🥇 7 different Dog Collars for your Greyhound

Greyhound collars are among the most beautiful collars you probably can find.

There’s also a very wide variety of different collars that are good for Greyhounds and some that aren’t. This is why we put this overview together for you.

Greyhounds are different!

As you already know or learnt in our other posts, Greyhounds are different from other dogs in many ways. In the following article we will explain what kind of collars are available and the pros and cons for you and for your dog. No matter if you are a new owner or you are just looking for further information we will help you with your decision.

They are sitting up high!

In general Greyhound collars will sit higher on the Greyhound’s neck than what you might usually see with other dogs. This is due to the difference in diameter between the neck and the head of Greyhounds.

Only a snug fit will make it possible for the collar to fulfill it’s duty and not be easily slid off, if the dog has enough or needs some “alone time”.

Wearing a collar or going “topless”?

In general all collars can bear the danger of becoming hooked on something. While some people will choose looser collars for around the house – so the dog can slip out if it catches onto something – others will go for very tight fitting collars in order to decrease the chance of them becoming hooked on something at all. If you’ll put a collar on your pooch at home at all is up to you and your fear or the chance of the dog running away and needing some form of identification in order to be returned to you, if necessary. Our dogs go “commando” at home with nothing around their neck, as we don’t think there’s a chance of them getting out and away.

1. Martingale Collar

The most commonly used collar is the Martingale collar. It’s most important feature is the “limited slip” function. This means that no matter how strongly your hound pulls, it won’t tighten more as to the point that you set it to. This also means that if there’s no pull on the leash, the collar will open a bit and be wide enough so you can slip it over your Sighthound’s head in order to put it on or remove it.

But once there’s a pull on the leash it tightens and your dog won’t be able to pull it’s head out of the collar and run away.

Important: Nothing is failure proof, especially not a Martingale Collar!

Please note that even with the best adjusted Martingale collar, there is still a chance that a very panicky Greyhound might be able to pull it’s head out and get away. So please also take harnesses into consideration if you need extra security! Harnesses are a good solution if your dog is very anxious or there are extraordinary circumstances like fireworks or other potentially scary noises around you. Some Sighthound owners like to double secure their dogs with a collar and a harness if they know that fireworks might take place.

Most Greyhound aficionados will recommend Martingale collars as a safe but still pain free way of securing your pup without the hassle of fitting a harness everytime you go out with your dog.

The right accessory for the outfit

If you like your tail-wagger to look stunning, you will find many different Martingale collars available on the market. They are available in many different colors, materials and sizes. Many Greyhound lovers have different collars for different occasions and outfits.

2. Lurcher Collar

The Lurcher collar is also known as the Sighthound Collar and derives from Greyhound Coursing. Here the dog is ready to chase the prey and often excitedly pulling on the leash in order to run after it’s furry friend the rabbit. In order for the windpipe not to get damaged, the from part of this collar is wider than the backside. This spreads the pressure evenly on the front part of the neck.

These kinds of collars are often very elegantly designed. You can find them made out of leather or fabric and very often handcrafted.

Lurcher collars might be very elegant and pretty but they also have a negative side: As they don’t get tighter when the dog pulls away, there is a good chance that your couch-potato pulls its head back and escapes from the leash in order to have a nice run. This is very dangerous and the reason why we don’t advice to use these collars if your hound could get hurt once he gets out of your control.

4. LED collars aka “Blinkies”

This is a great solution if you walk your Sighthound at night and want to make sure that they are not being overlooked or if you let them run free in twilight or darkness.

Note: We would strongly suggest against letting a Greyhound run around in darkness as the danger of getting hurt is far too high.

As most of those collars are rather narrow – like Everyday Flat Collars – we like to use them in addition to a martingale and buy them in a bigger size so they sit behind the regular collar.

7. Dog Harnesses

Many Greyhounds don’t mind wearing things on their bodies as many are used to wearing a coat, especially if they are former racers. This is why many Greyhounds won’t mind wearing a Harness, either.

This is a great way of reducing the chances of neck injuries if your hound suddenly starts running and will only be stopped by reaching the end of the leash.

Another reason is that Harnesses are practically escape-proof. This is important if your dog is easily startled and there’s a chance it might slip out of its collar.

For our 2 Greyhounds we set up a rule: If it’s fireworks season, it’s Harness season.

If your doggie is harder to handle once the leash is not attached to the front of the body (the neck) but the middle of the body, we suggest doubling up with an ordinary collar as well. Then you have the best of both worlds which is a safe way many dog owners choose if the dog is new in their house, very insecure or if there are scary things around like fireworks, noisy roads, etc.