Review

Introduction

When it comes to purchasing items for our dogs, we like to seek out exclusive products that are well-made and, whenever feasible, produced in the United States. We value the attention to detail, customer service, and satisfaction we get when interacting with small American businesses. So, when it came time to replace our Goldendoodle Stanley’s collar, we made no exception. We cracked open the laptop and dove into an internet search, and, as expected, we encountered numerous websites promoting their wares, each claiming to be the best. None were particularly compelling until we came across Tactipup.  

The Company

Tactipup is a company that manufactures dog gear such as collars, harnesses, leashes, and goggles.  All of their products are produced in the United States and the company is based in Florida. While they specialize in producing tactical-type gear for dogs primarily used by law enforcement, military personnel, search and rescue teams, and similar organizations, they also manufacture high-quality gear for everyday folk like us. Depending on the product, you can choose from a variety of styles, colors, lengths, and widths. When it comes to collars, there are two categories available: “Tactical” and “Personalized”. Here’s the low-down:

Collars

On the company’s website, under “Shop” in the top toolbar, you’ll see two options for collars: “Tactical” and “Personalized”. The two categories offer pretty much the same collar choices with a few exceptions, such as a metal Cobra clip vs. plastic buckle, a handle option, and a removable customized embroidered patch. Regarding the buckles, and if you’re unfamiliar with a Cobra clip, this type of buckle is included with the “Extreme” option and is far stronger than the plastic type offered in the basic model. If you have a large, very strong dog that has been known to take you for a walk rather than the other way around, then this type may be better suited for you. Otherwise, the plastic buckle is fine in our opinion. The handle, however, may come in handy if there is an immediate need to restrain your dog and keep him/her close.

We feel that they can do a better job of differentiating between tactical and personalized since, really, all but five collars can be personalized with the dog’s name and those remaining five can be ordered in different colors and/or with a flag patch.  To add a little more complexity, the word “Extreme” in the collar title really means that the buckle changes from plastic to a metal cobra clip as well as a handle option.

Tactical Dog Collars

Tactical dog collars are what Tactipup describes as durable collars that are great for a range of sizes and breeds inspired by military and K9 police dog units that require the most resilient gear possible.  When you visit their website and navigate to the Shop > Tactical Dog Collars tab, you will find a selection of 15 collars with individual features and customizable options such as:

• Width Sizes: 1”, 1.5”, 2”
• Lengths (neck size): 14”-17”, 15”-19”, 17.5”-23.5”
• Colors: Camo (various), black, gray, brown, green, blue, red, neon pink, neon green, & purple
• Flags (detachable Velcro): American (standard, stealth, pink, thin blue/red line), pirate, Texas, & Colorado
• Custom Embroidered name (into the collar itself and not removable) with font color choice
• Buckle: Plastic or metal cobra clip
• Leash connection: Steel D-ring or forged V-ring
• Handle
• Fi series 1 or 2 GPS tracker provision (does not include tracker)

Personalized Dog Collars

The personal collars are virtually the same as the Tactical collars with the omission of the handle option and the addition of a removable personalized Velcro patch. If you choose to add a personalized, removable patch (they’ll put virtually anything on the patch), they will add a Velcro area on the collar to attach the patch depending on the dog’s neck size.  They do provide simple instructions if this is your choice.  Personalized collar options are:

• Width Sizes: 1”, 1.5”, 2”
• Lengths (neck size): 14”-17”, 15”-19”, 17.5”-23.5”
• Colors: Camo (various), black, gray, brown, army green, blue, red, neon pink, neon green, purple, orange, teal
• Flags (detachable Velcro): American (standard, stealth, pink, thin blue/red line), pirate, Texas, Colorado
• Custom Embroidered name (into the collar itself and not removable) with font color choice
• Buckle: Plastic or metal cobra clip
• Leash connection: Steel D-ring or forged V-ring
• Fi series 1 or 2 GPS tracker Endlinks (does not include tracker itself)

Ordering and Delivery

We ordered the 1.5” Personalized Basic Tactical Dog Collar in blue with white font embroidery.  Once you decide on a particular collar, the actual process of ordering is pretty straightforward.  Depending on the collar you choose, you be provided with various drop-down menus with the ability to choose options such as size, color, personalized name, font color, etc…. During checkout, you’ll be charged tax (depending on your residential state) as well as shipping.  For us, the shipping cost was $7.95 for one collar. Once complete, you’ll also receive a confirmation email detailing the purchase along with an option to track your order.

14 days after placing the order, we received an email stating that the collar was entering production. Initially, I was surprised at the delay but after thinking about it for a bit, I realized that it was probably due to the company processing previously placed orders as these collars are pretty popular. I also understood that this company doesn’t mass-produce their products, which made the delay reasonable.  Five days later, we received an email stating that the collar was out for delivery and, naturally, it was delivered that day.

Customer Service

In my haste, I inadvertently ordered the wrong collar color. I immediately sent an email to their customer service detailing my buffoonery and asking them to make the correction. A day later I received a response email from a person named Brooke. She was very friendly and made the order correction without any issues. To further substantiate their customer service commitment, take a look at their Instagram and Facebook accounts.  There, you’ll see that they respond to virtually all of their customer’s comments whether that comment is flattering or not (although there aren’t many of those).

Physical Impression

We received the collar in a small box that had a “Thanks for your order!” on the inside cover along with an email address in case of any issues. They also requested that we take a picture of our dog wearing the collar and post it on their Instagram and Facebook pages. That aside, the collar felt substantial and well-made. It had a bit of weight to it which gave us the feeling of quality.  Regarding the workmanship, the 1.5” collar is two-ply, two millimeters thick, and has four rows of stitching along the entire length with additional stitching at the ends (TMI maybe but I do have this obsession with details & quality!). Even though we received the basic version with a plastic buckle, it is still well-made and gets the job done. The color is very vibrant, and the embroidery is crisp, uniform, and really stands-out.

Care and Cleaning

The collar will get dirty. It’s on a dog! Tactipup provides simple instructions on how to clean the collar, found here, using baking soda, warm water, and a toothbrush.  They provide a video as well.

Summary

The company often uses the word “tactical” to describe virtually all of their products and we understand that this is part of their brand marketing strategy.  But don’t let the term “tactical” lead you to believe their products aren’t meant for your dog. They are. Tactipup collars are exceptionally well-made and can last for many years with proper care including regular cleaning. These collars are indeed, “over-built”, as the company’s motto suggests, and therefore, we highly recommend this product

True to the claim, Tactipup’s collars are “over-built”.  Exceptional quality and visually appealing. Although customized options can drive up the price, this may be the last collar you ever buy.