Choosing the Right Size Collar for Your 8 Week Old German Shepherd Puppy
It is important that you get the right collar size for the 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy for their comfort as well as their safety as they grow and move around. One has to be very careful in choosing a collar for German Shepherd puppies since they are very fast in their growth in their first few weeks. The correct size will make the collar fit the puppy correctly without compromising on tightness while at the same time leaving room for the puppy’s neck to grow.
The knowledge of how to take the measurements and what size of collar to select requires the use of simple instruments such as a measuring tape or a piece of string moreover, there is always the possibility of choosing an adjustable collar to allow for their growth.
There is frequently a preference for using softer materials such as soft nylon or soft padded fabrics because the skin of the puppies is delicate. This article focuses on how to get the right collar size for young German Shepherd and how to avoid some of the pitfalls that result in the puppy anxieties and owner’s frustrations.
Understanding Puppy Growth
It is a known fact that your German Shepherd puppies are going to grow up really fast, especially during the first six to eight months of the puppies’ age. Easing into obesity is gradual and they can increase in size from week to week and this calls for a change of accessories to allow for comfort as well as safety.
Since this is a fast-growing industry, it is important to therefore choose an adjustable collar. The collar worn by a puppy can be made to adjust itself in size so that it will fit the neck of your growing puppy neither too tightly nor too loosely. This increases the chances of avoiding possible inconveniences such as irritation on the skin, and choking and hence is suitable for a German shepherd puppy in its growing stage.
You May Also Like : Why Your Shock Collar is Not Working on German Shepherd: Top Reasons Explained
Measuring Your Puppy’s Neck
Tools Needed
To accurately measure your 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy's neck, you'll need a few simple tools:
- A bendable ruler or stainless steel flexible measuring tape
- An example of a piece of string and a ruler
Step-by-Step Guide
- Gather Your Tools: Before starting to measure, make sure that you have a flexible measuring tape and or a piece of string in addition to a ruler.
- Calm Your Puppy: Your puppy absolutely cannot be moving during the process and should be standing when you are doing this.
- Wrap the Measuring Tape: Place the flexibility ruler at the position where the collar would be when worn and bring it around the puppy’s neck. If you are using a piece of string, tie it around the same place and then unroll the string to a ruler and measure.
- Ensure Comfort: The collar should not be too tight to make sure, slide two fingers under the measuring tape (or string) touching your puppy’s neck. It extends to offer a comfortable and loose-fitting around the dog’s neck, instead of a tightly constrained collar.
- Record the Measurement: Write down the measurement make sure it is enough including the additional space for movement.
Recommended Collar Sizes
Typical Size Range
It is for this reason that an 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy should wear a collar whose size will be in the neighborhood of 10 to 14 inches. This range affords you a good chance of getting a good fit on your puppy while at the same time still have room to make minor changes as the puppy matures.
Adjustability
This is why when selecting the collar there should be some features that make it adjustable to allow it to grow with the puppy. An adjustable collar allows you to alter the size to accommodate the change in the girth of your puppy’s neck when the collar is being worn. This flexibility is useful in avoiding the collar replacement often, thus proving to be convenient and economical as well.
Types of Collars
Flat Collars
Barely raised collars are the most popular kind of collar and are ideal for puppies as a rule. It uses soft and flexible materials such as leather or nylon to allow comfortable wearing the helmet during day to day activities.
Non-wrap collars do not require the wearer to pull them over the head, are comparatively lower in price and are commonly found with buckle or snap mechanism. Because it is barely noticeable on the puppy the name and the address can be engraved around the body of the collar to make sure that at all times the puppy has the identification tags on.
Adjustable Nylon Collars
For the dependent puppies, nylon collars which are adjustable should be preferred most since they are long-lasting and versatile. These collars can be adjusted to the size you want depending with your puppies’ fast growth to avoid constriction of the neck.
Nylon collars come in different color and design and therefore, you can be able to get your puppy a collar that he or she will like. Consequently, the adjustability feature applies to these collars because of the constant growing size of a German Shepherd puppy.
Breakaway Collars
This is to ensure that the collars are safe for dogs especially for the active puppies who are likely to run away. These collars have a unique buckle that can open if force is applied on it while strangling or cutting the neck if the collar entangled on something.
This comes in handy mostly for alert and adventurous tiny dogs which may end up in rather undesirable situations. Breakaway collars mean you do not have constantly worry about the safety of your puppy when it goes outside to run and play.
Material Considerations
Comfort
If you are dressing your young German Shepherd puppy with a collar, ensure it is a comfortable one as it will ware most of the time.
As for collars, puppies have rather delicate skin and such a predisposition should be considered when selecting a collar: it is better to use lightweight and delicate material. Fabrics like soft nylon or some type of pad are favorable to the skin, and this can be quite comfortable for your developing young puppy.
Durability
Although comfort should not be an issue with a German Shepherd since it is such an athletic breed, the clothing must also be built to last. Use fabrics and leathers that will not wear quickly, but that are also relatively soft, like nylon, or soft leather. Sturdy materials such as nylon is used when creating the collars and these are perfect for puppies that love to pull around.
Spray collars are a soft leather and therefore give a maximal wearing comfort but still they are very durable so that your puppy can wear them throughout the day. In this way, you will be able to pick out materials that are comfortable for your puppy, but also resistant enough to stand the strain of your four legged friend’s rather boisterous way of life.
Guidelines on Selecting a Collar for Your Puppy
Brand Recommendations
When choosing a collar for a GSD puppy, it is advisable to go for companies that manufacture quality and comfortable collars. Some well-regarded brands include:
- Blueberry Pet: Established as the manufacturer of the best collars that are durable and fashionable Blueberry Pet provides a variety of the adjustable nylon collars that are comfortable meant for any pet and are soft to their skin.
- Ruffwear: Ruffwear has durable and highly-exploratory collars as they offer moderate puppies comfortable equipment to wear.
- Kurgo: Being one of the durable and comfortable collars providers, Kurgo is one of the most trusted brands with a great choice of items.
- PetSafe: PetSafe has numerous adjustable collar models which are known for being safe for the pet’s skin and health.
Personalization
Details such as one’s name and address may increase the safety level of the pet when a collar with embroidered name is used. Mentioned in the list of preferred accessories are collars on which the name of your puppy and your phone number would be engraved.
If your puppy gets lost, the collar with customized information on it can facilitate the return of the lost pet to you in the shortest time possible. Collars come in different brands where the buyer can select the brand, color, style and sometimes the text to be printed on the collar thus it serves the intended purpose and is also artistic.
Conclusion
To a conclusion, choosing a collar for an 8 week old GSD puppy depends on the size and type that will meet your dog’s requirements as it grows. This is because you can accurately measure their neck’s circumference and then get collars that are in a shade of the kids’ skin tone, preferably made of soft nylon or ringed with padded material to not only be comfortable during the shots but can also be adjusted to fit the kiddos’ rather fast growth periods.
You May Also Like : How to Train a German Shepherd with a Shock Collar: Step-by-Step Guide
Some alteration that is normally done is the frequency of checking the collar as your puppy grows since it should not cause any discomfort or harm to the puppy. As a final point, let me recall that the tags engraved on the collars add some extra protection measures when your puppy is not with you and got lost.
More specific advice and the right collar can be obtained from a pet store or a vet. With these in mind it is possible to give your young german shepherd a collar that will help him or her reach the new stage of life as comfortably and painlessly as possible.