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One table maps neck girth in centimetres and inches to the four retail collar sizes, plus the strap width each band usually carries.
The standard retail chart runs S = 25-35 cm (10-14 in) neck, M = 35-50 cm (14-20 in), L = 50-65 cm (20-26 in) and XL = 65-80 cm (26-31 in). The bands meet edge to edge, so any neck between 25 and 80 cm has exactly one label — or sits on a boundary shared by two.
To use the chart, measure the neck where the collar will sit and add 5-7 cm (2-3 in): that allowance is the difference between a body measurement and a collar's working length. The finished fit should still let two adult fingers slide flat underneath.
On narrow screens, swipe or scroll the plate sideways.
Each band pairs with a strap width. Toy and small dogs take 10 mm (3/8 in) webbing, medium dogs 15-16 mm (5/8 in), and large dogs and heavy pullers 20-25 mm (3/4-1 in). A dog can sit in one band for length and still need the wider end of the width range if it pulls hard.
Boundary necks — 35, 50 and 65 cm — appear in two bands at once. For a growing puppy, choose the upper band, since necks can gain 2-5 cm (1-2 in) a month in the first six months; for an adult, check where the working length falls inside each band's adjustment range.
What the chart does not capture is head shape and behaviour. A whippet or greyhound whose head is narrower than its neck needs a martingale rather than a flat collar, whatever the band says. The measuring technique itself is covered in How to Measure a Dog for a Collar and Harness, and the matching leash decision in the Leash Length Guide.
Further reading