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History of Dog Collars

History of Dog Collars
by
October 09, 2025
in Humane Education Column
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By: Judy Lore, AVHS Volunteer columnist

Indeed, there is a history to this rather mundane item. I am writing this with an appeal to folks to have a collar on their dogs and, preferably a tag and hopefully, a microchip. There have been so many lost dogs – and some cats – without any of these. Simply having a collar with a tag with your up-to-date information is a way to help you be reunited with your lost pet. If your cat wanders outside, a breakaway collar and tag is also recommended. You can’t count on your dog or cat finding their way home on their own.

What can you include on a tag? Your name, the pet’s name, your address, and phone number. If there is a medical issue, try to include that also. My dogs’ tags are inscribed with “Call my mom at 719-xxx-xxxx.” I also have their collars embroidered with my phone number and their names. There are so many great looking collars out there. It adds a touch of color and drama and shows you cared about your pet being returned ASAP to you.

The first use of collars and leashes was in ancient Egypt and Greece. There they were used by hunters to keep track of their dogs whose sense of smell the hunters relied on to track down prey to be killed for food. These were primitive collars and leashes probably made from animal skin. In Saudi Arabia there is a rock carving depicting a hunter with thirteen dogs and two on what appear to be leashes dating back to 8,000 years ago. By 600 BC, the Sumerians were using collars of ornate designs. People with fewer resources used simple cloth or leather.

By the 13th century, the Romans brought Mastiff type guard dogs with them. These dogs wore metal plates held together by leather protecting their throats, chests and bodies during war and other enemy encounters. Livestock Guardian dogs protecting sheep, goats and other domesticated animals wore collars with metal spikes protecting their throats from attack by wild animals.

Dogs were so highly valued in ancient Persia that your position in the afterlife was determined by how well you treated your companion dog. Consequently, lavish and ornate collars were made and used by the dogs’ owners. The first instance of putting a dog’s name on a collar was in ancient Egypt. The dog’s name was Tantanuit. By 1570 BC, Egyptian collars became works of art.

By the 18th century in Europe, dog collars had the dog’s name and address imprinted on the leather or metal band. The Celts used wide bands to control their massive dogs. Native American tribes developed the harness as they used dogs to pull sleds. In the Victorian Age in Europe, dog collars sported the name of the dog, the owner’s name and address in an often ornate fashion popularized by Queen Victoria for her dog. Dog collars have remained more or less the same minus the ornate ornamentation until modern times.

Messages enclosed inside a dog’s collar were invaluable during WW 1. It has advanced, however, to collars that ping the dog’s location via GPS and wi-fi on your dog’s collar to you. I have never actually seen one of these, but it sounds interesting. Dog collars are displayed in museums around the world and some of them are valuable collectibles.

However fancy or not your dog’s collar is, it should always be on your dog – except maybe in the house – and a tag with your information on it. Ark-Valley Humane Society offers engraved pet ID tags for $6 and microchips/microchip insertions for $25. Fewer lost pets means a better time for all of us.

 

 

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