Measuring / Widths
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Measuring for Collars: Read carefully!!
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I suggest you measure your pets neck a couple of times just to make sure you get the right measurement. Measure round the pets neck at the place where the collar usually sits – you need to insert one or two fingers, or maybe more if you prefer a looser fit, between the neck and the measuring tape when you measure – this will give a comfortable and not too tight fit.
YOU MUST include this comfort room as the collar is best designed to fit without adjustment from the size given. For a tiny dog / cat sometimes 1 finger is enough – use your judgement – you don’t want the collar to fit too loosely to wear either. The collar will be made to fit at THIS measurement (I add a padding allowance so don’t add any extra for that yourself).
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It can help to have someone to hold your pet gently, don’t force him, or someone can distract with treats, while you measure, if he is wriggly! (The made-to-measure collars adjust upwards from the measurement given by a couple of inches, but this section is unpadded when lengthened).
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If you don’t have a measuring tape, use a piece of string and then measure the string against a ruler.
PADDED COLLARS WON’T ADJUST ANY SMALLER, AND IF YOU ADJUST UPWARDS THERE WILL BE A GAP IN THE PADDING.
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Measuring an existing collar:
If you measure an existing collar, first make sure the collar is set to a comfortable FIT for the pet to wear, lay it out flat on a table, undone, and follow the instructions below……
for Buckled collars – measure from point A (see pic below)- centre bar of the buckle (or where the tongue is joined) along the collar, to B – the centre of whichever hole that is used to do up the collar on YOUR PET usually.

or for Quick Release Buckle collars – measure from point A (see pic below) – the top of the solid (female) part of the buckle, along the length and stop at B – point where the webbing folds around the pronged (male) part of the buckle – do NOT include the pronged buckle part in your measurement.
*Please DON’T use any padded collar to measure from.
If you email me I can always tell you what sizes you have ordered previously, I have full records. Email: ruth@paddedcollars.com
Collar Widths: To get an idea of which width of collar is best for your pet, have a look at the photos below, comparing the webbing widths to a standard pencil….if you are really unsure you can cut a strip of paper to the widths below and try on your pet. A wider collar is always more gentle!
*Padded Collar Widths:
Narrow collars are 1″ wide, including padding (25mm)
* padded cat collars /& narrow collars under 10.5″ are 3/4″ wide, inc. padding (20mm)
Medium collars are 1.4″ wide, inc. padding (35mm)
Wide collars are 1.7″ wide, inc. padding (45mm)
webbing widths without padding (with pencil to give an idea of scale)
*Note: narrow width metal buckle collars no longer available.
Big or small – no problem!