Since you are reading this article it is safe to assume that you are looking into getting a sighthound or perhaps you just welcomed one into your home. Further we are guessing you are curious on whether you need a special kind of collar for your pup so we wrote a little article about it to point you in the right direction.

The answer to your question is yes – your pup does have some requirements when it comes to collars. Sighthounds are amongst the oldest known dog breeds and as result a lot of tradition follows these gracious canines. You are most likely already familiar with the decorative “betassled” collars of the Saluki and the wide cut leather collars of racing greyhounds and lurchers. While the style and design of the sighthound collar is attractive more importantly the design has a practical side to it.

The sighthound breeds are equipped with an athletic yet lean body, a long muscular neck and a narrow head. With this remarkable anatomy in mind the classic greyhound collar was originally designed for coursing a greyhound or a lurcher. The collar is constructed with a wide cut to prevent the hound from cutting off its arterial blood flow and breathing abilities when straining towards a hare when on leash. Like many other classics, the greyhound collar design is just as relevant today as it provides a comfortable and much needed support for the long slinky hound neck.

So, we’ve established that a wide cut collar is the way to go, however due to the nature of the sighthound anatomy there is yet another thing to consider before investing in a collar. The sighthound's head is narrower than their neck which makes it easy for a sighthound to back out of its collar. This is just as true for Greyhounds as it is for Italian greyhounds, Whippets, Salukis, Borzois and Azawakhs as well as other hound breeds like dachshunds. If your pup has a habit of sliding out of its collar, a well fitted, wide cut martingale “safety collar” might be a better option for you.

A sighthound martingale collar is constructed without pin buckles and is slipped over the dog’s head rather than opened and closed in the front. As your pup tries to pull or back out of its collar the front strap tightens, thus preventing it from successfully escaping and serving its purpose as a safety collar.

If you’re interested in knowing more about the martingale collar – stay tuned. We will be writing a more in-depth article about the design shortly. 

Text by Canem Studio

Photography by Tanja Noel