A History of Dog Collars

Ancient Greece

Farm dogs in ancient Greece wore similar collars to the spike-studded ones their medieval succesors would wear.  A sheepdog, which had to be white in order to be visible at night, was given a leather collar studded with nails, called a melium.  This protected his furry neck from the bite of a wolf as he defended his flock.  Greek farmers, like many modern dog owners, preferred their dogs to be fierce, but not overly aggresive. They had to be tough enough to attack intruders but friendly enough not to turn on their handlers. It is interesting to note that while the sheepdogs had to be white, the farmhouse dogs had to be black -- so they could conceal themselves better to surprise intruders. 

The small and friendly Alopekis  (from www.dogbreedinfo.com)

Ancient Greeks continued to fawn over their dogs like the Egyptians before them and like most civilizations after them.  In towns, small friendly dogs called Alopekis were the constant companion of women and children, and even used to "herd" small flocks of geese or whatever the family raised in town.  Supposedly the women would carry the tiny pups in the sleeves of their garments as they went marketing.  Women were denied an active civic or social life, so the dogs may have been a very important source of companionship.  The descendants of these dogs still roam the streets of Greek cities today.

Ancient Rome

The Pompeii Dog is a fine example of the continued devotion between a dog and its master.  The dog's collar was examined with infra-red, and it was found to be inscribed with a message documenting the dog heroically saving his owner from a wolf attack. 

In fact, the doggy devotion in ancient Rome was so intense, that Caesar reportedly had to publicly reprimand citizens for paying more attention to their dogs than their children.

Medieval Europe

images from www.dead-onwebsites.com/Under%20Discussion/hunt/med_hunt.htm

hunting dog on a leash, leather collar

Renaissance

The growing middle class could now afford dogs, and pets were no longer a royal or noble luxury.  To collar the dogs, more affordable materials were needed.  Leather collars without much decoration were the norm, and rings for leads and nametags began to dangle from street dogs around Europe.  By this time the widespread dog ownership called for ordinances, and a system of of dog registration and licensing was born.  Decrees were sometimes issued stating such laws as an obnoxious dog found without a license could be killed on the spot, or declaring that large dogs should have toes removed, in order to slow them down and protect the royal's game.

The availablity of money and materials led to innovation in collaring for upper class dogs, but not always to the dogs advantage.  The only advantage provided by such collars as the ones pictured here was preventing the dog's throat from being crushed.  The fact that the dog had to wear the collar in the first place indicated the kind of activities in which he was involved.  Fighting dogs and hunting dogs used as bait were common, an even Henry VIII still used dogs as ill-fated, but effective, warriors. Only one Mastiff survived Henry's most famous dogs vs. men battle, and he was given a silver collar (whup-dee-doo).

A collar for a bait dog, used in wolf hunting

A fighting dog's collar.  I bet he won! (found on ebay)

Another type of collar made popular in this era was the padlock collar, a hinged piece of metal, sometimes with rolled edges for the dog's comfort, with a padlock dangling in front.  Only the owner possessed the key, and by unlocking the collar he could prove his ownership.  In the Renaissance age of excess, where possesions and objects ruled, many dogs were treated as just that. It would be several centuries before the modern dog lover would make his debut.

images from dogco.com

Getting "Enlightened"

After centuries of servitude, the dog was still considered a lowly beast, a piece of property.  Even though many noble men and women had lap dogs as well as working dogs, sentiments about animals were not what they are today.  Cruel practices like baiting with dogs, dog fights, sending messages inside dogs stomachs (which would be cut open to obtain the documents), and vivisection were still acceptable. 

The 16th Century philosopher Descartes prolonged this attitude, when he argued that animals are like machines, that any cries they make in response to pain, for instance, are like the groan of a machine that's stopped working.  But thanks to continued scientific (and hopefully less painful) studies of animals and the counter-philosophies that came along in the 18th Century "Age of Enlightenment,"  dogs would soon regain their ancient place as noble companions.

In 1789, Jeremy Bentham, one of the first proponents of the animal rights movement wrote:

A full-grown horse or dog is beyond comparison a more rational, as well as more conversable animal, than an infant of a day or a week or even a month old. But suppose they were otherwise, what would it avail? The question is not, Can they reason? nor Can they talk? but Can they suffer? Why should the law refuse its protection to any sensitive being? The time will come when humanity will extend its mantle over everything which breathes.

This sentiment was the start of many laws regarding treatment of animals by both strangers and owners, and centuries of humans becoming quite attached to their dogs.

image from www.ucl.ac.uk/Bentham-Project/info/jb.htm

Big sloppy doggy kisses for Jeremy Bentham.

Return of the Doting Dog Owner

It was during this period that decorative collars, rather than sadistic ones, again became the norm for the privileged dog.  With new technologies, beautiful silver, gold, and brass collars could be fashioned and stamped or engraved, or leather collars adorned with sparkling bells. Collars typically bore the name of the owner, rather than the dog.  This was the easiest way to have your dog returned to you! 

In this age of printed materials, if a dog went missing owners could now offer rewards.  In the 18th Century rewards ranging from 20 shillings to 20 dollars have been documented.  Pleas for the safe return of beloved hounds were found everywhere from newspapers to printed posters, once affixed to buildings like the modern brightly colored xeroxes we see stapled to telephone poles.

In place of the owner's name it became fashionable to have a witty saying carved into your dog's collar, and many bore versions of the famous Alexander Pope rhyme, "I am His Majesty's dog at Kew; Pray tell me Sir, whose dog are you?"  Also, exquisite collars were fashioned and custom engraved for the winners of shows and competitions.  Again, the owner's name would be emblazoned on the collar, with perhaps a casual mention of the dog's name at the end of the verbose dedication.

dogco.com

Another testament to our love of dogs in this era was the new trend of writing elegies and epitaphs for our deceased critters, not to mention the great increase in dog portraiture.

A Pug showing off a Belled Collar - All the rage in 1800!

from www.burchardgalleries.com

Present Day

Today dog collars run the gamut from pup pampering to pup purgatory.  Designer collars are a huge market for the overly-dedicated pooch-lover, and flashy colors, expensive baubles, and personalization are as popular as they would have been in the day of the pad-locked collar.  Our consumer culture has provided us with name-brand collars (by brands normally associated with human-only apparel), Swarovski crystal collars, silver initial charms for collars, and more.

Some of today's dog owners still want their dogs to be useful and obedient. Technology has given us the citronella punishment collar and the invisible fence collar.  Dog lovers are divided on whether these methods -- the first of which delivers a spray of citrus to the dogs nose, and the second delivers an electric shock to his throat -- are truly effective or are just plain cruel.

Dogs today are also joining the modern "green" movement with a return to natural materials.  Hippy dogs and cats alike can be seen camping and playing hackey sack in their organic hemp collars.

A tree-huggin doggy with a 100% hemp collar and leash