Sighthound Collars
Shaped for the narrower head and wider neck of sighthounds, the anatomy that makes a standard buckle collar slip off. Every collar in this collection is designed around the specific proportions of...
12 pieces, £36–£79, collar sizes 9–29.5". Every piece is handmade to order in Oxford, with a 2–6 day lead time.
Add a lead to your order and 10% comes off it. No code needed: it comes off at checkout.
Find a collar that fits your dog
Collars here fit 9–29.5 inch necks. Measure the neck, not the old collar.
Shaped for the narrower head and wider neck of sighthounds, the anatomy that makes a standard buckle collar slip off. Every collar in this collection is designed around the specific proportions of whippets, lurchers, greyhounds and Italian greyhounds. Dachshunds are not sighthounds but share enough of the head profile to benefit; they have their own page. Whippet collars, lurcher collars and greyhound collars are the same idea cut to different numbers.
The wider centre profile sits between the narrowest point of the head and the widest point of the neck, so the collar is held by its shape rather than by tension alone. Available in waterproof BioThane®, leather, and British wool, all handmade at my Oxford studio to your sighthound's exact measurements.
Half check, or wide buckle?
Most people arrive here looking for a martingale, or a half check in British usage. There are two ways to stop a sighthound reversing out of a collar, and I make both. Neither is better; they suit different dogs.
Shape. A wide-panel collar is wider across the centre and tapers towards the buckle (38mm at the centre on the BioThane Cotswold Rambler, 43mm on the wool sighthound collars), so it sits in the hollow between the narrowest part of the head and the widest part of the neck. Nothing tightens. It is held by geometry. This is the Cotswold Rambler, the Cotswold Heritage leather, and the two wool sighthound collars. Best for a dog who is settled on the lead and wears a collar all day.
Action. A half check adds a second loop that closes a little when the dog pulls backwards and releases completely the moment the tension goes. Best for a dog that startles and reverses, or a rescue still learning the lead.
The half check BioThane collar → · Wool, leather and BioThane compared →
Getting the size right
Measure around the widest part of the neck, just behind the ears, with a soft tape lying flat against the coat. That single number is all I need. I build the collar to it rather than rounding you to the nearest stock size. For a puppy still filling out, say so and I will add 2cm of growth room.
The Cotswold Heritage leather collar is the one range sold in fitted sizes rather than made to measure:
| Dog | Neck |
|---|---|
| Italian Greyhound & Dachshund | 11–13.5″ |
| Whippet | 12–14″ |
| Lurcher | 13–18″ |
Greyhounds, deerhounds and larger lurchers are covered by the BioThane and wool collars, which are cut to your measurement with no upper size limit, so a greyhound collar or a big lurcher collar is simply made to your number. The measuring guide has a dedicated sighthound section →
If the measurement turns out wrong, tell me and I will adjust or remake the collar at no cost to you: that is the Perfect Fit Guarantee, and it is why nobody here has to guess. The made-to-measure collars are built to your specification and sit outside the 14-day cancellation right, while the fitted-size Cotswold Heritage leather is an ordinary purchase with a full 30 days. Returns and the Perfect Fit Guarantee →
Collars by breed
Same shape, different numbers. Here is how the collection works out breed by breed.
Whippet Collars
The classic case. A whippet's head is narrower than its neck, so a plain buckle collar slides back over the ears. A wide-panel whippet collar sits in the hollow between the two and is held by geometry rather than tension: 38mm across the centre on the BioThane Cotswold Rambler, 43mm on the wool collars, tapering towards the buckle. In the fitted Cotswold Heritage leather, whippets take the 12–14″ size. In BioThane or wool the collar is cut to your own tape measurement instead.
Lurcher Collars
Lurchers have the widest span in the table above: the fitted Cotswold Heritage leather runs 13–18″, which covers most whippet-cross and collie-cross lurchers. Anything bigger, a deerhound cross or a greyhound-bred lurcher, takes a made-to-measure lurcher collar in BioThane or British wool, cut to your measurement with no upper size limit. If your dog startles and reverses on the lead, which a lot of rescue lurchers do at first, look at the half check rather than the wide panel.
Greyhound Collars
Greyhounds sit outside the fitted leather sizes. A greyhound collar here is made to measure in BioThane or British wool, cut to the number you send with no upper size limit, the same route as deerhounds and the larger lurchers. Measure the widest part of the neck just behind the ears and the wide panel does the rest; nothing tightens.
Italian Greyhound Collars
The collars here suit Italian greyhounds. In the fitted leather they share the smallest size with dachshunds, 11–13.5″. These are the narrowest necks in the collection, so the measurement carries more weight than usual: a centimetre out on an 11″ neck shows. Send the tape measurement and the Perfect Fit Guarantee covers the rest: if it turns out wrong I adjust or remake the collar at no cost to you.
Dachshunds
Not a sighthound, but the head is narrow in profile relative to the neck, so the same shape holds where a standard collar slips off. In the fitted Cotswold Heritage leather they share the smallest size, 11–13.5″, with Italian greyhounds. For everything else, sizing included, the dachshund and small breed collars have their own page →
Why the wool ones cost more
The Brampton and the Dingley are £79 against £36 for the BioThane. The wool is woven by hand on the bench before the collar is assembled, which is most of a day's work before any hardware is touched. If you want the sighthound shape without that, the Cotswold Rambler is the same profile in waterproof BioThane.
Frequently asked questions
Why do sighthounds need a specific collar?
Sighthound anatomy is unusual, the head is narrower than the neck, so standard collars slip off backwards. A sighthound collar is wider at the centre so it sits between the narrowest head point and the widest neck point, locked in by the shape rather than only by tension.
Do you make a martingale or half check collar for sighthounds?
Yes. The half check BioThane collar has a second loop that closes slightly when the dog pulls backwards and releases fully when there is no tension. It is the right choice for a dog that startles and reverses out of a collar. The wide-panel collars solve the same problem a different way, by shape rather than by action, and nothing on them tightens at all.
Which breeds are sighthounds?
Whippets, lurchers, greyhounds, Italian greyhounds, salukis, borzoi, deerhounds, podencos and other long-headed running breeds. Dachshunds are not sighthounds, but the head profile is similar enough that the same shape holds.
How do I measure my sighthound for a collar?
Measure around the widest part of the neck, just behind the ears, with a soft tape lying flat against the coat. Send that single measurement and the collar is built to it. The Cotswold Heritage leather collar is sold in fitted sizes instead: 11 to 13.5 inches for Italian Greyhounds and Dachshunds, 12 to 14 inches for Whippets, and 13 to 18 inches for Lurchers.
How wide is a Green Dog sighthound collar?
38mm at the centre for the BioThane Cotswold Rambler and 43mm at the centre for the wool sighthound collars. The width tapers towards the buckle so the collar still fastens comfortably. The Cotswold Heritage leather sighthound collar uses a similar tapered profile in vegetable-tanned leather.
Can a sighthound collar fit a non-sighthound?
Yes, but it is not the most efficient choice. If your dog is not narrow-headed, a standard collar will fit better and look more in proportion. Sighthound collars are made for the breeds that need them.
Where are Green Dog sighthound collars made?
Handmade in my Oxford studio. Every collar is built to your dog's exact measurements, with the option to add 2cm of growth space for puppies still filling out.
What collar is best for a whippet?
A wide-panel whippet collar in BioThane, leather or wool. It is 38mm across the centre on the BioThane Cotswold Rambler and 43mm on the wool collars, tapering towards the buckle, so it sits between the narrow head and the wider neck without anything tightening. In the fitted Cotswold Heritage leather, whippets take the 12 to 14 inch size. If your whippet startles and reverses on the lead, the half check BioThane collar is the better answer.
Do you make lurcher collars?
Yes. The fitted Cotswold Heritage leather lurcher collar covers 13 to 18 inches, and the BioThane and wool lurcher collars are cut to your own measurement with no upper size limit, which covers the bigger deerhound and greyhound crosses.
What size is a greyhound collar?
Greyhounds sit outside the fitted leather sizes. A greyhound collar is made to measure in BioThane or British wool, cut to the measurement you send with no upper size limit. The same applies to deerhounds and larger lurchers.
What size collar does an Italian greyhound need?
In the fitted Cotswold Heritage leather, an Italian greyhound collar is the 11 to 13.5 inch size, shared with dachshunds. In BioThane or wool the collar is made to your own measurement instead. Measure the widest part of the neck just behind the ears.
Green Dog is not a brand. It is a studio. One person, one workbench, one standard. Every collar and lead is made by hand in Oxford — tested, measured, finished. You are not buying from a supply chain. You are buying directly from the person who made it.