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The double d-ring feature tends to be one of the more complex choices we see folks make when shopping for a collar. So, we decided to help out by writing a bit about the pros & cons.

What is an extra d-ring? This is a feature we offer where a secondary d-ring is placed at the center/back of the collar, which ends up being at the top/center of the collar when the collar is being worn by your dog. This d-ring is in addition to the primary d-ring that is made into the collar by the buckle like any traditional dog collar. Double d-rings are added by affixing the d-ring in between the base collar and top layer with Chicago screws on our double layer collars. On our single layer collars we use a small piece of leather on the inside of the collar riveted into place to hold the second d-ring (example = Princess Collar).

PLEASE NOTE: We can add or remove the extra d-ring feature from any collar design!

The PROs of adding an EXTRA D-RING:

You paid for bling, so keep it front and center! The extra d-ring feature allows you to keep your collar "forward facing" while using a leash. This means you do not have to spin the collar around to use a leash, the buckle will stay down under your dog's chin and the bling will stay on top where you can show it off!

If you use a training tool such as a prong collar, Halti, Gentle Leader or other head harness device, we suggest "backing-up" your gear in case your training tool gives out. We have a whole blog post about this topic; BABY GOT BACK-UP. We also make a few leashes to help with backup - Easy Backup Leash & Double Ended Leash.

The CONs of adding an EXTRA D-RING:

On smaller sized collars/dogs we suggest skipping the extra d-ring because it just takes up too much room. Again, you are paying for bling, so the more space we have for the collar design the better. Some of our smaller collars have been designed to accommodate the extra d-ring, such as our Prana and Princess collars, but for most smaller collars we say SKIP IT!

Multiple dog homes my want to consider dropping the extra d-ring in the name of safety. While we have never heard of a dog getting caught up on another dog's extra d-ring, it seems like it could happen. Just something to think about if you have multiple dogs. Again, our dogs wear double-d collars and have never had a problem, but you know your dogs best and should consider your dogs' activity trends when choosing the right gear.

Safety first! If you have a ranch dog or dog that spends a great deal of time outside unattended we suggest NOT adding an extra d-ring. With working breeds it is best to keep things low profile to mitigate any possibility of the collar becoming caught on something while your dog is working or running around outdoors.

Form over function... We try to work the extra d-ring feature into the design on most of our collars, but sometimes it is just nice to see a design without that big fat d-ring at the top of your collar. Extra d-rings are a great tool, but if your dog spends most of the time off leash while wearing the collar, we say skip the extra d-ring and rock the full design!

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!