty? Check out our post on the best lightweight cat collar!

XO ST ARGO

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Staffy in Ruby Red Dog Harness

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