We first discovered that man had a relationship with the dog 12,000 years ago in the Byzantine era. Remains of the dog were discovered buried with his master. Although it is not known just when man put the first collar around the dog's neck it is safe to say that it has been used for thousands of years. Man's best friend of today is the result of being socialized by humans for many, many centuries.

The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, the Persians, the Chinese dynasties all used the dog as a hunter, protector of the flocks, and in a few rare instances, as a companion. Many were used during battles. There are recorded instances of dogs being collared and leashed even in Egyptian times. Ancient Greek women had small dogs which were companions to them while the Greek flock herders wore long spiked collars to protect them from the wolves as they protected the flock. The Romans gave the dog a much more elevated position than previously known and the bones of a very small dog dating back to the Roman Empire have been discovered. Many of the Roman noblemen had elaborate leather collars made for their dogs.

During the Renaissance the dog was used as a hunter and as a fighter and even the middle class man could now own a dog. This is when the licensing procedure came into being. Ownership became critically important. While the middle class dog wore a plain leather collar the noblemen placed elaborate spiked collars on their animals. These were to protect them from having their necks torn to pieces during a dog fight or another baiting event. The padlock collar was also used as a way of identifying the owner in a dispute. Since he was the only person to have the key it was apparent as to the true owner. Makes one think of the chastity belt, does it not?

But it was not until the late eighteenth century that the dog achieved much higher status mainly due to Bentham's strong stand for their rights. Then collars became much more ornate and were adorned with bells, name tags (usually the owner's name) and made from leather, brass, silver or gold. The metal ones were beautifully engraved.

There is a dog collar museum at Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent, England which has a nice display of more than a hundred collars spanning five centuries. The collection contains examples of collars from the great hunting hounds of the past to today's twenty first century canines.

Today dog collars come in many different styles. One can spend a fortune on a decorator collar studded with rhinestones, crystals. One can show loyalty to a country by having the dog wear a patriotic flag collar, (http://collars-and-leashes.com), one can adorn the dog with a leather studded collar or simply select a plain leather or poly collar. Dog collars are used as a vehicle for giving relevant information out about the dog. His name, where he lives, what vaccinations he has had, his phone number and if he has been micro chipped plus other vital info about medical problems. (I am blind, I am deaf, I have diabetes.) It is also true that we still have some cruel collars for fighting dogs, and although in the right hands a pinch collar is humane many people do not use it correctly. Chokers, martingales, head collars, shock collars, studded collars, decorator collars, flag collars, leather collars, nylon or polyester collars are all readily available worldwide.