Puppy's First Collar: When to Start, What Size, and What to Engrave

A puppy's first collar is a milestone — and a practical one. It carries the ID tag that brings a runaway puppy home, and it is how your puppy learns to walk on a lead. Getting it right early makes everything that follows easier.

When to start

Most puppies can start wearing a light collar once they are home and settled, usually from around eight weeks old. Check with your vet if your puppy is very small, unwell, or still adjusting — the right time is when your puppy is comfortable, not on a fixed calendar date. Start indoors: put the collar on for short, supervised periods, let your puppy get used to the feeling, and take it off again. Most puppies forget they are wearing it within a day or two. Never leave a collar on an unsupervised puppy — a collar can catch on a crate, a fence or furniture, and a puppy cannot free itself.

What size, and how it should fit

Measure your puppy's neck with a soft tape and the two-finger rule: you should be able to slide two fingers flat between the collar and the neck. Puppies grow fast, so measure again every couple of weeks and expect to size up — a collar that fits today may be tight in a month. Choose a light, adjustable collar in the smallest size that fits: our Luna Luxe Personalized Pet Collar starts at extra-small, 18.5 to 24 cm, which suits very small puppies, and our Custom Leather Dog Collar is made for small pets. Do not buy a collar to "grow into" — a collar that is far too big will slip off, and a puppy that loses its collar loses its ID tag too.

What to engrave

Keep it simple: your puppy's name and your phone number. That is all a finder needs. Do not put your home address on a tag. Keep the name short so it stays readable — our engraved styles fit a name of 10 to 15 characters plus one phone number, depending on the style. Engraving is free on our personalised styles, and it is worth doing from the first collar: a puppy without a tag is a puppy that cannot phone home. Remember that personalised items can only be changed within one hour of ordering, so double-check the spelling before you check out.

Collar or harness for walks?

For the first walks, a harness is often kinder on a puppy's neck than a collar, because puppies pull, stop, and pull again while they learn. A light harness spreads the pressure across the chest instead of the throat. That does not mean the collar is unnecessary — the collar carries the ID tag, and the harness carries the lead. Many owners use both: collar with tag for identification, harness with lead for walking. Our personalised dog harnesses include light options for small dogs.

Frequently asked questions

At what age can a puppy wear a collar? Usually from around eight weeks, once the puppy is home and settled. Check with your vet for very small or young puppies.

How often should I check the fit? Every couple of weeks while your puppy is growing. If you cannot fit two fingers under the collar, it is time to size up.

Should a puppy wear a collar all the time? No. Take it off at night and when your puppy is unsupervised, and always supervise a puppy wearing a collar for the first few weeks.

Browse our personalised dog collars and our engraved pet ID tags to find your puppy's first set.