Vizsla collar fix: velcro scratching ear

A velcro ID attachment scratching the inner ear is a really common problem with short-coated, thin-skinned breeds like Vizslas — there's no coat to buffer the rough edge, and once a dog starts shaking their head over it, the irritation compounds quickly. The fix is usually straightforward: move to a collar where the ID attachment is smooth and sits flat rather than catching. Before I point you in a specific direction, a couple of quick questions — how does your Vizsla wear the collar day to day, is it on all the time including indoors, and roughly what's their neck size? Also, are you open to leather or do you want to stick with something easy to wipe clean?

Good — leather works well for a Vizsla at 35cm, and occasional swimming is fine as long as you dry it off afterwards and condition it a couple of times a year. The key thing for your situation is getting a collar where the ID tag doesn't dangle or have any velcro or rough hardware near the ear. What I'd recommend is the Ancol Heritage Leather Dog Collar. It's a flat, traditionally stitched leather collar with a smooth nickel D-ring and no secondary attachments — you just thread a standard tag through the D-ring and it hangs cleanly away from her neck. The leather itself is soft but holds its shape well. For a 35cm neck you'd be in their small-medium sizing. It's available on Amazon UK for around £12–15 depending on colour, which is fair for the quality.

It can on some dogs, but the geometry is different — a tag on the D-ring hangs below the throat rather than sitting near the ear, so it's very rarely an issue. If she does seem to notice it, the easy fix is a tag silencer, which is a small rubber sleeve that wraps the tag and deadens any movement and sound. But honestly, most Vizslas don't react to a standard hanging tag the way they react to velcro rubbing the ear canal area. I'd try the plain tag first before adding anything extra.

Yes — the two-finger rule is the one to use. With the collar buckled at what feels like a comfortable fit, slide two fingers (flat, not bunched) under the collar along the back of her neck. They should slide through with a little resistance but not be jammed in, and you shouldn't be able to pull more than two fingers under easily. Vizslas have quite elegant necks so it's worth checking both that it can't be backed out of — they're surprisingly good at that — and that it's not sitting tight enough to cause redness. Check the skin under the collar every few days for the first week or two, especially since she had irritation already.

Good choice — it should sort the ear issue completely. One last thing: when the new collar arrives, check the stitching at the D-ring attachment point every month or so, particularly after swimming. Leather collars are very reliable but that's the one stress point on any collar and worth a quick glance. Hope she gets some relief quickly.