Petiquette Collars began in 2009 with a little West Highland Terrier named Harry and a frustration with flimsy, mass-produced collars. What followed was an unexpected journey into handmade leather dog collars—each one crafted with care, character, and a story behind it. Here’s how it all began.
This small dog made it quite clear that he was coming home with us; while I was crouched down trying to get the attention of his big brother, Harry scaled up my legs onto my knees, head butted my stomach to let me know he was there, then curled up for a nap. We knew straight away, that this little man had chosen us.
As many new puppy owners do, we bought a huge number of puppy collars and dog accessories for the newest member of our family. Like many terriers, he adored a squeaky toy, but a well made leather dog collar and lead was always something that I struggled to find in pet shops. They were either made of flimsy PU leather, or were nylon, which I was never fond of as they would fray and look untidy in a relatively short space of time.
AN ADVENTURE IN LEATHER DOG COLLARS
After a few years of buying inferior collars, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I marched into a local leather shop and told them I would like to create my own brand of luxury dog collars for my Westie. They very kindly offered many words of advice, and even showed me how to improve my leather collar making skills when I would show them what I had crafted.
The first leather collar was a bit rough and ready (to say the least), and it was about as far away from a luxury dog collar as you could get, but I found that working with leather seemed to come naturally to me. I even found a supplier for genuine Swarovski crystal and started making Swarovski dog collars with a simple row of rhinestones, which Harry obviously much preferred!
More and more frequently, I found people would stop me while walking the dog to ask where I bought his diamante dog collar, and I would happily smile and let them know that I made it myself. It didn’t take long for me to realise that I had inadvertently stumbled upon something which could become a small, home based business. Not one to shy away from a risk, I decided to plunge head first and set up my own business making bling dog collars with crystal rhinestones, and classic leather dog collars in an array of colours and sizes.
Initially, I worked in a dingy garage with no heating and barely any light. In the winter I would have to shovel snow to get into my “workshop”, and I would hammer rivets into place while sat on a cold, concrete floor. Despite the working conditions, the leather dog collars and leather leads I was making were proving to be a hit with dog owners from all over the world. It did not take too long before it became crystal clear that I’d need more suitable working conditions, so the garage was converted into a gleaming workshop, which I stacked high with leathers sourced from the finest tanneries of Italy and sparkling Swarovski crystal rhinestones from Austria.
A LUXURY DOG BRAND THAT CARES
I always had a clear vision in my head when setting up Petiquette Collars. I wanted my customers to be able to buy the best dog collar whether they bought a rhinestone dog collar or a “plain” leather collar and lead. By using top quality, soft leathers, I could ensure that my luxury dog collars were the most comfortable collar that a dog could wear, and Harry was there with me every step of the way, modelling a new collar every month.
I’m extremely proud to say that every single Petiquette Collar that has been sent out from the Petiquette workshop has been made by my own hands. There is no outsourcing. Every piece of leather is cut by hand. Every single genuine crystal rhinestone is set in place by hand.
Admittedly, it’s now two of us in the workshop, as our designer dog collars have proven to be so popular that I can no longer keep up alone, but it’s all still in the family, and we’re still home based, for better or worse, which means I can work long into the night making bling dog collars for new and existing customers, or pack members as I like to call them.
Our story does take a sad turn though, as sadly, Harry crossed the rainbow bridge in August 2017 after a sudden illness. As any one who has been graced with the presence of one of these amazing animals will know, the loss of Harry was immense, and it’s something I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from, but I take solace in the fact that Petiquette Collars is his legacy. The business wouldn’t exist without him, and it has changed our lives forever.
I like to think that every single dog collar and lead that is made and sent out has a little piece of his personality hand stitched with love into them.
Jimmy took over the role of top dog here at Petiquette Collars HQ after Harry’s death, a Shih Tzu cross who loved nothing more than to sit with his head resting on the sewing machine, normally when I need to sew something I should add, watching us make leather collar then Swarovski dog collar, wondering when he would ever get a new bling collar for himself!
SAYING GOODBYE
On 27th June 2024 we said goodbye to Jimmy, and two weeks later, as I write this passage, the space where he’d be lying next to me as I work feels so empty it hurts. Jimmy was suffering from severe arthritis in all four of his legs as well as degenerative disc disease, and despite an arsenal of medication, there was simply nothing more we could do to ease his pain.
We made the decision to let him go in peace and dignity so after a day of his favourite walk at a very slow saunter, a juicy cheeseburger for his tea, as well as more hugs than he probably wanted, we let him fall sleep one last time while lying in my arms. It’s a day I’ll cherish forever; the loss of Harry was sudden and brutal, but with Jimmy we were granted the gift of being able to say goodbye on our terms when we knew the time was right.
So far now Petiquette HQ is silent, there’s no barking each day at 4.30pm as our postie collects your parcels, and no impromptu play breaks which were now even more important that I realised at the time.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
I can’t in good conscience end our story on such a sad note though, that wouldn’t be fair, and it certainly doesn’t reflect where Petiquette is right now. We’ve resigned a contract with Swarovski allowing us to restock their crystals, so in somewhat of a full circle, all of our bespoke, designer collars are once again adorned with these beautiful, gleaming crystals.
Some even more exciting news though, is that a new Top Dog has entered the building! I’d like to introduce Kevin, the Miniature Poodle, who at time of writing is a very bouncy 15 weeks of age.
He’s a confident little chap who loves cuddles, his squeaky ball, and isn’t phased by the noises of the workshop while we make your collars, although he is quite partial to running away with every scrap of leather he finds! He’s still wearing his puppy collar at the moment, but as he grows, he’ll become chief tester for our collars.
Thanks for taking the time to read our story, Geoff
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