Dapper Dog

Dog Collars Boutique is proud to announce a new line of dog collars made by Alisa Marie K-9 Couture. All of these collars feature Coco Swarovski® crystals and are available in 11 colors. Alisa Marie K9 Couture uses only the finest leathers and genuine Swarovski® crystals. Each leather dog collar is handcrafted and embellished with classy bling.

The colors, from left to right are; Champagne, Gold, Orange, Red, Sunset, Pink, Violet, Purple, Baby Blue, Lime, and Teal.

Make your precious pooch sparkle anytime, and the wide choice of colors makes it easy to match any color of coat or fashion statement. Whichever color you choose, it will really make your dog, and the collar standout. Fashion is all about the accessories and this collar will be the sparkle and glitz on your beloved dog.

The K-9 Couture handmade collars range from $140-$200. Each crystal is individually secured to the collar with uppermost care for quality. When your friends see this dog collar on your dog they will surely love it! Also, comes with leads in matching colors.

This year Dog Collar Boutique is adding a host of new products! We are expanding existing categories like collars and harnesses, and exploring new items such as retractable leashes and training tools.  In 2011 we want to bring you the widest selection of high quality dog collars available online, and continue to offer more unique merchandise for your dog’s travel, outdoor, training, and special occasion needs.  Read on to see some spectacular items we’ve recently added.

Retractable Leashes

We have long wanted to get into the retractable lead market, but could not find the right product to represent our dedication to quality and fashion.  Pet store retractables are nothing new, and we pride ourselves on selling only what you can’t get at the big box  store.  At the other end of the fashion spectrum, we found some bejeweled retractable leads that offered the bling we were looking for in a retractable, but they were simply too pricey and delicate to be practical — a retractable lead is usually purchased for a daily walker, so it has to be sturdy as well as stylish!  At the 2010 Backer trade show we finally found a retractable that lives up to our high standards.  Dog fashion designers 26 Bars and a Band create unique printed retractable leashes in everything from leopard print to houndstooth to skulls and monkeys.  Their cute harnesses for small dogs come in prints to match the retractable leads, but each lead is stylish enough to work on its own, and take a beating from feisty pups up to 28 lbs.  Check out 26 Bars and a Band and make sure to watch their helpful video on how to fit your pup for a harness.

Fashion Dog Carriers with an Edge

We’ve always sniffed out the best in haute couture carriers in leather and high end fabrics, but not until this year did we find a dealer of faux animal skin accessories that resemble today’s most sought after over-sized purses and hobo bags.  Backbone makes faux croc and faux snakeskin dog carriers that are dazzling and durable, made of a coated leather that’s easy to clean (the bags come with liners too, just in case your pooch has an “oops” moment).  Each bag is decorated with studs, just like the look you’d find tucked under the table of any Manhattan or LA restaurant.  Only your posh bag will have a special surprise hiding inside!  Check out Backbone’s faux reptilian carriers, as well as their more traditional leather offerings that are just as sure to turn heads.

More ID Tags and Accessories

We’ve been slowly adding to our ID tag selection over the past year, and we now proudly offer both sterling silver and more affordable yet stylish metal tag styles.  Our latest addition to our ID tags inventory is Rockin’ Doggie, a line of pewter tags that look as polished as silver but offer that edgy look your rockin’ dog wants, sporting music inspired and dog-appropriate phrases like “Bad to the Bone” and “Born to Run.”  (“The Bitch is Back” might be appropriate here too, but Rockin’ Doggie didn’t go that far!)  Rockin’ Doggie also designs accessories like collar charms and pendants, as well as the very first fashion poop bag dispenser we offer!

We hope you’ll find something you like in our New Arrivals section at Dog Collar Boutique.  And just to get the ball rolling, we’ve discounted all the new stuff by 10% until we get stocked up on all our new items!

When “Out of Kenya Art,” a collective of artists working in Kenya to support themselves with their handiwork, needed funds to compete in the world market, JMS Ventures of Virginia stepped up to provide the capital and distribution power they needed, and The Kenyan Collection was born.

Much of the Kenyan population lives below the international poverty line, and besides agricultural employment (which not everyone is suited for) the only work available in most areas is in the informal sector — that is, people must work for themselves, and sell or trade things directly to one another.

When Joan Schultz was living in Kenya in 2002, she met Mercy Mahiani.  The two women founded the company as a for profit business — “for the profit of Kenyans” explains Shultz.  The two have been working together ever since, Schultz now stateside in Virginia, and Mahiani in Kenya, to locate high quality African beadwork, help distribute it to customers in wealthier areas, and even provide consult on new designs and materials.  Their efforts have helped the Maasai tribe of Kenya to become a viable player in the world market, relying only on the work of their own hands.

The Kenyan Collection includes products such as equestrian accessories and fishing boxes, but their bread and butter is dog collars.  It seems that dog owners make a very personal investment when they choose a collar for their best friends, and this kind of personal stake in a product goes a long way in creating a meaningful relationship between the customer and the producers of his or her handmade collar.  Every collar is unique and completely artisanal.  Many collars can be completely quickly, but some take up to eight weeks to bead, cast hardware for, and ship to the states.  These works of art are well worth the wait.

This spring, Dog Collar Boutique started carrying two new lines of The Kenyan Collection’s dog collars.  The Meadow Stripe Collar and the Sunshine Collar both evoke images of warm days, flowers and sun, and are as durable as they are beautiful.  Visit the boutique to view all of the unique bead patterns and read more about the quality and details that go into each line.

Celtic Rose Collar

This week we joined dog-collaring and legend-making forces with one of the most artistic and quality-driven dog collar designers we have come across to date.  The bon Christiani line of Celtic- and mythology-inspired collars is now available exclusively through Dog Collar Boutique.

Jennifer Christiano founded the company as bon Christiani to honor her old-world heritage.  She wanted to create something both dogs and people could enjoy, by combining her knowledge of precious gems with her love of dog collaring.  Having spent her graduate school years at the University of Chicago studying ethnic jewelry, founding bon Christiani was the perfect way for Christiano to express herself through gemstones and design.

When we came across the bon Christiani collars online, we were instantly smitten.  We had to have them for the boutique!  The authenticity of the gems used (mostly Celtic period gems), the symbology and significance of the designs, and the quality of the construction, using materials such as handcast bronze and locally sourced garnet, are an amazing combination of passion and attention to detail not commonly found in something as deceptively simple as a dog collar.

You and your dog can enjoy an artisanal collar made from the same materials, by the same processes, that have not changed since the time of Beowulf and his insular ancestors.  Celtic roses, triangular knots, Viking-like shields and even frolicking horses grace the leather of these collars, and even the elegant bronze D-ring has a story.  It was modeled after a belt buckle found on a Celtic bog man!

Have a look at the full line of bon Christiani collars at Dog Collar Boutique, now the exclusive retailer for these exquisite designs.

This past weekend we flew to lovely Baltimore, Maryland for the H.H. Backer Pet Industry Trade Show.  We saw quite a few of our old friends, got to know some of our newer designers, and of course (like at any good show) we made some new connections!

Auburn Leathercrafters

First we visited with our friend Walter Dungey of Auburn Leathercrafters. Here our owner Brian is checking out the construction on some Sparky’s Choice waterproof leashes.  We have worked with Auburn for several years now, and we have been consistently impressed with the quality and variety of products they offer.  Auburn has something in every price range, for every doggy size and temperament.  We may be having them custom make some signature designer collars for us soon!

Sherpa’s Pet

Next we stopped by Sherpa’s Pet’s booth, where items were on display from all of their various lines.  Sherpa’s Pet is best known for selling some of the highest quality carriers and bags in the industry, but they also distribute collars, accessories, toys, and treats.  Here Brian is with a Sherpa’s rep, in front of some very Spring-inspired Fox and Hounds collars, and their new super-cute organic cotton toy line.  These toys come to you as soft and clean as baby toys, and come in large and small sizes for puppies and adult pooches.  They’ve got more character and cuddles than just about anything we’ve found!

Yellow Dog Designs

Friday was a busy day, and we soon found ourselves at the booth of Yellow Dog Designs.  We’ve been carrying Yellow Dog for about a year, and they just keep adding more and more patterns to choose from!  You can see the amazing range of colors and styles in the photo.  The great thing about Yellow Dog is they are one of our more economical collars — so rather than having to choose just one collar, most customers pick a few different colors from similar patterns to keep their ensembles matched, or even purchase a different style for every season!

Brave Collars

After catching up with even more DCB friends, we went in search of some brand new products!  Here Brian checks out a new line of designer collars by Brave.  Soon we’ll be adding their variety of studded and decorated collars in a rainbow of high quality leathers.

We met a few more new designers this weekend, and we will be adding even more new products from those folks, including doggy swimwear and water safety items!  We’ll make an announcement when the new items are up on the site.

All in all, it was a great weekend, and we met our goals of finding out more about the products we currently carry, and most importantly, finding new exciting stuff for all of you and your pups!

Dosha Dog has meant the finest in natural stone collars for years now, but their newest line of collars and leads packs a colorful punch with contrasting stones and bright dyed leathers. Using the same palette of earthy stones as their previous lines, Dosha Dog’s Imperial Collection changes it up with alternating colors, shapes, and sizes of Mother Nature’s own bling on supple leather backgrounds.

For the dog owner who loves that earthy look, but can’t confine herself (or her dog) to the monochrome hues of some natural stone collars, the Imperial Collection is sure to be an eye-catcher.  The collars and leads not only create a constellation of color around your dog’s neck, but surround her with the combined healing, focusing, calming, and protective qualities associated with stones like turquoise, carnelian, onyx, and Cat’s Eye.

Collars start at $48, and come in a range of sizes to fit poodles and pinschers alike.  Take advantage of our collar and lead duo deals (at the bottom of each collar’s page) to save on a set at DogCollarsBoutique.com.

Poor Rocky...

Dogs like dead things.  As disgusting as that might sound, we all know a pooch never turns down an opportunity to roll around in something stinky — preferably something dead and stinky.  Lose the stink and the mess with our new Road Kill Toys!

Give Fido some good clean fun in his choice of dead Otter, flattened Squirrel, or for the big guys, a plushy, squishy Wolf. The idea behind the toys may be tasteless, but your dog doesn’t care.  He just wants to chew on something!  And his friends will think his new toy is incredibly stylish.

These Road Kill Toys are floppy and fuzzy, will look adorable and hilarious in your dog’s jowls, and can withstand even the feistiest chewers and manglers.  Made with patented “Chew Guard” technology, reinforced seams, and able to withstand 66 lbs of pulling, you can turn Fido loose on these varmints and even enjoy a lively tug-o-war with an unsuspecting otter or other hapless forest creature as the unlikely rope.

Road Kill Toys make a long-lasting and fun addition to your dog’s toy chest, or a hilarious gift for a dog-owning friend with a sense of humor.  Or maybe even better, the perfect gift for the most prudish, wet-blanket dog owner you know!  Road Kill Toy, $24.  The look on your friend’s face…priceless.

Stripes and Ginghams by Yellow Dog Designs

This Spring at Dog Collar Boutique, patterns and florals are in full bloom.  We’ve added everything from polka dots in eight different pastel styles, to eye catching leather flower decorations, to sleek embossed “elements” patterns in vibrant spring colors.

Lady Bug Ensemble

At our Spring Style page you can find designers that specialize in affordable and fun patterned collars perfect for dog park playtime, as well as magnificent hand-crafted haute couture collars to grace the necks of the poshest dog party attendees!

Check out Marityn Dog for New York-made collars that won’t break the bank.  Visit Shabby Dog’s designer page for handmade doggy “dresses” and more, in the latest cuts and styles for 2010.

Not digging the flowery stuff?  In addition to eye-catching, fashion forward spring offerings, we have plenty of ruff-and-tumble collars for the outdoorsy dog who’s just begun to get his paws wet (and muddy) again.  Waterproof, reflective, and heavy duty collars and harnesses abound, as well as outdoor gear for those upcoming dog-included camping trips, road trips, and city rambles.

Hit the Streets in Style with a Tru-Fit Harness