THE DOG COLLAR

Random post . . . . . . . 

We know according to historical research, humans had dogs as companions before cows and many other livestock. Archaeologists have found remains dating back at least 13,000 years….. buried with their human masters! It is believed that Kings, Queens and Pharaohs were first to initiate the use of dog collars which became more and more ornate as time passed and the status of dogs and dog ownership grew. While the Egyptians used dog collars for decorative and possibly even identification purposes, it was in Ancient Greece that farmers created spiked dog collars as a way of protecting their dogs’ throats from being ripped out by wolves. 

While dog collars today are typically used for identification and fashion, they have also been used for the purposes of training, restraint and as a status symbol. From Ancient Rome to the Middle Ages, the development of dog collars continued to evolve. By the Middle Ages, dog collars had taken on the role of identifying a dog’s position and job. 

Highborn women kept dogs as ornaments, instead of companions, and they were often decorated with collars made of precious metals and jewels. However, unlike highborn dogs, hunting dogs wore only simple collars made of leather as a means of identification. In the sport of wolf hunting, dogs wore spiked collars that had sharp outward-facing prongs. Wolf hunting required a dog to act as the bait, while these spiked collars were intended to protect the dog’s neck, most dogs were not expected to survive. 

It was during the Renaissance that the middle class began to emerge and keep dogs as pets. Among the middle classes, most dog collars were made from affordable leather. However, it was during this time that padlock collars began to emerge as a way of authenticating a dog’s ownership. Hinged metal collars with padlocks were seen as a failsafe way for owners to prove ownership, considering that they were the only ones who had the key. That is, of course, as long as the key was not lost or stolen. 

By the 1700s and the start of the Industrial Revolution, dog collars would often have the dog owner’s name in addition to witty sayings. At the time, the most common materials used for making dog collars were leather, silver, brass and gold. However, in today’s society, dog collars are highly dependent on the owner’s viewpoint