Product Review: Rogz for Dogz Side Release Collar

The Rogz for Dogz Side Release Collar is quite possibly the most secure flat buckle collar on the market. Our Utility collar features reflective stitching, a big round die-cast leash ring, and a locking mechanism on the buckle. The design of the collar, with one end of the buckle passing through the ring fasten the collar, makes for a stronger design than the standard quick-released buckle collar. Rogz Utility Collars are available in ten colors, and five sizes to fit dogs with necks 8-31" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

"Overkill" is the word I want to use to describe this collar, but there are tons of dogs for whom this would be just right right amount of kill. Basically, it looks like Rogz examined every way a nylon collar with a plastic quick release buckle has ever failed, and then took measures to prevent those failures.

Working at doggy daycare, I see a lot of collar failures. Plastic quick release buckles are a definite weak point, either the plastic cracks or another dog manages to pop the release during play. The buckle on the Rogz Side Release Collar is heavy, sturdy, and curved so it contours to the dog's neck. It also has a little sliding lock to prevent accidental opening. I think this is great from a security standpoint, but I actually take these collars off the dogs at daycare because that's a place where getting a collar off in an emergency is the bigger priority. The lock is very easy to use, but might slow me down when trying to unbuckle the collar on a panicking, flailing dog. There appears to be a common misconception that this is a breakaway buckle when unlocked. This is not a breakaway collar at all.

Photo by Erin Koski

The leash ring on this collar is unique. It's big, it's round, and it's die-cast which means it's a solid hunk of metal. Most collar hardware is made from metal rods bent into shape. If the collar is really cheap, the story ends there, with a metal ring that can bend right off the collar when enough force is applied. Most decent collars have welded hardware, which is stronger but still prone to failure at the weld if you have a really strong dog. The Rogz Side Release Collar has a ring that is cast in one solid piece with no weak points at all.

At work, I've seen a couple of different collars fail at the stitching, usually near the buckle or at the leash ring attachment point. If the dog wears several heavy tags, the weight swinging around can even cause the leash ring itself to wear through the webbing. Some plastic quick release buckles simply open with enough force. Rogz has utilized the classic ring-end collar design to prevent that sort of failure. When the collar is unbuckled, the leash ring sits on one end and half the buckle sits on the other. The rest of the buckle is located several inches up the collar from the ring, so that the buckle end must pass through the ring in order to close. This means that force applied to the leash ring mostly goes on the nylon webbing and not the buckle itself.

Pros: Tough, secure, and stronger than standard nylon collars. Can't open the buckle accidentally. Built to last forever.

Cons: The colors fade pretty quickly, so despite being structurally sound this collar will start looking old within a few months. Even brand new, the reflective stitching isn't terribly visible at night.

Bottom Line: I've seen quite a few reviews of these that complain that the buckle doesn't release under pressure when unlocked. It's worth mentioning again, this is not a breakaway collar. The lock simply prevents the buckle from being opened at all. When disengaged, the quick release buckle functions like a normal quick release buckle, opening when the sides are squeezed. The buckle should never release under pressure at all.