FAQs

CANICHE (Can-eesh) is an Australian based, luxury dog accessories brand, which combines classic handcrafted leatherwork with sustainable materials and ethical, low impact manufacturing processes.

While we started out using leather belts sourced from second-hand stores to make our products, we have now added naturally created vegetable tanned leather into our range, to ensure we can keep up with demand. The tanneries we source this leather from, use bovine hides from the meat industry that would otherwise be discarded. They are then preserved using natural tannins such as bark and leaves, with no damaging chemicals. The leather is saddle stitched using the highest quality 1mm saddlery thread, which comes wax coated to protect from sweat, water and dirt. 

The collars and leads are finished with hand-hammered solid brass buckles, clips and hardware. Like leather, brass is known for its strength and durability. It won’t corrode overtime, unlike other commonly used and cheaper alternatives like zinc alloy. And that’s not the only difference – the heavy feel of brass in your hand is an instant reminder of its quality. Whether you leave it to patina over time for an antique look, or keep it polished like a Sam Browne belt, brass completes the traditional, timeless look of our leather collars and leads.

In a world where things are becoming increasingly disposable, we are celebrating a return to the slow, considered art of leather craft. Strong yet supple and breathable – leather is a triumph of mother nature. Due to the air between its tiny fibres, leather also acts as an insulator from the cold or heat. All of these things will add to your dog’s comfort factor. And let’s not forget the obvious – leather is elegant, stylish and timeless. Like all natural products, leather has its own life cycle – the way it will patina and soften over time simply cannot be emulated. A modest amount of scratching and scuffing will give your collar and lead that signature leather look, and set it apart from synthetic products.

Dogs are mucky by nature – so it’s inevitable their collar and lead will get dirty. To clean, simply wipe with a damp cloth or leather cleaner and leave to dry naturally. Nourish regularly with a quality leather conditioner such as a saddlery product.

To elongate the life of your collar and lead, it is best to keep them for good. Avoid immersing them in water where possible. If they do get wet, gently wipe off any excess and leave to dry at room temperature. Keep the leather away from heat sources (even the sun) as this will speed up the drying process and may result in damage. Again, nourish with leather conditioner.

The brass buckles and hardware can be polished if desired, or left to patina for an antique look.

Depending on the size of your collar and thickness of the leather it may take some wearing to soften, this will happen over time with natural oils and use. We recommend using a leather conditioner to help the process along and keep it from drying out. We choose leather on the thicker side so that it will last, however our smaller sized collars use a thinner part of the hide.

First, the hides or belts are cut to size, and the edges are bevelled to soften the corners. The raw edges are then dyed to match the colour of the leather. To ensure the edges are sealed and protected, they are then burnished with wax. Solid brass buckles and hardware are positioned, and the collars and leads are hand stitched using the ancient method of saddle-stitching. This method uses two needles to loop through each hole from opposite sides, effectively creating a knot in the middle. This means if one thread was to ever break, the other would remain and your collar or lead could still be used. It won't unravel like machine stitching.

All bespoke pieces are made by our founder Gemma Garrity and the 'ready to wear' collars and leads are made by our Indonesian partner Johanes and his team of artisans in Yogyakarta. From saddle-stitching the leather, to hand-casting the brass hardware, every piece is made entirely by hand and will therefore be completely unique. The careful craftsmanship that goes into each product can take many hours depending on the detail. 

While these substitutes may sound like a low-impact choice, they still go through a manufacturing process which is inherently harmful to the environment. Bonding a synthetic material or even leather scraps usually requires harmful chemicals and uses staggering amounts of water. Being conscious of our consumption, we have chosen the circular approach of ‘using what already exists’. By modifying existing products (leather belts and animal hides from the meat industry) we are not creating 'new' products and more waste.

As a small business we aren't perfect, but wherever and however we can, strive to give back more than we take from the earth. All of our products, are made without the addition of plastic, latex or other harmful chemicals that you will often find in alternatives products. This makes our collars and leads a healthy choice for both your dog and the planet. We have a zero-plastic packaging policy – and of course we use recycled packaging. Both our craftspeople and the tanneries they source our leather from have been chosen for their sustainable manufacturing processes. We are constantly self-reviewing our processes and seeking ways to reduce our impact. For example, currently we are working on a way to take back old brass buckles and hardware for recycling. We're also trying to lower our emissions by searching for the lowest impact transport, and of course offsetting our carbon footprint.

Yes, we have flat shipping rate for all countries outside of Australia and New Zealand.

See our shipping policy for more details.

All items (that are not custom made) may be returned at the buyers expense for exchange or refund within 10 days of receipt of item/s. Item/s must be in new, unused condition with tags still attached.

See our returns policy for more information.