All domestic animals should wear a collar, whether it is to hold an identification tag, for walks, or simply for decoration – collars come in all shapes and size.
However, if you’ve spent a fair amount of time with greyhounds, you may have noticed that most don’t wear a standard dog collar, but one resembling a thick leather strap.
If you’re considering greyhound adoption, you should consider what kind of collar is appropriate for your new companion.
To Collar or Not to Collar
As greyhounds have elongated necks, a standard dog collar will often slip off or injure the dog if fitted across their windpipe when the greyhound starts pulling on the lead. As such, one of the most important decisions is whether to collar your greyhound when at home.
Many owners fit their greyhounds with loose-fitting collars for wear at home which are slack enough to slip off easily should the collar become hooked on something around the house, while others choose not to collar their greyhounds at all at home.
Whichever you prefer, a collar used for walking must be well-fitted and correctly adjusted to fit snugly on your greyhound’s neck.
A Seamless Size and Fit
Only a properly adjusted collar should be used when walking your greyhound and it should sit higher on the neck than is normally seen in other breeds. Thanks to the greyhound’s large neck and small head, the collar must be a snug fit to prevent your feisty greyhound from getting out of their collar at an inopportune time or dangerous location.
Using a well-fitting colour will put your mind ease and you’ll have more energy for finding top AFL betting tips.
A snug fit can only be achieved by measuring your greyhound’s neck in the area on which the collar will be worn – lower down the neck for a housebound collar and higher up the neck for a walking / running collar.
Sighthound Collars
Sighthound breeds such as greyhounds, whippets, Salukis, Afghan hounds and Italian Greyhounds all have elongated necks and any owner will tell you that they are quite excitable when it comes to the possibility of chasing any kind of prey that has caught their eye.
This could lead to your sighthound lunging on their lead which could injure their necks if they’re fitted with a narrow collar. Sighthound collars are generally made from leather and are wider in the middle and narrower at both ends to accommodate the buckle.
These wider collars are fitted under the dog’s throat and if they are prone to pulling, the sighthound collar will not put pressure on the windpipe or cut off arterial blood flow.
Haltis
If your greyhound has a high prey drive, is prone to pulling, or is dog aggressive, a halti – also referred to as a Gentle Leader – could be the solution to this problem.
Resembling a horse’s halter, one portion of the halti works as a plain buckle collar worn at the top of the neck, while the second part loops around the greyhound’s muzzle, with the leash attaching to a ring at the bottom of the muzzle loop.
If the greyhound starts to pull on the lead, pressure is applied by the halti to the dogs muzzle and the back of their neck and their head is redirected towards you and away from what they are pulling towards. Haltis afford the best possible control over your pulling greyhound, but there will be an adjustment period so be sure to practise plenty at home before heading outdoors with it.