Early Early Dog Collars

Joanna here, with a posting but not exactly the posting I set out to write. This happens once in a while.

The backstory goes like this; It got cold, it being winter, and I bought Mandela the dog a sweater to keep her warm. This got me thinking about dog clothing in general and protective dog clothing  in particular — like warm sweaters or dog boots at the Isentod. This is in contrast to “dressing Phideau up as Santa’s Elf” dog clothing.

I asked myself, “Did they put sweaters on their dogs in Regency times?” and the answer was pretty much “If they did they didn’t talk about it and they didn’t paint pictures of it.” The British were, in fact, just getting used to the idea of men using umbrellas and women were running around nekkid halfway down from their shoulders so putting a dog in a comfy tweed cape probably didn’t occur to them.

Dogs, like sheep and cats and cows, were expected to deal with the climate on their own.

What dogs did wear, however, was collars. So I will talk about collars.

Specifically the first dog collars.

Collars and leads are so very useful in jerking the dog out of the path of oncoming recycling trucks or restraining them from biting the UPS person, I have to figure my distant skin-clad ancestors pretty early on used leash and collar to keep their wolfish dog from equivalent paleohazards.

This rock painting in the desert of Saudi Arabia to the right might be our first representation of dogs on leashes. One estimate is that it's 9000 years old. These are the first dogs that went from being comfy at the human campfires to the first dogs who held still to be collared. Collars and leashes had arrived. 

Doesn't that seem like rather a lot of dogs to go hunting with?

We don't know much about this first six or seven millenia of fragile history. Certainly collars of leather or twisted wool, and leashes of plaited vines and reeds were created. Some of them must have been beautiful. But they've vanished, leaving not a rack behind. 

 

 

When we do start finding hard examples, they're so cool. Look at the delightful collars of Babylon.

A most impressive and fancy collar. Babylonian. About 2000 BCE. I ask myself ... why so large a collar?

Another Babylonian dog, with a plainer collar.
They're off on serious business.
Looks like a mastiff to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at Egypt a few centuries onward. Here on the right we have a collar, one of two, from Maiherpri's tomb. It's finely worked, dyed leather with paintings of a hunt. 1440 BCE.

The dog's name was Tantanuit.
That's a woman's name so the dog was probably female.

We all remember the tomb paintings of Pharaohs hunting in the marshes of the Nile with their throwing sticks and their cheetahs. The cheetahs are wearing collars.

We will just glance at the big cat in her fine, wide collar.
I never have gotten a cat to accept a leash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From King Tut's tomb.You just know that collar is gold.
It seems to be wrapped around somehow, like a tie.

 

This Anubis-looking dog is such an elegant fellow, so proud of what he's wearing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In China they've been making robust dog collar progress all along. Here we get to the high artistry of the Han Dynasty. Just look at this cheerful fellow on the left with some sort of fancy breastplate.

attrib maryharrsch

They're wearing harnesses. You can see the leather straps on their backs.

 

Don't they look benign?

 

 

 

 

 

I'll make one final stop in the ancient world to say farewell to this dishevelled dog of Rome who's warning us to beware of him. His collar is an extremely fancy one and he wears it well

 

 

I think my dog looks pretty cute in her little warm sweater.
I don't know about this business of dressing dogs up in costumes though ...

What do you think?

Comments

[theo]

No cute little costumes here, but definitely a coat of some kind. Considering it generally gets below zero for part of the winter here in Michigan, and I have a blue dobe who has CDA (color dilution alopecia) and has no hair except on the top of his head, he needs something to keep warm. Otherwise, it would be like you or me going out in that weather in our nethers! ;) He does always wear a collar though. Can't hang his license from his ears ;)

[Kareni]

What a fascinating post, Joanna. Thank you!

I can appreciate warm coats for dogs; however, I think that costumed dogs might be rolling their eyes at their people's decisions!

[Mary T]

I'm all for doing whatever you have to do to keep your animal warm and comfortable. Ours always had plenty of fur and were indoor animals for the most part.

As for cats and dogs dressed up in people clothes - well I have always found them rather funny. Many years ago I saw a poster titled "Kitty Cats Smoking In The Boys Room." It was a picture of a John with 3 or 4 little kittens wearing tiny little leather jackets with tiny little motorcycle caps. One of the little punks had a cigarette butt in its paw. I still giggle when I think of it. And judging from the cats we had over the years, I was impressed that they were even able to take the picture (smile).

[Mary Jo Putney]

Jo, what a wonderful piece of history that I didn't know I needed to know! I'm with Mary T on the difficulty of dressing cats up. Remember, they know where you sleep, so be afraid, very afraid. *G*

[Sue McCormick]

I too enjoyed this post. I only had 3 dogs in my life – and yes, they all had leashes and collors. There were countless cats, none of whom had restraints. And none or those pets, of either type were ever dressed up. (I didn't much dress up dolls, let alone pets; although i did enjoy cutting out and dressing paper dolls, and even designing new clothes for those.)

[Mary M.]

Being more of a cat person (mrowrrr), I have read there are cats that are okay with collars and leashes. I would like to meet one sometime. The only time we ever tried that, the cat (well, okay, he WAS a Siamese) flopped over and played dead. We called this "taking the cat for a drag." Unfortunately, the drag occurred in the middle of our small, touristy town, so there were plenty of horrified onlookers. We never tried to replicate that experiment.

Good post, I love learning things I didn't know I didn't know.

[Janice Millford]

My cats have never worn collars. They just refused every time I respect that and deeply admire the mice who belled their cat. My dogs have all worn collars because the all know, collar removals signal baths. Collars are good, therefore. Living in Deep Freeze Minnesota, the dog wears clothing to keep warm outside. My current dog is Maltese and they have NO UNDERCOAT!! As they were the pampered pooch of "ladies of quality" they didn't need that layer. Their feet rarely touched the ground. She wears a sweater inside all of the time as a substitute. Thanks for the history and the pictures.

[Kathy K]

We don't dress our dogs up in clothing, though a leash and collar are de riguer. For one thing, they are poodles, so they are ornamental enough on their own. (smile) Another thought is that animals evaluate other animals' intentions with their body language. It you put on clothes you are interfering with their communication. I can just hear the local dog pack mocking the dressed up dog as a "sissy", or misunderstanding their accent. (joking)

[Faith Freewoman]

Joanna, I enjoy your wry, dry, silly sense of humor so much! Thanks for this one...

Cheers,

Faith

[Barbara Monajem (@BarbaraMonajem)]

The only coat our dog wears (apart from his natural one) is a thunder jacket. Makes him feel all cuddled up and safe when there's a storm. It's amazingly effective -- without it he quivers, with it he's calm.

[Joanne Bourne]

I am now picturing a dobe with a stylish gold earring in his pierced ear -- bearing a little tiny jeweled license.

[Joanne Bourne]

I know the dogs can handle fairly cold weather (well, not Michigan weather) if they're used to it and can be very active.

But if I'm cold even in my coat, I'm sure my dog is cold without hers.

I don't think she's embarrassed. She's a cheerfully oblivious dog.

[Joanne Bourne]

People seem to enjoy making these photos.
They must have very laid-back cats.

Though my first cat in all the world -- Napoleon the Cat --let me dress him up in doll clothes and push him around in a toy baby buggy ... and Napoleon was a notch-eared male and the terror of several blocks around.

[Joanne Bourne]

I was much impressed with the Saudi Arabian rock art which, if true, pushes leashes on dogs back a couple of millenia.

[Joanne Bourne]

That's more artistic than I ever was.

I had some paper dolls from a great aunt. They dated to the latish C19 an were hand painted and quite beautiful.

They were too fragile to "play with", though.

[Joanne Bourne]

Iran into a guy in Paris, at my usual cafe, who had a cat wrapped around his neck.

Cat just hung around while the fellow drank his coffee and then continued to play neck warmer as the guy strolled away on home.

[Joanne Bourne]

I cannot imagine how the pharaohs managed to put collars on their pet cheetahs and lions.
I guess they had A-1 animal keepers and trainers.

It's good to be pharaoh.

[Joanne Bourne]

The body language is a very good point ... and one I hadn't thought of.

I wonder if the first humans to don animal skins found their family and friends had trouble "reading" the nuances of their communication.

[Joanne Bourne]

Later on, I may come back with "Dog Collars II -- Medieval Dog"

[Joanne Bourne]

Now that is very interesting.
I suppose it's like being hugged tight.
We can all use a good tight hug.

[Annette N]

I used to have two rescued Boxer girls. As they got older, (even though I live in Texas)I got them coats and sweaters to wear in the winter. They loved being dressed up and it made them feel warm. In fact, when I went to the closet to get their coats out, they always became excited. And then in warm weather, I got a bunch of pastel cotton neckerchiefs for them. They also liked those. These were girly girls.

I personally believe they liked the idea that Boxer girls could look more like ladies. Boxer girls are not noted for looking feminine.

I have seen dogs dressed as hot dogs and other funny things. I reckon it would all depend upon the dog. Some dogs have a good sense of humor and the ridiculous. Those dogs would probably like being dressed up and becoming the center of amusement. There are other dogs who have a Queen Victoria personality "We Are Not Amused". Those dogs might put up with being dressed warmly, but they are not gonna go for the hot dog stuff. It is rather like being brave enough to dress a cat as a princess or some such....they will get you when you sleep.

[Elf Ahearn]

Those poor dogs dressed in Halloween costumes always look a little freaked out to me, but others, especially the little guys, seem to enjoy clothing. Wearing them is just one more happy activity they can do with Mommy.
Cats, however, disdain fashion and any fur-covered fool who gets suckered in to it.

[Joanne Bourne]

I guess if the dogs truly objected to being dressed up, folks wouldn't do it.

My dog before this one had long fluffy hair an a thick undercoat. She was robably half collie and half fusky. I used to shave her in the high summer because it gets warm and muggy where I live.

(I know they need protection from the sun and shaving gets problematic, but I need to keep out of the sun too so it worked out well.(

I used to leave a crest of hair down her spine and it stood up like a rooster's comb.

Made her look like a tough punk dog and everyone would stop and laugh and admire. She liked that.

[Joanne Bourne]

You have nubbed the nubbins on dressing dogs in anything. They are individuals. Some of 'em going to get a good laugh from it. Some -- just being patient with you.

[Serena DuBois]

I can't resist answering this. Nexus, the magazine of the weird and wonderful, had an article years back about ancient civilizations or astronauts that said among other things that cheetahs are a dog/cat crossbreed. Their toenails do not retract, the spots of their fur are one kind of fur, and the other fur another and they ALL have exactly the same DNA. So it's obvious why they also accepted collars: it's the dog in them! Do I believe this? I want to as it also explains how the Egyptians trained them.

[Joanne Bourne]

While the factoids behind the Nexus argument sound a bit -- how shall I put it? -- iffy,

what I'm mostly wondering is how the ancient space aliens convinced a dog and cat to mate with each other.

"Do it for science," said the ancient aliens to a skeptical cat and dog.