Martingales

[WhitneysMom]

I want to get Whitney a martingale but don't know what size to get. Are there good places to get cute ones online all the stores are terrible around here. Her collar is fit at 10-11 inches right now.

[WhitneysMom]

No help?? I DO NOT WANT TO CHOKE HER. When it is tight I want it to fit like a normal collar!

[gmacleod]

When you say martingale, do you mean a harness? Or something else?

Well, either way, the best way to fit your dog for a harness is to take it to the store with you. That way, you're sure to get something that will fit (and Frenchies aren't exactly the easiest to fit dogs around ;)). Obviously that's not possible for buying online, but a decent site selling harnesses ought to tell you what collar/girth/chest size it would fit.

[WhitneysMom]

The other name for them is a soft choke (no metal chain, I want an all fabric one) I just doesn't look like a normal collar is that comfortable with the wrinkles on her neck. So this way it would be loose around her wrinkles all the time but fitting like a normal collar when the leash is being used. Does this make sense?

[gmacleod]

Ah - yes, I understand. Those are normally used for showing toy breeds - not sure I'd want to use one on a Frenchie though, and certainly not as an everyday or training collar/leash. They're really not very robust, and have the same drawback as choke chains - they choke. If you're looking for one for showing though - I'd buy the largest size you can possibly find (there's no buckle, so it has to be big enough to go over the head) but can be tightened up as necessary from there.

[adora's mom]

The other name for them is a soft choke (no metal chain, I want an all fabric one) I just doesn't look like a normal collar is that comfortable with the wrinkles on her neck. So this way it would be loose around her wrinkles all the time but fitting like a normal collar when the leash is being used. Does this make sense?

I use a Martingale on my pitbull mix since he's a fantastic at slipping his collar. You buy the size that fits like their regular collar (two fingers can fit between them and the collar). You'll have to put it on first and then tighten it on your Frenchie due to the head/neck size difference :)

My friend uses a Martingale on her Frenchie with good results. Martingales do not choke the dogs, just tighten enough so they can't slip their collars.

[Cara]

Sorry, I just spotted this thread. We've been thrilled the hemp martingale we got from Shoredog - it's called the "shore dog walker" and it actually buckles for easy on/off. Very soft, no choking, you don't have to be as precise about size, and no worries about adjusting it each time you put it on.