This one is so common and so many pet-parents are horrified to learn that "quick release" is NOT the same as "breakaway." Quick release buckles, also called side-release buckles, have two 'buttons' on their sides that a person must squeeze or pinch to open. They are 'quick' compared to the older style belt-type closure that has a tongue-buckle and holes punched in the other end. Quick release buckles can be opened under pressure - tongue-buckles must be tightened slightly to open them fully - this is problematic if the collar is already pulled too tightly.

Breakaway buckles or breakaway clasps will pop open with a certain amount of force and do not require a human to do so. Breakaway clasps are ideal for unsupervised activities. Use with a leash requires the leash clip to be clipped to both D-rings to bypass the breakaway feature. Failure to secure both D-rings on a leash or tie out will result in the collar falling off and the dog getting loose.

Yes! Each of our breakaway collars can be 'broken' open hundreds of times over again. While it's not ideal, as the mechanism will eventually wear and become loose, a breakaway collar can last many years before it needs replacing completely.

Our "Breakaway Collars for Dogs" are typically too bulky for cats. Instead we recommend our Cat Breakaways paired with a Jingle Free Tag for ID or an engraved plastic buckle on 3/8" collars. Find those here: https://foxvalleydogcollars.com/collections/cat-collars-harnesses

While we can technically engrave a breakaway clasp (featured on our Big Kitty collars), the space is small and awkward for anything more than a few characters. A Jingle Free Tag is far superior in both text capacity and visibility.

If you don't see any physical damage to the clasp (chips, cracks, bite marks, etc) it is most likely that the included hook and loop reinforcement has either been removed or lost. Those are necessary for larger dogs to prevent accidental breakaways.

In our experience, nearly all instances of accidental breakaways is a result of the reinforcement being removed or lost.

Our clasps are engineered to work with dogs of all sizes, so they do have a relatively low break force to safely accommodate smaller dogs. The hook and loop reinforcement provides approximately 12-15 additional pounds of break force. Your collar will still break away with the reinforcement in place. Replacements can be ordered here.

Yes! You are welcome to request we omit D-rings on any breakaway collar (excludes all pre-made clearance items). Leave a note in the 'Order Special Instructions' box at checkout or the personalization text box to omit them.

This modification should only be considered if you NEVER plan to clip a leash to the collar - for instance, you always walk your dog on a harness.

Double check your sizing - customization of this nature make a collar ineligible for return/exchange. 

No, metal buckles are not breakaway. HOWEVER - Choosing a metal buckle will not affect the breakaway function of your collar! Each of our dog breakaway collars have two clasps - a traditional side-release buckle that you  must 'pinch' to open AND a plastic breakaway clasp.

See also the difference between 'quick release' and 'breakaway' buckles.

Without getting too technical, basically there is too much hardware on these collars to be possible in lengths less than 11". Yes we absolutely realize there is a need for feline-Fi-users, but unless Fi redesigns their bracket system and/or their module to be shorter, we are unable to make Fi collars in cat sizes. If you have an XL kitty, you can probably get away with the smallest Fi breakaway, but most cats wear collars in the 6"-9" range and even our smallest sizes will be *far* too large.

If the buckle is on a breakaway collar, you can order a replacement here.

If the buckle is on any other type of gear, contact us to see what your options are. Most often we'll need the collar to be sent in to have the buckle replaced.

The short answer: No. Effective March of 2018, we no longer offer embroidery services.

The longer answer: we tried it for several years and the limitations and roadblocks we ran into were not worth keeping it around. I sold off the machine and focused my energy on the many other forms of ID you'll find on my site instead.

Yes, with very few exceptions, all collars we sell are adjustable. As a general rule, we make each collar or harness adjustable a few inches in either direction of the measurement you provide. For example, if your dog has a 15” neck, the collar you receive might adjust from 13” – 18”. Martingales usually start at or just below your measurement, so you have enough room to fit it over the dog's head.

Two considerations:

1. If you request a custom size range (ie 12"-20"), this often delays an order because we have to get in touch with you to choose an available size. Taking range from one end of a size sacrifices range from the other end, and often not by the same amount. Yep, it's confusing. Our sizes are tried and true and it's part of why we try to stick to them!
2. If you've included a neck or collar measurement (ie 15") that aligns with one of our normal size ranges, you'll most likely receive that size range. We typically only adjust the range for measurements that fall very close to the top or bottom of a size. The exception is if you tell us it's for a puppy that will grow a lot. In that case, we'll give you as much upwards adjustment as possible. Including the breed, age, and current weight is helpful!

If it's a breakaway collar, we offer replacement adjustment straps so that you can replace just the adjustable part without needing to purchase a whole new collar.

If your collar is not a breakaway style, please send us an email to see what we can do to help.

We offer many different styles, so if you're feeling overwhelmed, feel free to send an email and we'd be happy to help you decide.

Buckle Collars

Side Release collars, Buckle collars, or Flat Buckle collars are different names for the same collar style. They are typical quick-clip flat collars that are common in almost any commercial pet supply department. They are very adjustable and are ideal for identification and tie-out purposes. They have the most room for adjustment of all the styles we sell. Available with black plastic or all-metal buckles. Plastic buckles are not recommended for tie-out use. Tie-outs are the number one cause of collar failure - use at your own risk.

Martingale Collars

Breakaway Collars

Breakaway collars are our most popular style. 

There are an estimated 26,000 collar-strangulation accidents per year.

Fences, crates, deck boards, air vents, and playmates all pose a hazard to catch collars and potentially cause a strangulation. Our leash-safe breakaway collars are designed to greatly reduce the risk of your dog becoming fatally tangled or caught by his/her collar.

Double D rings allow you to safely use this collar with a leash without worry of the collar coming apart. A regular 'quick-clip' buckle in plastic or metal allows for quick on and off for normal use without causing wear on the breakaway mechanism. Collars are adjustable for fine-tuning the fit.

Most breakaway collars are not appropriate for hand-restraint, however, so if you frequently need to lead or hold back your dog by his/her collar, you may want to keep a non-breakaway collar on during those times. 

Similarly, consider who may be interacting with your dog - anyone who may not understand how to attach a leash (kids, dog-walkers, etc) could potentially make the mistake of only clipping one D-ring, which could put your dog at risk of running away. We've had customers request a collar without D-rings to avoid any risk of this scenario. 

We offer 4 different materials throughout our website. Each has its benefits!

Nylon Webbing

• Many solid colors available (also available with a reflective stripe)
  
• Heavy duty - 4,200lbs tensile strength (1" width) and 1.8mm thick
• Made in the USA
• Smooth, soft, & supple
• May stretch slightly (1-2%) over time
• May fade with UV exposure, especially 'neon' colors
• Some color-transfer may occur on light fur - wash in cold water to prevent further color-transfer

PRINTED / PATTERNED Polyester Webbing

• Tons of fun prints to choose from
• Heavy duty - 1,200lbs tensile strength (1" width) and 2mm thick
• Designed and printed in the USA
• Smooth, soft, & supple
• Resistant to UV exposure, mildew & rot, and faster drying than nylon
• Color-fast
• We continually add new prints
• Shop PRINTS

Biothane Waterproof Webbing

The short answer: I'm afraid I probably can't accommodate that request.

The long answer: it is illegal to sell an item made with licensed fabrics or ribbons unless the seller has permission from the licensee (the sports team, logo owner, character artist, etc). Yes, there are MANY makers who sell items with licensed prints (most likely without permission), but they do so at risk of litigation and against federal laws. We choose not to use licensed prints for these reasons.

If, however, you have written consent from the content-creator to reproduce the artwork, then it may be a possibility. Keep in mind the cost for custom-branded webbing is high.

Perhaps consider a 'team colors' two-tone product, instead. That I can help with!

All sales, correspondence, payments, and transactions must be completed via e-mail or other text-based correspondence only.

We do not have a customer service department or even a receptionist, much less a dedicated 'business line'. Keep in mind I (Diana) am working in a big metal building with lots of machines running, air purifiers buzzing, sewing machines zigging and zagging, my husband singing loudly to even louder music, dogs barking, etc etc... and since I'd be the one answering the phone, I won't be able to hear you with all that racket in the background even if I wanted to!

I sympathize with the customers who may be uncomfortable with buying online, but I have found it next to impossible to accommodate potentially long phone calls, return calls, dropped calls due to our extremely poor cell service area, and phone-tag that often comes with accepting calls - remember there are only two of us and we each have to wear many, many hats to keep our business running smoothly.

We appreciate your willingness to keep correspondence digital.

Production time is the time it takes us to cut, sew, personalize, perfect, and pack your order. We offer Rush Processing for those last-minute orders that you need in a hurry, and we also have a collection of Ready-To-Ship items that you can expect to ship within 24-48 hours.

Shipping Speed or Transit Time is determined by the shipping option you choose at checkout. Economy shipping (Ground Advantage or UPS Surepost) is 2-5 business days within the US, and Priority is generally 2-3 business days within the US. Priority EXPRESS is 1-2 business days from the time our mail carrier picks it up to delivery.

International shipments can take anywhere from a week (most typical of Canada) to 4-6 weeks (most typical of Australia, NZ, Asia, etc).

A special note about UPS shipping: While we offer UPS as a shipping option, please do not choose this for time sensitive orders. We typically only have one UPS 'pickup' per week. This means if you order Monday, and our UPS pickup happens to be Friday (just for example) that week, your order will wait all week for that brown truck to roll up to our door. ☺️

We ship worldwide EXCEPT European Union countries. Unfortunately, since the adoption of GDPR, we have been unable to comply fully with the long list of requirements, and as such, we are unable to ship to any countries part of the EU.

If your package still shows "in transit" but it is more than 7 days past the estimated delivery date, please reach out to us to let us know.

If your package was marked delivered and it's been more than 1 or 2 days, see MISSING DELIVERED PACKAGES.

If more than 60 days have passed and you have not contacted us about a package that is marked delivered, regrettably at this point we cannot offer any support. USPS recycles tracking numbers, and we see fraud attempts with increasing frequency in this type of situation. You MUST notify us of a missing package within 60 days of the estimated delivery date, but ideally within 10 days so we can make a note of it.

It is the customers responsibility to provide a safe delivery location. If you have been victim to mail/package theft in the past, please provide a secure shipping address (like a PO box or place of business) for your order AND file a police report for the missing package(s).

Rarely, a shipment is marked "delivered" but a customer has not received it.

There are a few reasons this can happen, which we won't get into here, but frequently these packages turn up in a day or two.

The first course of action if you notice this has happened is to speak to your letter carrier or someone at your local post office. They have GPS scans on all deliveries so they should be able to help you track down where it may have ended up.

USPS does not allow insurance claims or lost mail claims to be filed on any package with a delivery scan. The quickest way to find your package is to talk to your letter carrier or call your local post office. This process cannot be completed via USPS.com - you MUST call or physically go to the post office.