Editorial policy
The rules we hold ourselves to — independence, accuracy, and corrections done in the open.
Independence
Our recommendations are not for sale. No brand pays to appear on Collar Creek, to rank higher, or to avoid criticism. We choose products by the method on our How We Researchpage — published specs, cited independent tests, and value math — and the reasoning is identical whether or not a link earns us a commission. When a cheaper product is the right call for the buyer, it’s our pick, full stop.
How affiliate links affect our picks (they don’t)
Some links on this site are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you buy through them — at no extra cost to you. That funding keeps the site free, but it does not decide our rankings. We routinely recommend the lower-priced or lower-commission option when it’s better for you, and we’ll link to a retailer where we earn nothing if that’s where the best price is. Full detail on our affiliate disclosure page.
Accuracy and sourcing
Every factual and safety claim is tied to a source we can point to — a manufacturer spec sheet, a veterinary or kennel-club authority, or an independent tester like the Center for Pet Safety. Independent test data is cited and attributed, never presented as our own. Where a figure isn’t published, we say “Not published” instead of guessing. We never fabricate reviews, ratings, testimonials, or prices.
Prices and freshness
Prices come from an automated daily check against the retailer and are stamped with the date they were pulled. Numbers older than 48 hours expire on their own and the buy button falls back to “Check price” — we’d rather show nothing than a stale figure.
Update cadence
We re-check every roundup at least quarterly: prices, discontinued products, and the independent-test citations, then refresh the “Updated” date you see on each page. Safety pages (car harnesses, life jackets) get re-checked whenever the underlying safety data changes.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we want to know. Flag it through our contact form. If you’re right, we’ll fix it, promptly — and where the error was material, we’ll note that the page was corrected. Getting it right matters more to us than looking like we were right the first time.