Different collars are often better or worse for different breeds of dogs. I have a new puppy we brought home months ago who is an 85-pound Bernedoodle and we have an older miniature wire-haired Dachshund. I can tell you one thing: they can not wear the same types of collars. The size of the dog and the type of hair they have will have a major impact on the type of collar that’s best for your pup.
Poodles are no different.
If you’re looking for a dog collar for your Poodle, you need to consider:
- Sizing for your dog’s comfort (and so they don’t slip out of the collar), particularly if they’re a puppy that may grow.
- Durability to make sure the dog doesn’t escape the collar and to make sure you’re not purchasing a new one
- Price is obviously always a consideration
And even more – lots to consider!
For that reason, we tested and asked our veterinary advisor, Dr. Jennifer Coates, to review the top dog collars for Poodles and make her recommendation for the best models for a variety of purposes.
Dr. Coates chose the Fida Heavy Duty Dog Collar as the best overall collar for Poodles.
While this was Dr. Coates’ top pick, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other concerns in choosing the right collar for your poodle. First off, Dr. Coates also selected the best collars for a variety of specific uses.
In This Article
The 5 Best Dog Collars for Poodles
- Best Overall – Fida Heavy Duty Dog Collar
- Best Budget – Joytale Reflective Dog Collar
- Best Training – Paipaitek No Shock Dog Training
- Best Bark – DogRook Bark Collar
- Best Leather – Didog Genuine Leather Dog Collar
In this article, you’ll also find her top tips for what to look for in a collar for your Poodle, as well as which owners and dogs a collar may not be right for.
Poodle Collars Compared
Below are the rest of Dr. Coates’s top picks. Compare the ratings and key features of each of the collars to decide which one is the best collar for your Poodle.
| Vet’s Picks | Model | Rating | Material | Closure Type | Notable Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Overall | Fida Heavy Duty Dog Collar | Nylon & Neoprene | Buckle | Thick collar with nylon and neoprene padding | |
| Best Budget | Joytale Reflective Dog Collar | Nylon | Buckle | 12 bright colors available, nylon material and neoprene padding | |
| Best Training | Paipaitek Dog Training Collar | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene | Snap | Beep & vibrate capabilities, waterproof, long-range | |
| Best Bark | DogRook Bark Collar | Nylon | Snap | No-shock, 7 sound settings, prong covers for long haired dogs | |
| Best Leather | Didog Genuine Leather Dog Collar | Leather | Buckle | Full grain leather, customizable nameplate |
*Ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5 and based on reviews, feedback, and opinions of actual customers
Who Should Buy a Poodle Collar?
- If you’re training a dog and believe that a collar is the best tool for teaching your Poodle to follow your lead on walks, a collar will be a fit for you and your dog.
- If you need to keep your Poodle from barking or running away a training or bark collar (listed here) is a good choice.
- If your dog will have issues with a harness (which can be hard on the back and chest, or for some dogs can be difficult to fit and/or to get onto the dog) then a collar is a good fit for your dog
Who Should Not Buy One?
- The major concerns about collars are typical that they’re tough on a dog’s neck and trachea – if you have concerns here and have a Poodle who is a puller, a dog harness may be a better bet (we have a series of guides on choosing the right harness for your pup as well).
If you’re not sure about whether a collar or harness is right for your dog, this is a great video from veterinarian Dr. Gary Richter:
Buying Guide: Tips for Choosing the Right Collar for Your Poodle
“It’s important to pay attention to the specific needs of Poodles when choosing a collar. Large, strong dogs need exceptionally durable collars. Wider collars tend to be more comfortable and spread out pressure over a larger area of the dog’s neck in comparison to thin collars. All collars should be fitted correctly for comfort so that a dog can’t easily slip it off. Plastic buckles will work for many dogs, but metal buckles are sturdier and last longer.
Training collars and bark collars that shock dogs can lead to anxiety, fear, and a worsening of problem behaviors. These collars should just provide a way of getting your dog’s attention and getting them to rethink their behavior. They should not be used as punishment. Collars that beep and vibrate at different levels to allow individualized training are ideal.
Talk to friends and family who have purchased Poodle collars to learn what types have worked well for them. Your veterinarian or dog trainer can also point to any features that might be ideal based on your dog’s specific needs. Closely read product descriptions to avoid unpleasant surprises. Looking at customer reviews posted on trusted sources can give you an idea of how satisfied pet parents are with their purchase.” – Dr. Coates
Additionally, there are two other resources you may find helpful: Dr. Coates also developed a great dog collar size chart for us, and veterinary advisor Dr. Jennifer Masucci provided an in-depth answer to the question of how tight should a dog collar be.
How Much Does a Poodle Collar Cost?
Between $8 and $85
Dog collars cost roughly $8 to $85, but most tend to run closer to the $15-25 range, depending on the style and the size collar you’re buying, and what material they’re made from.
Obviously, whether the collar is a GPS / smart collar (like the training and bark collar options in this post) makes the biggest impact on price, with those collars being at the top of this range (and standard collars falling more in the 10-30 dollar range).
Budget-friendly collars are typically a less-frills option that are still effective but may not be as durable or have some of the specific features you’re looking for.
Our Methodology: Why Trust Pet News Daily
At Pet News Daily we test the products we recommend, and we have a licensed veterinarian hand-pick every product listed here. Here’s a note from Dr. Coates, the vet who chose the list for this post, on her process for selecting the best products:
“Comfort and security are the most important features to look for in a dog collar. When we test products we look for comfort and security, even in selecting the best budget options. If you have questions beyond what’s covered in this post, I suggest speaking to your veterinarian, and other dog owners, and reading the product reviews for guidance.” – Dr. Jennifer Coates, DVM.
The Best Dog Collar Reviews
1. Best Overall – Fida Heavy Duty Dog Collar
- Heavy-duty nylon collar for big dogs
- Extra wide and thick
- Neoprene padded for comfort
- Reflective
- Durable metal buckle
- Available in 4 sizes and 5 colors
- Some customers complained about the fit of the collar.
The Fida Heavy Duty Dog Collar is the best overall Poodle collar according to Dr. Coates.
This is by far the thickest and sturdiest-feeling collar on the list due to the collar’s width and neoprene padding.
The buckle is also metal and the stitching makes the collar feel tough and durable.
Size and durability are big concerns for a Poodle collar as standard poodles are obviously larger dogs. The material’s interaction with your dog’s hair is a concern as well – some Poodle owners opt for a leather collar for this reason (see our best leather selection) but the nylon material for this collar is tightly stitched making the material less an issue.
Overall the collar gets fairly strong reviews (though not the best among the collars listed here):
The negative reviewers primarily centered around the collar not fitting correctly.
That said many customers are very happy with the quality of materials and the collar as a whole, and we’d recommend this collar even more highly than the average customer reviews.
2. Best Budget Poodle Collar – Joytale Reflective Dog Collar
- Made of nylon webbing padded with neoprene
- Reflective
- Available in 5 sizes and 12 colors
- Plastic quick-release buckle
- Some customers complain about the fit
- Some customers complain about the durability
The Joytale Reflective Dog Collar is our best budget pick.
The collar feels very light and the colors available are very bright when you see the collar in person.
While the collar feels light it still has some padding and doesn’t feel flimsy when you pick it up. It’s a nylon collar so again here if your Poodle’s hair is an issue you may want to opt for our pick for the leather collar.
Here’s a quick video overview of how to use the collar that will let you see it on a dog:
Overall despite the low price the collar gets very strong ratings (tied for the best of those mentioned in this post):
The negative reviews tend to center around two core issues:
- The most common complaints were around the collar not fitting
- Some complaints were around the durability of the collar and issues with the collar being chewed by a dog and the clasp not working
That said these are the most common complaints about collars we’ve seen after reviewing tons of negative customer reviews.
All in all, this is a good option for budget-conscious customers looking for a dog collar.
3. Best Training Collar – Paipaitek No Shock Dog Training
- No-shock/no-prong collar for safety and humane training
- 3 settings – beep only, vibrate only, beep and vibrate
- Vibration has 100 different intensity settings to customize to a dog’s individual needs
- Waterproof
- Long range
- Long-lasting battery
- Fits dogs up to 120 pounds
- By far the most expensive collar on this list
- Durability (some customers cite issues with the collar breaking after a few months)
- Some customers claim the battery didn’t work and the collar didn’t hold a charge after a few months
The best Poodle collar for training is the Paipaitek No Shock Dog Training.
The collar isn’t padded and is made of nylon so doesn’t feel as substantial as the two collars with neoprene or the leather collar on this list. The combination of the padding and the training device may cause issues with your Poodle’s hair (again if that’s a concern the smoother leather can be a better option or the Fida collar which is more tightly stitched).
There are also video reviews of the product available online where you can see the product for yourself and get a sense of first impressions. Here’s one of those reviews:
And here’s another:
The collar gets lower ratings than standard collars, but after reviewing ratings for hundreds of pet products we’ve realized that smart collars frequently average lower ratings than standard collars just because more people will run into technical issues with the collars, so you can factor that into your evaluation here (the Paipaitek gets higher ratings than the DogRook collar and the Fi Smart Collar which we’ve reviewed elsewhere):
Complaints from customers who had issues with the collar included:
- Durability (issues with the collar breaking after a few months)
- The battery not working and the collar not holding a charge after a few months
All of that said, a number of people were happy with the collar and we’d recommend this for training your Poodle.
4. Best Bark Collar – DogRook Bark Collar
- No-shock collar for humane training
- 7 sound settings and 2 vibration modes for individualized training
- Increases in intensity if barking continues
- Smart microphone only reacts to dog’s own barking. 5 sensitivity settings to screen out ambient noise for additional safety.
- Prong covers for long-haired dogs
- Waterproof
- Long battery life
- Rechargeable
- Fits dogs up to 110 pounds
- Available in 4 colors
- Customers complained about issues with the charger not working
- Customers complained it was difficult to use
Our choice for the best bark collar for Poodles is the DogRook Bark Collar.
The collar feels thicker than the Paipaitek collar but not as thick as the first two collars we reviewed. Additionally, the collar is made of nylon, has a device attachment, and has two bands so if your Poodle has particularly long and thick hair that could be a concern.
If you want to see the collar in action there are multiple videos available with different reactions and hands-on reviews of the product, like this one:
And this one:
And Dog Rook has created their own series of videos including this overview:
If you wind up buying the collar they have tutorials about how to turn the collar on, technical overviews, and more on their YouTube channel.
Again in general customer reviews for smart collars tend to be lower than standard collars which is the case for Dog Rook, and it’s slightly lower rated than the Paipaitek collar, but is higher rated than some others like Fi:
Major complaints from people who did have low reviews centered around:
- Issues with the charger not working
- Difficult to use
All in all many reviewers were very happy with the product, however, if you’re looking for a dog body collar this is a great option.
5. Best Leather Collar – Didog Genuine Leather Dog Collar
- Full grain leather
- Metal buckle
- Available in 6 sizes and 4 colors, with or without customizable name/address plate and leash
- Some customers complained of a strange smell of the leather
- Some customers complained about the quality of the leather (with it being thin and stretching)
The Didog Genuine Leather Dog Collar is our top pick for a leather collar for Poodles.
The collar feels thick and substantial and the metal buckle, nameplate, and leather look very nice as you unbox the product. We didn’t experience any issues with the smell or quality of the leather, but some customers have had complaints there.
Leather can be a great choice for a Poodle since it’s a smooth material and isn’t as likely as certain Nylon collars to get caught in your Poodle’s hair.
In terms of ratings the collar is the worst-rated of the standard collars on this list:
And customers who gave the collar a low rating had two main complaints:
- A strange smell to the leather
- The quality of the leather (with it being thin and stretching)
That said many customers rate the product highly, and Dr. Coates made it her top pick for a leather collar for your Poodle.
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