As a dog lover, you do not need anyone to tell you how special the bond is between you and your dog. And you definitely do not need any scientific proof. Although, it can be used to explain why the bond between you and your dog feels so important and strong. For over 10,000 years, domestic dogs have been our partners and now, it appears the bond is far older. In other words, there have been over 10,000 years of life side by side with dogs. No wonder most people can’t imagine life without dogs. Also, this is a sufficient explanation on why you treat your dog like a sub-family member when it comes to choosing life gears such as dog collars for the enrichment of your dog. Benefits of western style leather dog collars Do you know that the number one choice for wilderness working dogs is still the western style leather dog collars? These amazing dogs are trained for search and rescue. In most cases, these dogs and their handlers may be searching for missing individuals without success for over 72 hours in a dangerous weather condition. Most essential supplies such as dog collars, human boots, human gloves and dog booties, are usually made of leathers. If dogs that are trained for search and rescue operations are given a western style leather to do their dangerous and life-saving duty, then our canine sidekicks are also entitled to this type of collar. Many dog owners do not have the basic understanding of the need to buy a dog collar, but getting a leather collar for your dog. It is a helpful form of identification for your dog in case your dog gets lost, but we hope that never happens. According to a research by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP), about 15-20% of lost dogs and less than 2% of lost cats have returned to their owners. Just because your pet lives inside is also no guarantee of safety. This is major reason why your dog should always wear a leather collar. In addition, leather collars can help your dogs with different tags such as tags on the last time they went to a vet for checkup and so many more Style vs. Function Of course, dogs that are trained for search and rescue operations wear leather collars that are fully functional. But if you envisage something fancy and stylish for your dog, you will discover that there are a lot of customized, gorgeous and special western stylish leather collars to match the presence and unique personality of your dog. And underneath the myriad of choices, you will still be reaping the many Beneath the countless of choices available, you will reap various measurable benefits of buying an authentic western stylish leather collar for your dog. The benefits include: Leather is still remains the most resilient and strong material in the market. The more your dog wears a leather collar, then, It becomes more flexible and cozy to wear the longer your Lab wears the collar. This is because your dog’s skin oils will be for softening. Leather does not get slippery and difficult to hold if it gets wet or cold. It is also easier on your hands when gripping the collar for removal or training purposes. Unlike synthetic collars which usually have less resilient plastic buckles, western style leather collars are not likely to malfunction under heavy use. This is very essential for people who attach their dog’s I.D tags to the collar’s buckle area. Generally, western style collars are recommended by experts for dogs that are energetic and strong such as a Labrador Retriever. After years of war and tear, leather collars will still look great on your dog. Best leather dog collars Let’s go over some of the best western style leather dog collars for different dogs breeds. I will review some collars and I do love them because I have purchased them and my dogs adore them as well. Click on any of the links or pictures below to check them out this website. Zion Leather Dog Collar This dog collar is my favorite western style leather dog collar. This collar is never too tight and it is affordable at $50. Dogs will love this leather collar because of its amazing smell. This dog collar is well constructed and its color hasn’t bleached for over a year that my dog has been wearing it. Your dog can bath and swim with this collar and you will be surprised that it won’t fade. The small collar is 9” x 10.5”, while the medium collar is 11’’ x 12.5’’. The small collar is 13” x 14.5, while the extra-extra-large collar is 15” x 17.5”. The collar has an adjustable belt which allows it to be adjusted according to the growth of your dog. This means that your dog can grow in this leather dog collar. Pub Leather Dog Collar To be honest, when I saw this western style leather dog collar, I was like” there is no way I’m getting this for my dog”, but when my best friend bought this collar for his dog, I was like, “This looks great and my dog would look amazing in this!!” This pub leather dog collar is not too thick and long enough for most dogs of all breeds. This dog’s collar quality is top notch with flat top silver studs. This western style dog collar will give your dog a feeling that is smooth and vintage and it will securely stay on your dog. You can also use its belt styled closure to close the gap. Mojave Leather Dog Collar The first time I saw this western style dog collar on the internet, I was like ” this looks amazing.” It has an amazing design and if you are a design freak, you will want your dog to look good. You can choose from either the black or brown, or tan or garnet leather featuring the Beautiful Mojave conchos, flat top studs, and matching turquoise genocide stones. This leather dog collar has a spot to add an engraved nameplate, which makes is amazing. The sizing guide of this collar is pretty straight-forward and it won’t irritate your dog. This leather collar is suitable for medium to large dogs. And it is also available in other sizes, including 23 inches and 25 inches. With its adjustable strap, this leather dog collar can fit with a very large breed of dog. Wide Basic Leather Dog Collar with Nameplate This unique western style leather dog collar is beautiful and custom made, with a deep engraved nameplate. The nameplate is durable stainless steel which can contain one or two lines of text of your dog’s information. It comes in four size, which are the medium (16-18 inch), large (18.5-20.5 inch), extra-large (21-23 inch), and giant (23 inch above) size. You can choose from black, brown, tan, or garnet. I have shared some of my favorite western style leather dog collars in this article for you to consider. I hope you enjoyed reading through this article today Looking back at this list, I’m amazed at the variety of colors shapes, sizes, configurations, and models western style leather dog collars come in. from the sparkly and fun dog gear, you are sure to get a collar that is amazingly delightful as your dog There you have it, folks, choosing a Western Style Leather Dog Collars for all types of breeds. All the leather dog collars mentioned in this article can be bought on our site at www.karmacollars.com for a justly reasonable price. You don’t need to break your bank to get a high-quality western style leather dog collar. If you’re thinking of buying one right now, then take a look at one of those mentioned above.

We've said it before, but we'll say it again; we don't make novelty quality collars! We design our collars with longevity in mind. We don't offer themed collars because we want you to spend your money on classic, timeless designs you won't get sick of. We only use materials we have tested over time and know will hold up and be safe for your dog. We build our products to last and to be repaired if necessary.

We know you love bling! But honestly, the more bling the more delicate a collar is. The Jewels and stones we use are very durable, but nothing is indestructible. Over time we expect to see a collar wear, in fact, we think our collars look even better with a little wear. But, occasionally we see a jewel blowout or a stud jump ship. These things just happen, it's life, and we are here for you! We will repair and refurbish your gear any time!

If you own one of our collars and just want to send it in to have the leather cleaned, edges re-dyed, sealed and conditioned, be our guest! We would love to help you renew your love! Just shoot us an email to hello@karmacollars.com to let us know you are sending it in and be sure to give us your return address. We fix and reship your repair and refurbish collars within 24 hours of receiving them in our shop.

Want to keep you collar in the best condition possible at home? If you have an extremely dirty collar you can clean the collar with some saddle soap and a toothbrush, then rinse under cool water. Blot the collar dry then let it fully dry before applying a coat of leather conditioner. Most collars can simply be conditioned without being cleaned first. We recommend Fiebing's Weatherproof or Aussie Leather Conditioner. Just massage on a little conditioner, let it soak in for a few minutes, then wipe the collar down with a cloth to clean the conditioner off of the studs and bling.

The coolest thing about leather is that your dog's natural oils actually help it stay sealed and conditioned! Don't get crazy and over clean your collar, just a little conditioner a few times a year should be all you really need in most cases. Enjoy your gear!

Because this is a touchy subject we ask you to understand that this is our philosophy only; we are not trying to persuade anyone or say we are right. We have been asked to make vegan or vegetarian collars many times and rather than shy away from the obviously controversial topic we have opted to remain open about our philosophy.

As the owner and founder of Karma Collars, I was personally a strict vegan for 7 years and many of my friends still are. In fact, I still don't eat beef, funny huh? The reason I decided not to offer vegan collars, and also a major reason I stopped being vegan, was because of the heavy reliance on synthetic petroleum and/or plastic based "alternative" materials. We do not offer vegan collars or any faux leather collars because we are committed to offering plastic free products. In our experience, most affordable "leather alternatives" are often made from non-renewable resources, which take a lot of energy/processing to make, and do NOT biodegrade - thus making them extremely bad for the environment.

All of our leather comes from the American food industry; it is a byproduct and would otherwise be "trash" if we did not use it to make products that last a lifetime. It is my belief that using a natural byproduct, as our main material, is a more conservation-minded choice than using new, man-made materials made of heavily processed plastics.

By making products that last for years and years we are doing our part to keep a bunch of cheap junk out of the landfills, especially a bunch of synthetic dog collars that will never biodegrade. We think a lot about how many dog collars a dog goes through in his/her life and how most of those are made from nylon/plastic/etc. - that is why we have made a conscious choice to make leather products that last a lifetime. Not everyone will agree with our philosophy, and with every choice we make there are obvious pros, cons, and counterpoints. Our decision to make high quality leather dog gear is intentional and we don't apologize for it. We believe that the intentions, craftsmanship, and overall message of our company contributes far more good to the world than bad, and we feel pretty darn good about that!

Hell hath no fury like a sore loser in a Facebook contest. No really, want to see the best side of people? Host a Facebook contest. This is NOT to say that we don't also LOVE and THANK 99.9% of the people who participate in our contest. We need to be very clear about the fact that we owe our business to you all, without you we would be nothing. In fact, we will probably never ever stop forcing you to take free collars every month during our contests, LOL!

But seriously, we asked a lot of our fans this month when we switched our contest platform from a "wall post" based contest, to a much more complex "app system" format. We expected hate mail, death threats and potentially even a contest flop, but instead we had a record number of participants (160 entries in 5 days) and were really really proud of how well people adapted and stuck by our side (happy tears). 

We learned a lot this month and wanted to share a few highlights and insights with you so you know what to expect in the future. We used a service called Wildfire this month. Wildfire proved to be glitchy through FB, a bit too cryptic with info, slow, and a bit clumsy for our taste. But, the contest was much easier to manage and kept our wall open for fun daily activities, which allowed us to do a FREE LEASH FRIDAY during the contest. Overall, we are sticking with the “app” thing but we are going to try a different company/service provider next month. During this last contest some fans told us about a service called OfferPop and we are planning to use them next month. Yes, it will be confusing to go with a new system, but we hope it will be easier to navigate and less squirrelly in the long run.

One more thing... We noticed that using a contest app actually marketed our contest to people outside of your fan base because the contest is posted on the App Company's website. We do NOT like this; it opened us up to a lot of "career contesters" who spend their days hawking FB for free stuff. We want to sincerely thanks a few kind folks who "flagged" some contest entries as bogus and alerted us to these few individuals who scam the system and could have ruined the contest for everyone had we not disqualified them from behind the scenes. Oh the things you learn in a week... But really, PLEASE let us know if you ever see any fishy activity on our FB page or during our contests, we will take immediate action.

Thank you all again for making this an awesome month here at Karma Collars!