Best Small Dog Collars (Training, Bark, Personalized, chain, leather, harness)

Choosing a collar for any dog can be challenging and time-consuming.

You need to think about more than just comfort when you’re buying a collar for a small dog, though.

We’ll help you through this today with our collection of the best small dog collars for a variety of purposes.

Whether you’re looking for an everyday collar, a training collar, or something special finished in leather for your pooch, we review these and much more today.

What Are the Best Collars for Small Dogs?

Getting the best collar for small dogs hinges on getting the right fit.

Using a soft tape measure, measure around your dog’s neck where his collar would sit.

Slide two fingers between the tape and your dog’s neck to calculate his collar size in inches.

Once you know what the size of collar you need for your pup, you should think about the width of the collars on your shortlist.

Avoid wide collars for small dogs, and also avoid super-thin collars. Both styles can place undue pressure on your dog’s throat.

Is it a good idea to use collars on small dogs, then?

Are Collars Bad for Small Dogs?

As long as you get a collar that’s light enough for your small dog, neither too wide nor too thin, and is being used for its intended purpose, you should have no problems with your small breed wearing a collar.

One exception to this is if your small dog continually pulls on a leash. What can you do if this happens?

Are Harnesses Better Than Collars for Small Dogs?

Harnesses are more effective than collars for preventing energetic small dogs from pulling on the leash.

With pressure more evenly distributed across your dog’s body, he should experience less strain on his neck and back.

See our related article on the Best Dog Harnesses. We have a full review of 18 different harnesses for you to choose from. Find out if a harness is better than a collar for your small dog.

Should Dogs Sleep With Collars On?

It’s safe for your dog to wear regular collars around the clock.

Martingale collars, on the other hand, should not be left on your dog if he is unsupervised.

Leave these for training purposes only. The same applies to any form of shock collar. Leave this on your dog when it’s needed, and remove it when it isn’t.

Now, the best way to find the right collar for your needs is to browse our neatly categorized collection of collars all designed for small breeds.

Dive in!

10 Best Small Dog Collars

1) Best Overall: Joytale Reflective Dog Collar (4.7 out of 5 Stars)

Features

• Material: Neoprene and rubber
• Neck size: 8 to 12 inches
• Dimensions: 12 x 6.5 x 0.16 inches

Our favorite collar for small dogs comes from the ever-reliable Joytale, and you can choose from a welter of sizes and colors to suit.

Made from a comfy and hardwearing combo of neoprene and rubber, your small dog will find the collar comfy enough to wear all day long.

Whichever color best matches the temperament of your dog, the collar is packed with reflective threads, making this a great choice for nighttime walkies.

Although the quick-release hardware makes for a user-friendly experience, we found a few gripes from customers claiming the collar unlatches quite easily.

If you have a placid smaller dog, though, this shouldn’t be an issue.

For a full review on safe dog collars, see our related article featuring the 15 Best Reflective Dog Collars. Make sure to pick the right one to keep your dog protected in the dark.

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2) Best Bark Collar: NBJU Bark Collar (4.2 out of 5 Stars)

Features

• Material: Plastic
• Neck size: 8 to 25 inches
• Dimensions: 2.76 x 1.46 x 1.57 inches

If you’re looking to a bark collar for small dogs, you may find many of these are too heavy and bulky.

NBJU addresses this by producing a lightweight plastic collar that won’t burden smaller breeds.

See our related article where we break down the 12 Best Bark Collars for Small Dogs. Some bark collars are not safe for small dogs. Find out which one works for your dog.

While the collar is a good bet for small breeds, the adjustable nature allows you to fit the collar to bigger breeds with necks to 25 inches around.

With a choice of three different shock modes – vibration, beep, or shock – you don’t need to rely on static shocks to correct your dog if you feel this an inhumane training method.

If your dog barks excessively when you’re away from home and all else has failed, try fitting this collar and experiment with the 64 different training permutations to give your neighbor’s some peace.

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3) Best Harness: Voyager Step-In Dog Harness (4.6 out of 5 Stars)

Features

• Material: Air mesh
• Neck size: 7.5 to 8.5 inches
• Dimensions: 4.76 x 4.4 x 1.29 inches

If you have a small breed who pulls on the leash, you may find using a harness prevents him from harm, and this step-in model from Voyager promotes even weight distribution.

Choose from a bewildering array of sizes and colors to suit all dogs and all tastes. The harness is made of a highly breathable mesh that’s also built to withstand the elements.

With rugged hardware and a hook-and-loop closure as well as a buckle, your furball will stay safely contained without hurting his neck or throat if he pulls when you’re walking.

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4) Best Personalized: Custom Catch Personalized Dog Collar (4.5 out of 5 Stars)

Features

• Material: Leather
• Neck size: 8.5 to 22 inches
• Dimensions: 8 x 4 x 2 inches

Does your dog often wander off? If so, it pays to invest in a collar displaying his ID front and center.

With this Custom Catch collar, you can pick from a variety of text styles as well as several colorways and patterns to completely personalize your pooch’s new collar.

The leather used for the collar is soft and also reasonably durable.

The only real gripes we unearthed in a glut of positive user reviews concerns the thickness. Some users feel it’s slightly unwieldy and heavy for much smaller breeds.

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5) Best Training Collar: PATPET Training Collar (4.3 out of 5 Stars)

Features

• Material: Plastic and nylon
• Neck size: 8 to 24 inches
• Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.6 x 1.7 inches

Where the bark collar is an always-on style ideal for use when you’re out at work and your doggie is at home, this model from PATPET is just what you need for correcting your dog’s behavior in the yard or the park.

You can choose whether to apply static shock, vibration, or an audible beep to stop your dog from barking when he shouldn’t. 

Use a simple remote control to administer correction, and don’t forget to also use some positive reinforcement.

See our related article on How to Use a Dog Training Collar properly.

We also do full reviews on the Best Dog Training Collars to help you quickly and safely train your dog from home, saving money on expensive dog schools.

Although the claimed range is 1000 feet, we found some reports from users suggesting this is ambitious.

Nevertheless, this collar still works well for outdoor walks with your furball.

With a rechargeable battery to slash running costs, this flexible approach to correcting excessive barking is well worth popping on your shortlist.

It’s lightweight enough for small dogs, too!

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6) Best Martingale: Max and Neo Stainless Steel Martingale Collar (4.6 out of 5 Stars)

Features

• Material: Stainless steel and nylon
• Neck size: 14 to 17 inches
• Dimensions: 7.8 x 1.6 x 0.6 inches

The inimitable Max and Neo deliver one of the best martingale collars here, ideal if your dog is prone to slipping his leash.

As with all martingale collars, this is intended for training purposes rather than everyday use.

You get a more humane method of correction than a choke collar, and your dog should learn not to back out of his collar, and he should stop pulling on the leash, too.

Available in a broad spread of sizes, the collars aimed at smaller breeds are thinner and lighter, although some consumers still feel the collar is too heavy for teacup breeds.

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7) Best Prong Collar: Supet Dog Prong Collar (4.4 out of 5 Stars)

Features

• Material: Stainless steel and nylon
• Neck size: 16 to 18 inches
• Dimensions: 4.8 x 4.1 x 1.7 inches

Prong collars polarize opinion and we’re not here to try to persuade you to use one on your dog if you feel they are inhumane.

If you are comfortable with the concept of these training collars, you may find it useful for stopping your dog from pulling on the leash.

The prongs are rounded and smooth, so your dog might find them uncomfortable when correction is applied, but they won’t pierce his skin.

Choose from sizes to suit almost any breed and see if you can prevent your pup from misbehaving.

As with any form of training, don’t forget to incorporate treats and cuddles to positive reinforce good behaviors.

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8) Best Rolled Leather: CollarDirect Rolled Leather Dog Collar (4.3 out of 5 Stars)

Features

• Material: Genuine leather
• Neck size: 9 to 11 inches
• Dimensions: 4 x 1.8 x 1 inches

Rolled leather collars work wonderfully for long-haired breeds, and you won’t find your pup’s hair getting tangled or matted if he’s wearing this collar from CollarDirect.

The collar comes in a wide palette of colors, and you can also pick from multiple sizes, including collars suitable for small dogs.

If you use the collar on the smallest setting, you may find there is too much excess collar remaining. There is no loop in place to accommodate this. If in doubt, size down.

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9) Best Leather: Mighty Paw Leather Dog Collar (4.6 out of 5 Stars)

Features

• Material: Genuine leather
• Neck size: 9.5 to 12 inches
• Dimensions: 14 x 0.5 x 0.13 inches

Mighty Paw’s real leather collar is complemented by robust alloy hardware, giving you a collar built to last while providing the ultimate comfort for Fido.

This is the smallest collar in the line, and it’s perfect for little dogs with necks to 12 inches around.

Available in three shades of cowhide leather with a traditional buckle closure, this is an understated collar ideal for special occasions or daily use.

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10) Best Color Variety: AoLove Classic Padded Leather Dog Collar (4.5 out of 5 stars)

Features

• Material: Leather
• Neck size: 11.5 to 15 inches
• Dimensions: 12 x 6.5 x 0.16 inches

For anyone looking for the best selection of colors when shopping for colors, AoLove delivers in fine style. This leather collar comes in 10 different shades to suit all tastes.

You also get a wide range of sizes, ensuring a snug fit for all breeds. This collar is also highly adjustable, with 5 different holes.

Hardware is nickel-plated alloy, and while the D-ring is solid and overall build quality seems decent, several consumers flag problems with build development over time.