Martingale collars have become a popular choice among dog owners, especially those with sighthounds, who want a safer, more effective way to prevent their dogs from slipping out of their collars during walks. Designed with a limited-slip function, they gently tighten when the dog pullsāproviding control without choking. But once youāre back home and your dog is lounging around, you might wonder: Is it okay to leave the martingale collar on indoors?
Itās a good question, and one that many dog parents ask. While martingale collars are great training or walking tools, theyāre not always the best option for all-day wear inside the house. Letās take a closer look at whyāand how to keep your dog safe and comfortable at home.
How A Martingale Collar Works
A martingale collar is designed to reduce the risk of your dog from slipping out of their collar during walks. This is especially useful for sighthound breeds like greyhounds and whippets that because of their narrow heads, are prone to slipping out of traditional collars.
It has two loops: a larger one that goes around your dogās neck and a smaller one that connects to the leash. When your dog pulls, the smaller loop tightens slightly, creating gentle pressure to tighten the collar which that prevents them from being able to slip out.
Unlike choke chains, a martingale collar has a built-in limit to how tight it can get. This makes it a safer, more humane option for training and walking.Ā
However, that tightening feature is exactly why martingale collars are best used during active supervisionāsuch as on walks or in training sessions. When your dog is relaxing indoors, that same tightening action can pose a safety risk if the collar gets caught on something, especially if you're not there to release them.
Plus having a second loop on the collar makes it more prone to being caught than a standard collar.
Why You Shouldn't Leave A Martingale Collar On Indoors
The main concern is the tightening mechanism, which can become dangerous if the collar snags on something, especially if your dog is not being supervised. Combined with the fact that a martingale collar features a second hanging loop, it's a lot easier for this to get caught than a standard collar would. The two of these factors combined generally make martingale collars unsuitable for indoor wear when your dog is alone.
Our dogs can be cheeky at the best of times which might include counter surfing, zoomies or a multitude of other things. During these activities, it's very easy to imagine your dog getting their collar caught on the furniture or something else.Ā
Because the collar tightens when it is pulled, this can cause the loop around the neck to tighten which could lead to choking or neck injuries. Now although this collar is designed to only tighten by a small amount to reduce the risk of injury, unfortunately the risk is still there.
Also martingale collars are designed for walking, so they tend to be wider than a collar that is designed for indoor wear, and heavier. As such, it will be less comfortable for your dog than a house collar or an ID collar, which is what we would instead recommend you to use indoors.
Conclusion:
To be clear, martingale collars are fantastic, and we recommend them for sighthounds who are prone to slipping traditional collars. However, due to their design, they do pose a safety risk if left on indoors unattended.
That's not to say they can never be on indoors, if you just pop in and are about to head back out, leave it on, don't overthink it. But if you are planning to leave a collar on all day or whilst you're dog is unattended, choose a safer option like a house collar or an id collar. They are more comfortable for your dog anyway, but more importantly they are less likely to get caught, and if they do, then at least the collar won't tighten and pose too big a risk.
Otherwise, many dogs don't need a collar on in the home unless you are worried about them being a flight risk. You can always opt for no collar indoors if your dog is secure.