Product Review: Lupine Combo Collar

The Lupine Combo Collar is a martingale collar. It has two D-rings, a "live ring" that pulls the collar tight, and a "dead ring" that does not pull the collar tight. The combo collar is available in four sizes and two widths to fit dogs with necks 10-27" around. It can be found in any 3/4" or 1" wide Lupine pattern, and is backed by Lupine's lifetime guarantee that covers chewing damage.

Photo by Erin Koski

I love Lupine stuff, and I use it every day. We currently have three 3/4" wide Combo collars, all in retired patterns because they last forever so I haven't needed to buy new ones in years. These are my regular everyday martingales that I use instead of flat buckle collars because Brisbane's head is smaller than his neck. I also use them as emergency backup collars for rescue dogs, transport dogs, and any other dog that I would prefer not get loose and play in traffic. Of my three collars, only the blue dolphin collar is fading, and only because it is one of Brisbane's regular beach collars.

Photo by Erin Koski

My complaint about Lupine's Combo collar is pretty much the same as my complaint about every other martingale out there: the loop is too big. I know that the collar needs to be big enough to slip over his head, but there's got to be a happy medium between "too tight to get on" and "flopping around loosely". I think the loop on the Combo collars could stand to be a couple of inches shorter.

I think Lupine has changed the sizes of their Combo collars since I bought mine. The website currently states that 3/4" wide Combo collars come in two sizes, 10-14" and 14-20". Brisbane's dolphin and cow collars adjusts between 14" and 20" with 4" of that being loop. The playing car collar adjusts between 20" and 30" (holy mackerel, I did not realize it got that big!), also with 4" being loop. I keep the collar adjusted tight enough to prevent escape, but not tight enough to strangle my dog, which means it is always hanging 4" too loose, or I have a 4" long tab hanging off the collar. A 2" loop would have been sufficient, and if I had one of the smaller ones adjusted to its minimum side, 25% of the length would be loop.

Pros: Super useful as an emergency backup collar for dogs that like to escape from various equipment. The immense variety of patterns means I can coordinate with other gear or make the martingales stand out. Brisbane's Lupine Combo collars are mostly different patterns than the rest of his stuff, making them very easy to locate in the collar drawer or gear bag. The Lupine guarantee makes me much more likely to use these on foster dogs who may or may not eat collars. The dead ring is a handy place to hang tags.

Cons: I think the martingale loops on these are way too long. When adjusted properly to prevent Brisbane from backing out, they hang way too loose. A lot of people use these for regular collars and leave them on their dogs all the time, and they have them adjusted tight enough to look like a regular collar and therefore strangle their dog when leash pressure is applied. Martingale collars can strangle unattended dogs, and the loop makes them more likely to get wrapped around other dogs' faces during play.

Bottom Line: For availability, style, durability, and options, these just can't be beat. I have yet to find anything I like as much, long loops and all.

Retired Lupine Pattern: Udderly Cows

Lupine is my favorite gear for outfitting dogs that tend to destroy their stuff. I've shared before how their lifetime guarantee specifically includes products that have been chewed, so they are the best possible value for dogs that tend to gnaw leashes, collars, and harnesses.

Photo by Erin Koski. Silly face by foster dog Ulysses.

Perhaps one downside to Lupine's fabulous products is that they retire patterns from time to time. The 1" Udderly cows pattern was already retired when Brisbane was born. Australian cattledog owners loved the pattern for their cowdogs, and I was lucky enough to find several Udderly Cows collars and leashes at small boutiques long after it had been retired. I have two cow collars and at least one leash, the rest I have passed along to other cattledog owners and rescues.

It has been nearly a decade since the Udderly Cows pattern was in production, but I still look for it anytime I visit a grooming salon or small boutique that clearly doesn't move a lot of product. There is now a second cow pattern, the 3/4" Moo Cows, that has been produced and since retired. I have a martingale collar in that pattern, but I don't find it nearly as charming as the Udderly Cows.

Why I Love Lupine and You Should Too

If you haven't heard of the Lupine company yet, you are definitely missing out. This might be my favorite dog gear, for several reasons. Lupine collars, leashes, and harnesses come in three different widths, 1/2", 3/4", and 1", and multiple sizes to fit every dog. Why am I a Lupine fan?

1. The Lifetime Guarantee. Lupine will replace your gear, even if your dog gleefully destroys it. You really can't ask for more than that. You don't need a receipt, you don't need a sob story, all you need is a destroyed product. You can mail the sad remains of your collar/leash/harness directly to the company. Most stores that carry Lupine products will also accept the bits of your old leash and give you a new one of the same width and size, even if they don't have that exact pattern.

2. The patterns! Lupine gear comes in an ever-changing variety of patterns, mostly inspired by the outdoors and each featuring a name. Patterns are retired after a certain amount of time, depending on popularity. Brisbane's first Lupine gear was a 1" Turtle Reef collar for our trips to the beach. I bought it in 2006, and it's still in production. We now have a Roman harness and 6' leash to match.

Turtle Reef pattern plus chihuahua photobomb.

There was also 3/4" dolphin pattern that has come and gone. I liked the look of the 3/4" stuff better on Briz, so he has a step-in harness, martingale collar, and matching leash too. When my cats were little I got them a seahorse print Roman harness and leash, which they were never thrilled about wearing. Ru has since inherited the set, so I can deck all three dogs out in matching beach gear.

3. The variety! You're likely to find adjustable buckle collars and 4' and 6' leashes in an given Lupine display, and some stores also carry step-in and Roman-style harnesses. I also have several Lupine martingale, or limited-slip, collars for Briz because his head is smaller than his neck. Lupine calls these combo collars.

There are also cat collars with breakaway buckles, and H-harnesses, in 1/2" patterns. There are also slip leads, 15' and 30' training leashes, tiny tab leashes, and a new front-clip no-pull harness that appears to solve the problems posed by the more popular Premier Easy-Walk harness. They even have collars that work with various invisible fence systems.

4. The hunt! Lupine discontinues patterns all the time, but that doesn't mean they simply disappear. The long a store hangs onto their older stock, the more likely they are to still have a discontinued pattern around. The 1" cow pattern in the picture above was discontinued before Brisbane was born in 2005. I have found several collars and leashes in that print, mostly at grooming salons, humane society adopt-and-shop storefronts, and other locations where selling product isn't the main goal. Many Australian cattledog fans love these collars, and so we watch for them wherever we find older Lupine stuff. I like donating them to people who rescue cattledogs. We also now have a 3/4" retired cow pattern to watch for, too.

5. The future. I have helped friends get their chewed Lupine gear replaced, but I have never had the pleasure myself. None of my dogs are destructive chewers, and unlike many decorative collars these stand up to itchy dogs scratching at them. Some of my favorite beach gear is getting a bit faded, but everything remains structurally sound. The salt water is slowly taking its toll on the metal hardware, however. I dutifully rinse everything in fresh water after every trip, but I'm still expecting something to fail eventually. I'm hoping something fails in a completely epic fashion someday, like a completely corroded D-ring, just so I can send it to the folks at Lupine and make their day a little more interesting.