Choosing a new collar for a lurcher

When choosing a collar for your lurcher there are some special considerations you need to be aware of:

1) Many lurchers have a neck that is bigger (in circumference) than their head

Lurchers (especially males) generally have thick muscular necks and long thin pointed heads, with ears that can lie absolutely flat to their head. This means if a lurcher is frightened by something whilst out for a walk (and some are terrible babies) it may panic and simply back out of a loose collar. Make sure the collar fits snugly without being too tight (see measuring below).

2) A badly chosen lurcher collar can injure and possibly break the dog's neck.

It is said that a large lurcher can accelerate from 0 to 35mph in 3 seconds. Lurchers are bred to chase and hunt so they can be expected to show 'considerable interest' in cats or rabbits. As the dog reaches the end of its lead the collar can jerk its neck with considerable force. To protect the dog's neck/back from injury a lurcher collar should span two vertebrae. This means a minimum width of two inches. All Barefoot Leather lurcher collars meet (and exceed) this standard.

3) Measure your dog's neck correctly.

Take a tape measure around the neck and just behind the ears (where the neck is narrowest). The collar will naturally sit here when the dog pulls against the lead. To ensure comfort, slip two fingers under the tape measure before reading off the length. If the length is too great the dog will soon learn to slip backwards out of the collar.