
Each of these situations increases the risk your dog can become injured. Because the weight of the hardware on the martingale loop moves to the front of your dog’s neck, they can get that loop caught on something, or get their teeth/mouth on the loops. If nervous, they may chew, piddle, hide – even try to escape. When you bring your new pup/rescue home, you’ll need a little time to get to know each other, and your pup will need to learn its new surroundings. Never leave a puppy or new dog unattended in a martingale collar. For proper fit, always measure the width of your dogs neck. The Artful Canine martingale is designed to fit properly, with a loop that it proportionate to the collar size. Look carefully at the loop size in comparison to the rest of the collar when shopping for a martingale.

Some martingales are designed poorly, and the loop of the martingale can be oversized – making it difficult to get the proper fit. If those two metal pieces touch each other and there is too much space between your dogs neck and the collar, your dog may be able to slip out or back out of the collar. When you attach the leash and pull, the two metal hardware pieces that form the loop of the collar should not touch (see at right). To get the proper fit, adjust the collar down to fit around the neck snugly (but not tight), just like a regular snap-on collar.

Proper fit for any collar is important, but even more so with a martingale collar. Make sure your martingale is fitted properly. Below are a few tips for safe martingale collar use. There are many different martingale types available, which we suggest you familiarize yourself with. If you are new to martingale collar safety & use, this is a good place to start. But they can pose a danger to your dog if not used properly.

Martingale collars are ideal for training and control. But you must be mindful if you keep a martingale collar on when off-leash. Martingale collars are excellent for maintaining control and keeping your dog safe on leash. What Do we Mean by Martingale Safety & Use?
