Military dog collars are strong, durable options for those wanting a more heavy-duty option for their dogs. But, as these collars grow in popularity, it can be difficult to find just the right military collar for your dog.

We’ve done all the research and read all the reviews to come up with a list of the best military dog collars that are tactical (and cool) for you.

Why should I get a military collar?

There are so many reasons we support using military collars for your dog. However, we’ve put together a few of our favorite reasons to get you excited about these tactical collars.

Durability – The number one reason military collars are an amazing choices is they are extremely durable, made with some of the best heavy-duty materials available today.

Control – Most military collars come with a handle, increasing the amount of control you’ll have while your dog is wear the collar. This feature also make military collars ideal for training.

Function – Military collars are multipurpose. They still have space for a leash attachment and tags, but they also include Velcro spaces for nametags and other fun decorations.

And now you have a better idea of why we’re such fans of military collars, let’s get into our favorites!

Jump to a section

Our top picks
How we picked
How do I select the best military collar?
What is the best collar for a dog that pulls?
When to use a collar vs. a harness?
What collars do police dogs wear?

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Our top picks

This begins our list of products. Add an intro sentence here, then begin listing each product.

Yunlep has crafted one of the most versatile and reliable tactical dog collars. The collar is made from a durable nylon. The material makes this collar extremely light, but also heavy-duty. You won’t have to worry about your dog breaking this collar, which includes a padded lining for extra comfort and safety.

We’re huge fans of the large control handle that accents the back of Yunleps military dog collar. The handle, which will vary in length depending on the size collar you purchase, makes training a breeze and controlling any wild puppers much safer.

Yunlep also includes a metal buckle and leash hook. Because plastic buckles can snap and break easily, the company matched the heavy-duty quality of the collar with heavy-duty buckles. You won’t have to worry about the collar breaking off or the leash ring snapping with these fantastic features.

Finally, we love all the little details that Yunlep has thought of in the designing of this collar. The adjustable collar, which comes in 3 different sizes, includes a line of Velcro around the entire collar. You can add patches and nametags so easily with this collar. And Yunlep offers different colors, so you can pick the one that matches your dog’s personality best.

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Miles Tactical has created one of the toughest military dog collars on the market today. The sleek, black material is a fine nylon webbing, which has been rated at 6,000 pounds! It’s so rare to see that type of durability in dog collars.

And to add to Miles Tactical dog collar durability, the collar includes a buckle that is made in Austria, rated to take up to 4,000 pounds of force. The two rings on the collar, one for leashes and the other for tags, are made of high-quality stainless steel. The collar also comes with a durable integrated control handle for training and restraint.

While Miles Tactical has crafted a beautiful collar, the one downside is they only come in two sizes. The company says each collar can be adjusted between two sizes, but the lack of variety does make finding just the right fit a bit difficult.

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OneTigris created this simple, yet reliable, collar for those who don’t want to break the bank. The collar is made from nylon and includes a thick cushion to protect your dog’s neck. The metal buckles are strong and sturdy, so you don’t have to worry about anything snapping.

While this collar doesn’t include a handle, we still appreciate the 3 different size options. We can’t stress enough the importance of sizing your dog’s collar.

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M1-K9 has created a fantastic military dog collar that is specifically designed for bigger dog breeds. The collar goes up to 26 inches! The heavy duty collar is made from a light nylon and includes a black stainless steel D-ring.

With the purchase of this tactical collar, you’ll also receive a matching nylon leash, giving you complete confidence in the durability of your collar and leash setup.

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Military, tactical dog collars are most often associated with larger dogs. But, Excellent Elite Spanker has crafted a durable collar perfect for smaller breeds. The collar is made from the same light nylon material found in larger collars and includes a metal buckle and D-ring. The collar is padded and has an ID panel, as well as a control handle.

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While it’s difficult to find truly ‘stylish’ military collars, they are after all designed to be tactical, we’ve found one that has a little more flare. The OneTigris Adjustable Tactical collar has an added little panel to give your dog an extra dapper look.

The OneTigris collar still hits all the important marks for a military collar: Heavy-duty material, metal rings, and a handle. But that little flap just adds something extra.

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Coming in a range of sizes, Bobipaw made a fantastic military collar that comes with a customizable Velcro nametag. The collar is made from nylon, has metal buckles and a D-ring, and a thick lining. What sets this collar apart is instead of having to purchase a tag separately, you can purchase both together, saving you time and keeping your dog properly labeled from the start.

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Vivyuns comes in three different sizes, so you can find just the right fit for your fur baby. The military collar also comes with all our favorite features, including a handle for training, a durable metal hook for the leash, and a heavy-duty clasp.

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Our favorite feature of the Diezel Dog Collar is the control handle keeper. Yes, Diezel has included all the features we need in a military collar, nylon material, metal buckles, and a padded collar, but the fact you can secure the handle makes a huge difference. Adding this simple feature prevents anything from being caught on the handle when it’s not being used.

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Bopipaw has another fantastic military collar, this one with an added bonus: A customizable nametag option. The adjustable band makes sizing easier, even with 3 different size options already included. Plus, this fantastic collar comes with a gift option: A whistle or clicker!

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The JiePai tactical dog collar is one of the simplest options on our list. The fabric is still our favorite lightweight nylon and it includes give adjustable points for each of its 3 sizes. The buckle and D-ring are made of metal, so they’re less likely to break. However, there’s no padding in this collar, just two thin layers of nylon. Plus, it doesn’t include a control handle.

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How we picked — About our selection process

At The Pets Master, we don’t take recommendations lightly. If we’re going to curate a list of recommendations for pet owners and dog lovers, we will do the research and come up with the best options. And we wouldn’t recommend anything we wouldn’t use on our own pets.

We also try to be transparent about our choosing process, so you know exactly why each item made it on our list.

Material

Nylon has proven to be the most effective material for durable, tactical military collars. Not only is webbed nylon extremely strong, it’s also very light. The combination of durable and light made finding nylon military collars a priority for us.

Buckles

We made sure all our military collars included heavy-duty metal buckles or D-rings. There is no point in having a durable collar if your attachments snap at the first sign of pressure? Durability and longevity are priorities for us when it comes to buckles on your military dog collar.

Sizes

At The Pets Master, we’re constantly talking about the importance of sizing your dog’s collar correctly. An ill-fitting collar can lead to so many problems and injuries. When looking at military dog collars, we made sure there were varying sizes available and that specific measurements were available for those sizes.

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How do I select the best military collar?

To select the best military collar for you and your dog, take some time to figure out what features are most important to you. Once you have a better idea of what you’ll need, set a price range.

Finally, browse our list of the best military and tactical dog collars to find the one that matches the features you need and falls within your price range.

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What is the best collar for a dog that pulls?

We recommend purchasing a harness if you have a dog that tends to pull on their leash.

Pulling on a collar can result in injuries to your dog’s throat. However, with a harness, the weight of the pulling is distributed across a dog’s back, preventing injuries. We prefer harnesses with front clips, so whenever our dog pulls, they’re pulled sideways or back to facing us.

Browse our list of recommended hiking harnesses and escape proof harnesses.

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When to use a collar vs. a harness?

Collars are ideal for holding your dog’s ID tags. And if you have a calm dog that doesn’t pull or slip out during walks, you can even use a collar to attach the leash.

However, most of the times, especially if you’re going on long walks, experts recommend a harness. Harnesses, especially those with front rings, spread any pulling weight across the body of your dog. And with a front ring, you get more leverage if your dog tries to run off.

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What collars do police dogs wear?

There are usually a variety of collars K9 dogs will wear throughout the course of their training and careers. Often, e-collars are used for police dogs as they’re being trained. However, once they’re in the field, police dogs will usual wear a military, tactical dog collar combined with a heavy-duty harness.

You just brought home a new puppy? Congratulations! Puppies are magical creatures that bring joy and light into a home. They also are a lot of work. They will keep you busy all day and just when you’re ready to lie down and relax for the night, they start crying. As frustrating and heartbreaking as those cries can be, they are totally normal. Remember, puppies are babies!

Puppies crying at night are probably doing so for one of three reasons:

1. They are scared or lonely. Puppies are used to sleeping next to their mom and their siblings. All of a sudden, they are on their own, in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar smells. They need a little comfort and familiarity to feel safe and loved so that they can sleep peacefully.
2. They need to go potty. Puppies can’t “hold it” for very long and they will likely need to be let outside to go to the bathroom during the night. Dogs are clean animals and they will try their best to avoid an accident in their bed.
3. They are feeling sick. This is the least likely reason for crying at night, but if you follow all of our suggestions below and your puppy still is wailing all night, you might want to contact your vet to see if something else is wrong. Your puppy might be trying to tell you that they are uncomfortable or in pain.

Getting ready for bed

So how do you avoid all-night cries?

• This starts with a bedtime routine. Routines are really important for dogs, especially puppies. It helps them wind down from their day and prepare mentally for being left on their bed or in their crate for the night.

• Tire your puppy out! You want your pup to fall asleep as quickly and deeply as possible, which means they need to be physically and mentally exhausted. Play a game that involves a lot of running or activity, do a puzzle game to tire out their brains, and don’t let them nap before bedtime.

• Limit food and water before bed. Puppies have very small bladders so, chances are, they are going to wake you up at night to go out. By limiting their snacks and drinks before bed and taking them outside right before they go to sleep, you can extend the length of sleeping time before their first bathroom break.

• Location, location, location. Where your puppy sleeps at night is one of the most important factors that determine how distressed they are. Remember, they are used to being around their family. Put their crate or bed in your room with you so that they don’t feel scared and alone. After a few weeks, you can slowly move them out of your bedroom to wherever you would like them to sleep. Alternatively, if you don’t want them in your room, you can set up a bed in whatever room you want them to be in and have a sleepover for a few weeks until they are ready for you to go back to your own bedroom. This lowers their separation anxiety and also allows you to hear when they wake up and need to be let out!

• Make their bed a happy place! A puppy’s crate or bed should be a happy place for them. Leave plenty of blankets and toys around for them to snuggle with, try feeding them their meals in their crate or designated sleeping area, and give them lots of treats when they are hanging out there. This will make them less likely to cry to be let out of their crate at night.

Steps for when they cry

As much as you try to avoid it, crying is inevitable. So what do you do when you hear that late night whine?

1. Take your puppy immediately outside in case they have to pee. Simply pick up your pup, carry them out to avoid accidents, set them down, and reward them once they go to the bathroom. Pro tip: leave your shoes, jacket, and a bag of treats by the door so you can get out quickly in the middle of the night.
2. Put them back in their bed or crate. You want to reward the pee, not the crying. Bring your pup back inside and place them back in bed. Crying at night shouldn’t get them extra attention, otherwise we are reinforcing it.
3. If you know your puppy doesn’t need to go out because they just went, let them snuffle at your fingers so they can catch your scent. Puppies are comforted by familiarity and family. They want to know you are still there. Comforting is not the same as giving attention. Keep your puppy in their bed, just let them know that you are there. Pro tip: include an old t-shirt or a well loved blanket as part of your puppy’s bedding so that they get to smell you all of the time.
4. If your puppy is extremely distressed, especially in the first few nights where everything is unfamiliar and they haven’t created positive associations with their bed yet, take them out of their crate/bed. You don’t want that distress to work against you in the future. If they start associating their bed with negative emotions, you will have a lot harder time down the road. Comforting your puppy is not a bad thing. Remember, your puppy needs you! They are just a baby so a little comfort and cuddle at night won’t spoil them.

Don’t let your puppy “cry it out”

There is a school of thought that you should leave your puppy alone at night and they will tire themselves out and stop crying. We do not recommend this. Puppies are crying for a reason. If you leave them by themselves to “cry it out”, things might get worse.

• Your puppy will be loud. Puppies may be small, but they’ve got pipes. If you leave your puppy alone, they will cry and cry, keeping you awake, your puppy awake, and your neighbors awake. Everyone will be cranky.
• They might soil themselves. Your puppy might be crying because they need to go to the bathroom. If you ignore them, they will be forced to go in their bed. This isn’t good for your puppy’s health or well being and creates a huge mess for you to clean up later. Even if you think you know that your puppy doesn’t have to go outside, they might cry for so long that they have to go again and you won’t be able to tell because they will still be crying.
• They might develop separation anxiety. If your puppy is upset every time you leave them, they will never want you to go away. It is important to build up to being alone, slowly leaving your puppy for longer and longer periods rather than all at once. They should feel safe and secure being by themselves, not scared out of their minds.
• Your puppy needs you! Puppies are just little babies. They need comfort and love.
• Something could be really wrong. If your dog has a positive association with their sleeping area, crying can be a signal that something is wrong. Puppies can’t speak so we want them to be able to let us know when they need something. If we ignore them, their needs won’t be met.

How often a puppy needs to potty

Puppies have really small bladders and need to go to the bathroom a lot. Potty training can be a long and difficult process and every dog is different, but here are some general guidelines to help you along the way:

• Really young puppies less than 6 weeks old need to go every half hour.
• After six weeks, puppies can “hold it” an hour for every month of age.
• To avoid accidents, take your puppy out every 1-2 hours unless they are asleep.

Separation anxiety

Separation anxiety is a condition that occurs when your dog feels excessive distress when left alone. This can be because they don’t feel safe without you there or because they don’t trust that you’ll be back. It is extremely important that you create a secure attachment with your puppy so that they don’t experience separation anxiety into adulthood.

Separation anxiety can be caused by leaving your puppy alone when they are too young, creating negative associations with being away from you. It can also be caused by never leaving your puppy alone at all. So how do you know what the sweet spot for secure attachment is?

• When a puppy first gets to your home, they are already experiencing a separation. This is a time when you should be around your pup a lot, giving them lots of love and comfort during this difficult transition.
• After a few weeks, you should start to leave your puppy alone for short periods of time, starting with a few minutes and extending the time as they get used to it.
• Your puppy should learn to be alone for some length of time by the time they are 13 weeks old.
• Keep alone time shorter than 1 hour. An hour is a really long time for a puppy and any longer could cause distress.

Cats have a reputation of being an extremely low maintenance pet. While it’s true that cats are much more self sufficient than their canine counterparts, they still require care, attention, and work from their human friends. You should never leave cats for any extended period of time without access to food, water, and a clean litter box.

If, for some reason, your cat is refusing to eat or you are unable to get someone in to refresh their food, it can be important to know how long cats can go without food.

Cats can live 1-2 weeks without regular food as long as they have access to protein and water.

A lack of regular food may not prove fatal for a week or two, but if your cat isn’t eating for over 24 hours, you should bring them to the vet as they can begin to see health complications in as little as two days, especially if they have not had any protein.

Cats can live without water for 3-4 days before they experience organ failure. Again, if your cat has not eaten or has not had water in over 24 hours, bring them immediately to the vet.

Make sure your cat has enough food, water, and company while you’re away

If you’re going away on vacation, it’s important that you think ahead and make plans for your pet’s safety and well-being.

1. Use an automatic feeder

If your cat eats dry food, an automatic feeder might be a good solution to make sure that your cat continues to be fed at the correct time of day. These are robotic food bowls that dispense a certain amount of food at a programmed time. They come in different sizes and models, but make sure you use one that will hold enough food for the entire time that you are gone so your cat doesn’t run out.

If you’re nervous about relying on a machine, some feeders work with gravity to keep a bowl constantly filled which can be great for grazing cats who won’t overeat.

Its also extremely important that cats have access to fresh water at all times. Still water can get stale, warm, and filled with bacteria if it is left out so large bowls of water are not always a great solution while you’re on vacation because your cat might not drink from it.

2. Use a water fountain

A water fountain can be a game-changer! They allow a continuous flow of water so that your cat can get that “straight from the kitchen sink” experience. They also hold a large quantity of water, but must be refilled as the water levels get low. Do not rely on water fountains for long trips as your cat will end up drinking it all and will not have enough water which can be fatal.

3. Hire pet care professionals

The best way to ensure the safety and happiness of your cat while you’re away is to hire professionals who can come to your home, clean your cat’s litter box, feed them, and give them water. They can also play with them, give them scratches, and cuddle with them. Cats need love and affection just like any living being and there are wonderful people just waiting to know and love your cat!

If you’re in Philadelphia, we even have a recommendation for you! Spotwalk is a great company with knowledgeable, caring walkers who love to visit with their cat friends in the city. A small company, Spotwalk cares about each and every one of their clients and will do everything they can to make sure your cat feels like they are on vacation too!

Cats can get very sick without food

Cats bodies are very efficient which means that they use all of the energy that they take in. They aren’t built to be able to live off of stores of energy in their bodies the way that humans and even dogs are. Because of this, organ failure can happen very quickly when cats stop eating, especially if they aren’t getting any protein. This can cause severe liver issues and, eventually death.

Cats are not meant to go any length of time without food. If your cat hasn’t eaten in 24 hours, take them to a veterinarian.

Cats can get very sick without water

Without water, your cat will quickly deteriorate. Cats can only last 3-4 days without water before it becomes fatal. Dehydration and organ failure both happen soon after cats stop drinking water.

If your cat hasn’t had any water in the past 24 hours, take them to a veterinarian immediately.

What to do if your cat isn’t eating or drinking?

Sometimes, even if you are home with your cat, they might refuse to eat. So what’s going on? Remember, we are not medical professionals. Always call your vet if you are concerned with your cat’s behavior or health.

1. Your cat might not like their food

Cats are notoriously picky and they might not like the taste, texture, or temperature of their food. Did you recently change brands? Your cat might be turning their nose up because they don’t like the new option. Try a different brand or kind of food and see if they start eating again.

If your cat eats wet food, they might not have been hungry when you first put it down and it might have gotten cold by the time they started to eat. Try reheating the food to see if that makes it more appealing.

2. Your cat might be stressed out

When your cat is dealing with anxiety due to excessive noise, new people, or a change in scenery, they might avoid eating. Give your cat time to calm down and see if they are still avoiding their food. Some times, you just need to wait them out. If your cat hasn’t eaten in 24 hours, call your veterinarian.

3. Your cat might be experiencing other health issues

A lack of interest in food or water could be a sign of something more serious. Dental/tooth pain, gastrointestinal issues, pancreatitis, kidney disease, constipation, or medication can all be causes of a lack of appetite. If your cat is refusing to eat, calling or visiting your vet is the best way to be sure that it is not a sign of something more serious.