Flat Leather Collar vs Rolled Leather Collar

[Alexandria610]

So I have heard great things about the rolled leather collars (among other things, they don't mess up the fur-line on the neck) but have yet to get one. I am currently using a flat leather collar on Alex, but of course have noticed some 'bleeding' from the collar's color to her neck. It's turning her into a red-neck (no, not a hillbilly or something of the sort......we have too many of those around here anyway, myself included) and I don't like it.

One of my questions has to do with doing something to the collar to reduce the amount of color (if not eliminate it) that bleeds through to her coat. Is there any such thing?

Another question I have - will the rolled collar do the same? Or is it simply a flat collar kind of problem?

Also, what are any benefits that you know of with a rolled collar vs a flat collar - I would love to know! I'm highly considering a rolled leather collar, and any input on it would be greatly appreciated

[kiya]

I started using rolled leather collars years ago. My first GSD was long coated. I never notice any fur loss or wear marks, but I keep my leather collars loose. You can soak leather that has dye in it before using if I want the dye to run. I believe poor quality leather requires a lot of dye (I am a biker so I have lots of leather!)

[Rott-n-GSDs]

If your dog is a puller, I would not use a rolled collar... puts too much pressure on the windpipe. A wide, flat leather collar more evenly distributes the pressure.

As far as the color bleeding onto the coat... sounds like a better quality leather collar might be in order. I recommend Paco Collars.... expensive but worth every penny! (If you already have a Paco and it's bleeding... contact the company, their customer service is amazing).

I personally use 1.5" wide fabric martingales on my dogs. They are lined with satin to protect the coat.

[jprice103]

I'm not sure of the other benefits besides having them lay better and not hurt the fur, but I know there are some, so I'd love to hear them also. I just bought a rolled collar from hotdogcollars.com, and got it in pink. It is REALLY nice, and has not bled onto her fur at all. But then again, I know you said that you had a red one which is a brighter color, so I'm not sure if that color would bleed. I was surprised at how low the cost was for the collars on this site compared to anywhere else I looked...and how great the quality was. If you do decide to get one, I highly recommend buying from here.

[Veronica]

We got a braided leather collar from here: Braided Leather Dog Collar & Leather Leash From Schafer Kennel

Panzer wears it loose as it's just to hold his tags. No damage to his fur at all, no dye bleeding, great price.

We don't use this collar for walking.

[Alexandria610]

Thanks for the advice, guys! I didn't realize that the rolled leather would be harder on the windpipe, but it makes perfect sense.

I might look into Paco Collars, actually, thanks for the tip! I was just looking at another thread about rolled collars/leather collars and saw the link. They have some NICE looking collars on there! I'm a collar freak - I have so many different ones....

Luckily my dog isn't much of a puller anymore. She used to be, but we've been working through it with heel and such, and as for now when she's in public she's strictly prong until I trust her enough with her heel to be off the prong. She's almost there, though, just a little bit more.

I didn't realize you could soak the collar prior to use, either, to get the dye to run out and not on the dog or person (if you were to wear it). I'm assuming it's a similar aspect when you wash jeans or clothes for the first time to make sure the dyes don't run on you? Is there anything you should put on the leather after it's been soaked, so that the integrity of the leather doesn't go down - basically so that it doesn't crack? I was thinking of getting some leather tack oil to make sure the collar lasts a long time. I have a nice leather lead that hasn't bled on anything, but sure is useful and strong, and I'd hate for it to get old and crack. Right now I've just been using armor all leather wipes (silly and somewhat useless, I know, but it seems to help a little with it until I can purchase some tack oil).

[Caledon]

I bought a rolled leather collar for that reason too, but after having it on all summer I did notice a line in the fur where it had been, so the one I have did slightly damage the fur.

I've since moved back to my wider leather collar.

[Alexandria610]

Originally Posted by Veronica

We got a braided leather collar from here: Braided Leather Dog Collar & Leather Leash From Schafer Kennel

Panzer wears it loose as it's just to hold his tags. No damage to his fur at all, no dye bleeding, great price.

We don't use this collar for walking.

I'll have to look into that, thanks!

Yeah, that's what we use Alex's for, too - just her tags. It's a little loose (of course not enough to slip over her head) so it doesn't seem to be messing with her coat too much besides the dye bleeding. And we don't use the collar for walking, either.

[Rott-n-GSDs]

Originally Posted by Alexandria610

I might look into Paco Collars, actually, thanks for the tip! I was just looking at another thread about rolled collars/leather collars and saw the link. They have some NICE looking collars on there! I'm a collar freak - I have so many different ones....

If you are on Facebook, "like" their Facebook page to find out about sales, contests, etc. They also do some awesome custom collar work. I'm going to get a leather martingale (with Herm Sprenger chain) for my Rottie.

A friend of mine had one of her dogs' collars go through a FLOOD. It sat in her flooded basement for several weeks, completely underwater, and all that was wrong with was that the hardware was a little tarnished, and she was able to clean it right up. She calls it "the shipwreck collar."

[kiya]

Originally Posted by Alexandria610

I didn't realize you could soak the collar prior to use, either, to get the dye to run out and not on the dog or person (if you were to wear it). I'm assuming it's a similar aspect when you wash jeans or clothes for the first time to make sure the dyes don't run on you? Is there anything you should put on the leather after it's been soaked, so that the integrity of the leather doesn't go down - basically so that it doesn't crack?.

I used to use Horsemans Onestep Harness cleaner. Leaves leather feeling really nice Horseman's One Step Harness Cleaner & Conditioner @ Kyhorse.com Then recently I switched to Murphys oil soap.