Pet Collars

Collars are a fertile playground for the paracord enthusiast who wants to get past bracelets but isn't quite confident enough to tackle truly large or complex projects (leashes, pouches, etc.). We'll break this down into a few major types.

Fixed-size Collars

The simplest thing to do, in making a collar, is to just use a bigger plastic side-release buckle and make essentially a giant bracelet. Any weave that you use for a bracelet can work for a collar. Tailor your choice to the size animal you're making it for - giant weaves on a chihuahua would probably not be good. The fixed-size collar has the great limitation of being one size, obviously, so be sure to have a good measurement of the animal's current collar to base your design on. Using a neck measurement, rather than a collar measurement, is problematic.

One major differentiating factor from a bracelet is that most collars have an attachment point for identification tags or a leash. Many people will add a D-ring along with one half of the buckle, which is a simple and effective method to add an ID tag connection. Most pet owners, though, want a ring further from the buckle to attach a leash. That bit of magic is simple to achieve with some designs, and devilishly tricky with others. Assume that you're using a simple solomon bar for the collar. A very clean way to integrate a ring is to use a round or D-ring woven along the length of the design, rather than across it. A D-ring will deform the collar a bit (flattening it out) so you may want to use a round ring. Also, any ring you use that will be expected to handle a leash attachment should be forged or welded so it is a solid piece of metal with no breaks.

Adjustable Collars

If you want to make an easily-adjustable collar, with a metal prong buckle, you'll want to look at designs with openings down the center of the tie. Some folks have had luck with a simple solomon bar, but it needs to be tied a little loose for the prong to slide through the knots. Wide solomon and KBK bars are the most foolproof designs, as they have nice lines of openings all down the center of the tie. Also, you'll want a tie that can be tapered at the end, if you desire a "normal" look to the belt.

When making adjustable collars, you'll need some sort of keeper to hold the loose end of the collar when it's worn. You can use a wide D-ring attached across the width of the tie, or you can use some of your shorter cord pieces that you likely have left over from the collar to make a solomon bar across the tie. Make sure it is loose enough for the belt to get through without too much frustration.

Specialty Collars

These collars are intended for walking the pet, and not for normal daily use. All three of these options produce a loose collar that is slid over the dog's head and a leash attached. The pulling of the dog on the leash causes the collars to tighten. All are tricky to measure, and basically impossible to tie on a jig. These collars rarely have ID tags attached.

Choke/Slip Collar

The most obvious variant is based on the same concept as the common "choke chain" collar. In the paracord version, you start with two rings, of equal size. Tie from one to the other, with the cord running through the first ring to get to the second. The design you use should slip easily through the metal rings, so be sure to use a tightly tied design or "slippery" design. A round braid would be the most obvious option, but a tightly-tied solomon or double-layer solomon (aka King Cobra) are also popular. The choke collar has a maximum neck size (the furthest extension) but essentially no minimum neck size, so this design is very flexible for non-custom work.

Martingale-style Collar

For those who like the idea of a choke collar but don't want to risk it getting too tight, there is the martingale-style collar. Named after a piece of horse tack, the martingale has two pieces, joined by rings. The main body would be the minimum size you want the collar to tighten to, generally an inch smaller than the dog's normal daily-use collar. This is tied between two rings, and can be made on a jig to keep a consistent tie as you make it. Looped through the two rings, and attached to a third ring, would be a "slippery" design, such as a 4-strand round braid. The two ends of this braid are both attached to the third ring, which is where the leash is attached. This loop of cord will shorten under strain, which makes the collar tighten on the dog's neck, but not so tight as a choke collar. This all-cord design is gentle on the animal, and looks quite nice as well.

Half-check Collar

For those who don't want to mess with the round braid, the half-check collar is a simpler variant of the martingale-style. You'll need to source the chain loop, unless you are a blacksmith. The chains are usually in the 5 or 6 inch range of sizes. You tie this as with the martingale, to each of the two sliding rings which will be already attached to the chain loop. This has the same advantages as the martingale (gentle on the neck, minimum possible diameter) but without as much tying. Also, chain will stand up to more use than cord sliding through the rings over time. The chain may cause a little irritation, but most animals won't notice it at all, and it is much lighter and gentler than a choke chain.

Cat Collars

Dog collars should be made with sturdy buckles, but cats are notorious for getting themselves into tight squeezes so any cat collars you make should use breakaway or safety buckles. These buckles will release with a bit of pressure, which varies by manufacturer but is usually between ten and twenty pounds. If you make adjustable cat collars, add a breakaway buckle into the design as well as the prong buckle.

Collar Sizing

If you're making adjustable collars, here are some common breeds, with their typical adult neck sizes (in inches). There's a graphic version below, for a quick visual comparison.

Breed	Neck Size		Breed	Neck Size
Afghan	16-22		Great Dane	20-26
Airdale	16-22		Great Pyrenees	24-30
Australian Shepherd	16-22		Greyhound	14-18
Basset Hound	16-22		Jack Russell Terrier	10-14
Beagle	12-18		Labrador	18-24
Bichon Frise	14-18		Lhasa Apso	12-16
Bloodhound	22-28		Maltese	10-14
Border Collie	14-18		Papillon	8-12
Boston Terrier	12-18		Pekingese	12-16
Boxer	16-22		Pomeranian	10-14
Bulldog (American)	18-24		Poodle (mini)	10-16
Bulldog (English)	18-24		Poodle (standard)	12-18
Bulldog (French)	12-16		Poodle (toy)	8-14
Bull Terrier	12-18		Pug	12-16
Chihuahua	8-14		Rottweiler	24-30
Chow	18-24		Saint Bernard	26-32
Cocker Spaniel	12-18		Schnauzer (standard)	14-20
Collie	18-22		Schnauzer (mini)	10-16
Corgi	14-16		Shar Pei	16-20
Dachshund	16-20		Shih Tzu	10-14
Dalmation	14-20		Springer Spaniel	14-18
Doberman	18-24		Staffordshire	14-20
Fox Terrier	10-16		Weimeraner	16-22
German Shepherd	18-24		Yorkshire Terrier	6-12
Golden Retriever	16-24