Our show customers are very fond of our unique velvet lined martingales.  For anyone who may be unfamiliar with martingale type collars, a martingale is a type of dog collar that provides more control over your dog without the choking effect of a slip collar. Martingale dog collars are also known as humane choke collars. The martingale dog collar was designed for sighthounds (Afghans, Greyhounds, Salukis, Whippets, etc.) because their necks are generally larger than their heads and they can often slip out of clip collars. These collars have gained popularity among owners of other breeds in the recent past with many trainers now recommending them instead of choke chains or buckle collars. Like our clip collars, Dogonista Martingales are available in a variety of widths for dogs of any size, ranging from tiny toy breeds to the largest of the giant breeds. 

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Our 1-1/2 inch and 2 inch wide martingales are a sandwich of Jacquard ribbon, seatbelt webbing for superior strength in a thinner, more flexible webbing than heavy flat webbing and color coordinated colorfast Swiss velvet to protect tender neck fur. All our martingales are adjustable, feature all metal hardware in a color (brass or nickel/chrome) that compliments the ribbon used, and are made with a fabric loop rather than the chains seen on many commercially available martingales.  

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Martingales are also available in all the narrower widths (1/2", 5/8", 3/4", 1").  See our Narrow Martingales page.

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We do not charge extra for custom ordered martingales or collars, but it can take up to 3 weeks to fill custom orders depending on the volume of orders.  As with anything we sell, custom martingale orders are dependent on ribbon availability. 

 

Please note that ribbons are only manufactured in the width indicated.  Also, some of our ribbons have been discontinued.  Martingales in those ribbons are either limited to martingales already in stock or to quantities sufficient for only a few custom orders.

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Information about how to determine the right size martingale for your dog can be found below, but feel free to contact us with questions.  We are happy to help.

 

HOW TO MEASURE:  Because a martingale must go over the head, measure around the base of your dog’s neck and around the largest part of their head.  In cases where the neck measurement will allow the Martingale to go over the head, choose a size with the neck measurement is in the middle of the size range. For example, if your dog’s neck is 15 inches, choose a size that is 13-18 inches rather than 15-20 inches.  In breeds with broad heads, such as Mastiffs, the size of the martingale may be determined by head circumference rather than neck size. 

 

Standard sizes for our stock 1-1/2 and 2 inch wide martingales  are as follows:

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     Small fits 9 - 12 inch necks

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​     Medium fits 12 -15 inch necks

 

     Large fits 15 -20 inch necks

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     Extra Large fits 20-25 inch necks

 

REMEMBER that the martingale must go over the head before being adjusted to a smaller size to properly fit the neck to prevent it from going back over the head. While these standard sizes fit most dogs, your dog may need a larger size (we've even made a 3XL martingale) or an in-between size.   Contact Us to custom order a martingale to fit your dog.

 

Also. please Contact Us if we are out of a standard size that you need.  We are always making new martingales to replace those sold, but we will move your request to the head of the line.

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HOW TO ADJUST YOUR MARTINGALE:  Once the martingale is over your dog's head, it should be made smaller by moving the metal slide away from the nearest rectangular metal loop to prevent the martingale from slipping back over the head if the dog pulls backward. To check for proper fit, pull up on the fabric loop by the D ring and check to make sure that the rectangular metal loops on either side of the fabric loop DO NOT touch. A properly fitted martingale will allow you to put 2-3 fingers between the metal loops when pulling on the D ring.  Move the metal slide to make the martingale larger or smaller to accomplish this.

 
Finally, two safety comments.  

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First, if your LARGE dog lunges when on leash, please note that our supplier reports that the cast D rings we normally use on our martingales can occasionally break when placed under great stress due to lunging by heavier dogs.  We have never received such a report from one of our customers, but if your larger fur baby lunges (as our Rhodesian Ridgebacks often did when confronted by the temptation of "prey" to chase), please let us know and we will make you a martingale using a welded D ring.  We don't think that the shape of the welded D ring is as aesthetically pleasing as the cast D ring, but safety must come before aesthetics.

Secondly, martingale safety is YOUR responsibility! Please inspect your martingale(s) regularly for any wear and tear that might compromise it's strength or safety, and please do not ever leave your dog tied up as strangulation can occur in certain circumstances.

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See Frequently Asked Questions for information on washing your martingale.