How to Fit a Fur Saver Collar: Loop, Rings and Sizing

Short answer: a fur saver is a long-link chain with a large ring at each end; drop the chain through one end ring to form a loop and slip it over the dog's head. Clip the lead to the free-running live ring for a chain that tightens and releases, or to the dead ring (or both rings) for one that doesn't. Choose the length from neck size, check it passes over the head, and take it off when your dog is off lead.

This guide covers the Herm Sprenger Fur Saver Long Links 3 mm in silver and the same collar in black. The fitting facts come from Herm Sprenger and our own product pages. Where Sprenger doesn't cover a point, we say so and mark the advice as trainer guidance.

On this page

• What is a fur saver?
• Live ring and dead ring
• How to make the loop
• Which way round it goes on the dog
• How to measure
• Take it off when your dog is off lead
• Using a fur saver in IGP
• Common mistakes
• Shop the kit
• FAQs
• Need help with sizing?
• Sources

What is a fur saver?

Sprenger describes it as a stainless steel chain collar with long links. The long links are kinder to the coat and reduce hair breakage on long and fine coats. Sprenger says the 3 mm wire suits medium-sized dogs such as the Dalmatian, Dobermann, Beagle, Australian Shepherd and Labrador.

It has no clasp. Sprenger points out that a chain like this arrives as a straight chain with a ring at each end, which can look as if something is missing. It isn't: you make the collar yourself by threading the chain through one of its own rings.

Live ring and dead ring

Once the chain is threaded, the two end rings do different jobs:

• Dead ring: the ring the chain runs through. Sprenger says a lead clipped here can't make the chain tighten, so the collar behaves like a fixed-size collar. Sprenger warns that a dog can slip out of it more easily this way.
• Live ring (Sprenger calls it the active ring): the ring on the free end of the chain. A lead clipped here pulls the chain through the dead ring, so the loop tightens, and it loosens again when the lead goes slack.
• Both rings: Sprenger says that with the lead on both rings, the dead ring stops the pull on the active ring, so the chain doesn't tighten, and you don't need to check which ring you've clipped.

Sprenger's product page sums it up: the collar can be used with or without tightening, depending on which ring you choose.

How to make the loop

1. Lay the chain out straight with an end ring in each hand.
2. Hold one end ring up. This one becomes the dead ring.
3. Drop the chain down through the inside of that ring, feeding the links through after it. The chain now forms a loop, with the other end ring (the live ring) on its free end.
4. Open the loop by sliding the dead ring along the chain until the loop is big enough to pass over your dog's head. Sprenger notes that threading takes a few centimetres off the usable length.
5. Check it runs freely. Pull the live ring and let go: the chain should slide through the dead ring smoothly both ways.

Sprenger USA links to a short fitting video for Sprenger chain training collars on its FAQ page: How to Get the Proper Fit: Herm. Sprenger Chain Training Collar (Coastal Pet Products, YouTube).

Which way round it goes on the dog

Sprenger doesn't say which way round to put a chain like this on, so the steps below are trainer guidance, written for a dog that walks on your left:

1. Stand on your dog's right, as you would at heel.
2. Hold the loop so the live ring end comes out of the dead ring over the top, not underneath.
3. Slip the loop over the head so the live part of the chain crosses the top of the neck and comes down on your side of the dog, to the lead in your hand.
4. Test the release. Draw the live ring gently, then let the lead go slack. The chain should drop loose straight away under its own weight. If it stays tight, it's on the wrong way round: take it off, turn the loop over and try again.

If your dog works on your right, everything is mirrored.

How to measure

1. Measure the neck where the collar will sit. Sprenger says to use a soft tape or a piece of string at the spot where you want the chain to end up, with room to slide one finger under the tape. Our product pages say Sprenger collars should sit just below the ears.
2. Measure the head at its widest point, which Sprenger says is usually just in front of the ears. A fur saver has to go over the head, so the chain must be longer than the head measurement. Our product pages suggest at least head size plus 3 cm.
3. Choose the length from Sprenger's table below. For chains without a pull stop, Sprenger's general rule is neck plus 5 cm. For this collar it also lists the largest neck each length fits, which leaves a little more room, so use the table.

Stock at the time of writing. Our sizes are measured from end ring to end ring and can vary by about 10 mm either way.

Sprenger notes that the length of a chain may not match the largest neck it fits, which is why the two columns differ.

If your dog's head is much bigger than its neck, Sprenger recommends a collar with a ClicLock or Sprenger hook instead, because a slip-on chain long enough to pass over the head will be loose on the neck.

Trainer guidance: once it's on, the loop should sit up behind the ears with a little slack when the lead is loose. If it hangs down towards the shoulders, it's probably too long.

Take it off when your dog is off lead

Sprenger says a chain used on the dead ring should always be taken off completely when the dog is off lead, so the dog can't strangle itself if the chain catches on a branch or during play.

Sprenger doesn't mention crates or kennels. Trainer guidance: treat the fur saver as a training collar only. Never leave it on in a crate, kennel or car, or on a dog that's unsupervised, and use a flat collar for ID tags.

Using a fur saver in IGP

IGP, formerly known as IPO or Schutzhund, is the international utility dog trial of the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale). It has tracking, obedience and protection phases. This is what the FCI's IGP trial regulations (FCI Trial Regulations 2025, checked 6 November 2026) say about the collar:

• The chain collar: your dog must wear a single-row, loose-fitting, large-link chain collar, such as a long-link fur saver, for the whole trial ("Collar requirement/Carrying a leash", p. 13).
• BH/VT (companion dog test): a leather or fabric collar or a chest harness is also allowed (p. 13).
• Lead: you must carry a lead throughout the trial (p. 13).
• Tracking: a tracking harness or Böttger harness may be worn as well as the chain collar, and the tracking line can clip to the loose collar or to the harness ring (p. 13; "Tracking leash", p. 38). We stock the Böttcher Leather Dog Tracking Harness Brown.

Which ring? The IGP regulations don't say whether the lead or line goes on the live or the dead ring; they only say the collar must be loose-fitting.

Trainer guidance: if you want the chain to stay loose during the trial, clip to the dead ring or to both rings, as described above.

Common mistakes

• Thinking the collar is incomplete. It's a chain with two rings until you thread it through one of them.
• Putting it on the wrong way round. If the chain doesn't drop loose when the lead goes slack, turn the loop over (trainer guidance).
• Clipping to the wrong ring. Live ring: tightens. Dead ring or both rings: doesn't (Sprenger).
• Sizing by the head only. Choose by neck size from Sprenger's table, then check it fits over the head.
• Letting it sit low on the neck. Our product pages say it should sit just below the ears.
• Leaving it on off lead. Sprenger says to take it off completely. Our trainers say the same for crates and unsupervised time. The exception is an IGP trial, where the rules require the chain collar throughout.

Shop the kit

See also: IGP obedience equipment and the IGP Obedience Starter Kit. Related guides: how to fit a prong collar and IGP equipment checklist.

FAQs

Which ring do I clip the lead to?

Clip to the live ring (the free end) if you want the chain to tighten and release. Clip to the dead ring, or to both rings, if you don't want it to tighten. Sprenger warns that on the dead ring a dog can slip out more easily.

What size fur saver does my dog need?

Measure the neck where the collar will sit and choose from Sprenger's table above. For example, Sprenger lists the 57 cm collar for necks up to 50 cm. Then check the length is bigger than your dog's head.

Can I stop it tightening too far?

Yes. Sprenger says you can add a split ring or shackle a few centimetres below the active ring after threading. It must never let the chain close tighter than your dog's neck.

Silver or black?

Both are stainless steel. Sprenger blackens the black version and then polishes it. It isn't a permanent coating, so it wears to an antique look over time, and Sprenger suggests a non-black chain for very light or white coats.

Can my dog wear it all the time?

No. Sprenger says to take it off completely when your dog is off lead. Our trainers recommend using it only for training, on lead, and never in a crate or when your dog is unsupervised.

Need help with sizing?

Email info@k9store.co.uk with your dog's neck and head measurements and breed, and one of our trainers will help you choose a length. Browse the Herm Sprenger range.

Sources

• Herm Sprenger, Collar, long links, stainless steel 3.0 mm (lengths, maximum neck sizes, ring use, traction stop): hundesport.sprenger.de
• Herm Sprenger, Collar, long links, stainless steel black 3.0 mm (head size, ClicLock advice, black finish): hundesport.sprenger.de
• Sprenger magazine, How to correctly put on chain collars without a pull stop (22 February 2024): sprenger.de
• Sprenger magazine, Dog collar size (24 February 2025): sprenger.de
• Herm Sprenger USA, Canine FAQ (chain collar fitting video link): hermsprengerusa.com
• K9 Store product pages for the silver and black fur saver (position below the ears, head measurement, size tolerance).
• FCI, International Utility Dog Regulations (FCI Trial Regulations 2025), pp. 13 and 38: fci.be (PDF)