journalautumn 2026

notes on materials, care and the life of a dog

How leather is tanned. How to fly with your dog. How to choose a bed. Written with sources, so that you can judge for yourself.

a small dog resting on a floor cushion in a sunlit bay window
plate — by the bay window. a study.
  1. 01

    the best luxury dog collars, 2026

    buying guide · 3 minutes

    Seven collars from the edit, from $380 to $2,000, with honest notes on size, leather and where each is sold. Prices checked 6 to 8 October 2026.

  2. 02

    the Hermès dog collar, from the harness maker

    collars · 2 minutes

    Before Hermès made bags, it made harnesses. The Hermès dog collar still carries that first trade in its buckle, its leather and its stitch.

  3. 03

    caring for fine leather goods

    4 minutes

    Good leather asks for very little. Less than most people give it.

  4. 04

    gifting for the dog who has everything

    4 minutes

    There is a particular household. The dog has a bed in every room. A collar for the city and one for the country. Toys in a basket, mostly ignored. The owner has, quite reasonably,...

  5. 05

    the well-appointed dog bed

    4 minutes

    A dog spends more of its life asleep than awake. Adult dogs typically sleep twelve to fourteen hours a day, and puppies and older dogs often need more (Sleep Foundation). PetMD puts the range...

  6. 06

    a short guide to italian leather

    4 minutes

    "Italian leather" is printed on a great many things. Some deserve it. The phrase alone tells you where a hide was finished, not how well. So it is worth knowing what lies behind it.

  7. 07

    traveling privately with your dog

    4 minutes

    The appeal is simple. The dog stays beside you. No hold. No carrier pressed beneath a seat. The terminal is smaller, the waiting shorter, the day your own.

  8. 08

    the case for a hand-stitched collar

    4 minutes

    A collar is the one object a dog wears every day. It is touched more than anything else in the house. It meets rain, grass, the hand at the door. It should be made...