I liked the look of this collar when I was buying doggie bits and pieces for our new arrival, so bought it for £6.99 from Pets At Home.

I got the large size (51-56cm or 20-22in) initially, but although our dog is a big hooligan, he's apparently not _that_ big. I must overestimate his magnitude, when faced by his boisterous, undeniably _there_ presence. Anyway I took it back and got the medium sized one instead (42-47cm or 16.5-18.5in). This fitted His Chompiness perfectly. The collar also comes in small (30-36cm/12-14in) and extra large (61-66cm/24-26in).

The collar is made from nylon, which gives it strength and flexibility. It is adjustable, using velcro (although not so adjustable that a large will fit a medium-necked dog) and padded.

It clips together, using the sort of plastic clip you'd find on a rucksack. This makes it quick to fasten or unfasten, although some reviewers elsewhere have apparently had issues with it: it doesn't always stay together and their dogs have escaped. I haven't found a problem with it with Mr Chompy, although I can't say I take the collar on and off much - he wears it most of the time, so the clip hasn't lost any strength (if that's been the cause of trouble for others). He looks most bemused and unhappy if you take it off, as though you've pinched his bonio. It hasn't ever come undone by itself for us, fortunately, and he does give the collar a good work-out as he's a puller (he is getting better, mind, but still seems to be of the opinion we should go everywhere at 90 miles an hour and in the direction of his choosing).

The grey padding means he's comfortable, even when attempting to strangle himself or when it's been wet - he's never shown any signs of it rubbing or hurting him.

Part of the attraction of the collar for me was the reflective trim, that encircles the collar. As we live where there are no street-lights, I liked the idea of a bit of visibility added to the dog for walks at night or in poor weather. It's only thin strips of reflective material showing, I guess, but it's a bit better. This trim shows some signs of wear, fraying in places, so hasn't stood up all that well to use. Admittedly Mr Chompy goes swimming in salt water and plunges through undergrowth, but that's what dogs do, and the look & marketing of the collar is very much "rugged, outdoor lifestyle", so I did expect better. It's not ruined by any means, just not as smart as it was.

The collar has a sturdy grey metal loop to attach a lead and an in-built ID tag. This is a piece of stretchy white material, that you draw out using the tab, handily marked with 'pull'! On it, you can write in your dog's details so if he goes AWOL, his rescuers (hostages, in our dog's case) can return him to you (dammit!) I've just written it with biro and that has sufficed, without wearing off or smudging, although permanent marker is probably the best idea. There's enough space to write name, address and phone number as long as you write reasonably neatly. The tag then retracts inside, so the dog doesn't have anything hanging off his collar, which I think is a good idea.

All in all, I'm happy with this dog collar, and so is Mr Chompy. If you like the look of it, it makes a nice sturdy collar for your problematic pooch.