How a Simple Cowboys Collar Became My Dog's Favorite Accessory

I did not plan for Biscuit to become a Cowboys fan. I coach softball in Columbus, my watch party is a mix of friends rooting for five different teams, and my 27-pound French Bulldog has a barrel chest that most off-the-rack pet gear was not designed for. It was the second Sunday of September, folding chairs out back, a slow cooker on the picnic table, when a friend who bleeds silver and blue pressed a Pets First Dallas Cowboys licensed collar into my hand. Biscuit was working the snack table at the time, and I clipped the collar on mostly to be polite. I figured it would last one afternoon and then live in a drawer with the other novelty gear. Eighteen months later, it is his everyday collar on game weeks, and it is the piece of gear I have replaced zero times.

The collar is a 100% nylon webbing collar with a buckle and snap closure, and the whole thing weighs 2.4 ounces. I put it on the kitchen scale the day it arrived because that number sounded too light to be true, and it was exactly right. That last number matters more than you would think on a short-necked dog. Biscuit will tolerate almost anything for a treat, but he will quietly tell you when something pinches. The Pets First collar sits flat against his neck without riding up, and after the first walk he stopped noticing it entirely.

What sold me was the D-ring. I clip Biscuit's ID tag to it, and that tag has survived a full season of backyard watch parties, neighborhood walks before big games, and one very excited greeting at the front door. The closest it came to failing was the morning he lunged after a squirrel and the tag caught on the door frame. The ring held, the collar held, and the only thing that needed a minute was me. The ring is sturdy enough that I stopped checking it every time we head out.

I will be straight with you: a collar is a simple thing, and I did not expect to have strong opinions about it. But after a season of washing it on cold and hanging it to dry, and watching it hold its shape while my friend's dog went through two cheaper collars, I started paying attention to the details. Here is what I learned.

Eighteen months of game-day walks and backyard watch parties, and the Pets First Cowboys collar still looks like the day we put it on. That is the part I did not expect.

The first thing I noticed was the stitching. The webbing is stitched together with nylon web binding, and you can see the difference next to a cheap collar from the big-box store. No loose threads, no fraying at the buckle, no edges that curl after a few weeks. I washed it on cold and hung it to dry, exactly like the care instructions say, and the team colors have not faded or dulled. The first wash was the real test. I ran it through a cold cycle with a load of towels, hung it over the shower rod overnight, and the next morning the logo looked the way it did out of the package. I have washed it that way roughly every other week through two seasons now, and the edges still lie flat.

Sizing is where most people get this wrong, and I almost did. The Pets First collar is adjustable and comes in four sizes, and I went straight to the Large because Biscuit's chest is wide even though he only weighs 27 pounds. That was the right call. The webbing is a full inch wide, which spreads the pressure across his neck instead of digging into the short, thick part of it, and the collar measures 30 inches end to end, so there is plenty of adjustment left. The Large gives me enough room to fit two fingers under the collar, which is the fit I use for all his gear. If your dog is anywhere near the top of a size range, size up.

The other thing I will tell you is that the logo is the point. The collar features the bright NFL team name, logo and colors, and on game day that is exactly what you want. Biscuit wears it to the backyard watch party most Sundays in the fall, and on walks around the neighborhood before big games. More than once, a neighbor has yelled Go Cowboys from across the street. The collar starts conversations, and for a dog who cannot talk, that is a very good thing.

Now, the honest part. The buckle and snap closure takes a little getting used to if you have only ever used a quick-release buckle. It is secure, which is what you want, but it is not a one-hand operation at first. I clip it behind his neck rather than under his chin, which makes it a two-second job. And while the collar is built for dogs, it is not a harness. If your dog pulls hard on walks, you will still want a harness for steering. The collar is for looking good and carrying the ID tag, not for controlling a strong puller.

What I'd Tell You If We Were Sitting at My Kitchen Table

If you are on the fence about a licensed team collar, here is my kitchen-table advice. Buy the right size the first time, measure your dog's neck and leave room for two fingers, and do not be tempted to size down for a snugger look. Wash it on cold and hang it to dry, and it will still look sharp next season. And clip the ID tag to the D-ring, because that ring is built for it.