Why Your Dog Needs a Martingale Collar
It prevents escape, works as a training tool and is recommended by dog rescue workers
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When it comes to buying a collar for your dog, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of options out there. Do you go with a standard utilitarian collar with a buckle? Or a more elaborate design? Did you know that even Gucci makes collars now? Perhaps you forgo a collar in favour of a harnessopens in a new tab. But then, what kind of harness? Back clip? Front clip? Head halti? The sheer number of possible canine restraints is dizzying.
The answer, of course, depends on your dog and their specific needs. But for many dog trainers, walkers and rescue professionals, one collar has become an indispensable tool for ensuring the safety of dogs who might slip out of a regular collar: the martingale.
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opens in a new tabThe martingale collar, also known as a ‘limited-slip collar’ or a ‘Greyhound collar’ is a collar with two loops. The first wraps around about three-quarters of the width of the dog’s neck, and the two ends of it are connected by a ‘control loop’, which can be made of fabric or chain, and is where the lead is attached. When the collar is correctly fitted, the design of the martingale allows you to tighten the collar without choking the dog. Here’s everything you need to know to determine if a martingale collar is right for your dog and how to adjust the fit to use it correctly.
Where did martingale collars come from?
It’s unclear when, exactly, the martingale collar was first invented, but most experts agree that it was first used primarily for Sighthounds such as Greyhounds, Whippets and Salukis, who have long, thick necks and narrow heads that regular collars can easily slip over.
The term martingale likely comes from a piece of horse tack of the same name, which is also known as a ‘tiedown’ or ‘headcheck’, and is a strap that prevents the horse’s head from whipping so far back that it risks hitting the rider.
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How are martingale collars used?
Beyond the martingale’s popularity with Sighthound pup parents, the collar has also become a favourite tool among those working in dog rescue centres, because they prevent skittish dogs from slipping out of collars without risk of choking and traumatising them. (The martingale, to be clear, is not a choke collar – when correctly sized, it tightens just to the width of your dog’s neck, but not more than that.)
Melissa Giordano, the adoption coordinator for The Sato Projectopens in a new tab, which rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes stray dogs from Puerto Rico, says that she’s used martingale collars for almost 15 years, and that they are an essential tool for keeping her organisation’s rescues safe. “We fly all of our dogs over from Puerto Rico, so they come off the plane – it’s loud, it’s a new environment and it’s scary. Sometimes their flight instincts are strong, and they just want to run,” says Melissa. “So we have to have something that they can’t slip out of, that’s going to be secure but also doesn’t risk injuring them like a traditional choke collar.”
Robert Haussmann, a certified professional dog trainer, co-founder of Dogboy NYCopens in a new tab and Kinship Collectiveopens in a new tab member, recommends his clients use martingales in conjunction with other collars or harnesses as a safety precaution. “If I talk to walking companies, I usually encourage them to have some martingale collars as a back-up for whatever device their clients are using,” he says. “So if a client is using a no-pull harness, a head collar or a traditional harness that closes between the shoulder blades, the martingale can be used as well, just in case there’s an equipment failure.”
Robert uses a martingale with his own dog, who is “shaped like a whippet”, and says it’s a “fantastic” everyday collar for dogs who are already calm and responsive on a lead. Still, he warns against leaning on it too heavily as a training device. Owners of dogs who are easily excitable, or who pull a lot, might be inclined to use the martingale’s tightening ability as a punishment for a dog who pulls. But this punishment, Robert warns, can exacerbate a dog’s nervousness and behavioural issues, and add more stress to an already stressful situation.
“There is no tool that makes up for the relationship between you and your dog, and the work and effort you’re putting into training that dog,” says Robert. “A lot of times, people use devices like that to suppress behaviours, instead of teaching their dogs appropriate behaviours.”
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What to know before getting a martingale collar
The most important thing to keep in mind when getting any collar, but especially a martingale, is fit. Melissa says that whichever type of collar you get your dog, a good rule of thumb is that you want to be able to fit two fingers underneath it when the dog is wearing it: “You want it to be snug but comfortable, so the dog has room to breathe.”
Martingales come in a variety of sizes, shapes and patterns (for Sighthounds, for example, there are thicker collars that help distribute pressure around their long necks), so finding the right one for your dog may take some measuring and shopping around online. Melissa also says that, for safety reasons, she personally prefers a martingale with a quick-release buckle. That way, she says, if the dog’s collar gets caught on something and they start choking, it’s easy to free them without having to find scissors to cut the collar off.
Once you get the collar, make sure to give your dog time to get comfortable with it before you take them out on a walk. Robert recommends letting your dog smell the collar, clicking the buckle so they get used to the sound and having them wear it for brief periods around your home so they can get accustomed to the feel.
And remember to pair any collar or harness with regular training: “Once your dog knows how to walk well on a lead and is doing a great job, then by all means, a martingale can be your full-time collar,” says Robert.
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Madeleine Aggeler
Madeleine Aggeler is a freelance journalist and copywriter in Washington, D.C. Previously, she was a writer at New York magazine’s The Cut. She lives with her dog, Cleo, who works primarily as a foot warmer.
