Collar (animal) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

An animal collar is a device that attached to the neck of an animal to allow it to be harnessed, tied up or for various other reasons.

Pet collar. A piece of material put around the neck of certain pet animals, such as dogs or cats, for control, identification, or other purposes. Identification tags and medical information is often placed on collars. Collars are also useful for controlling the animal, as they provide a handle for grabbing or means of leading. Similar collars are used with non-pet animals such as zoo animals and domestic animals including calves, goats and sheep etc. Pet collars can be made of leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...

, nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...

or metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...

. Metal collars are normally used for larger and dangerous dogs. They can come with traditional or quick-release buckles. Collars are sometimes used for fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...

purposes. Pet collars also include collars especially designed for raccoons, ferrets and other such pets.

Cat collar. Similar to dog collars, but often include a bell to warn fauna of the cat's presence. Collars used on cats are smaller and thinner. They can be made of leather, nylon or other types of materials. Some of the cat collars have a solution impregnated which is helpful in fighting against flea
Flea
Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood...

, tick
Tick
Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida, along with mites, constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians...

and mosquitoes.

Anti-bark dog collar, or bark control collar. Produces a citronella spray or a high pitched sound in response to loud noise, to distract and deter a dog from barking. Bark control collars come in different designs and with various modalities to keep a dog quite. Other than citronella bark collars, there are the sonic or ultrasonic collars which also use vibration
Vibration
Vibration refers to mechanical oscillations about an equilibrium point. The oscillations may be periodic such as the motion of a pendulum or random such as the movement of a tire on a gravel road.Vibration is occasionally "desirable"...

to stop a dog barking. These collars produce a very high resonance
Resonance
In physics, resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate at a greater amplitude at some frequencies than at others. These are known as the system's resonant frequencies...

tone which cannot be heard by humans and which comes as a response to barking. Once a dog has worn the collar for a while, the sound or the vibration will cause it distress which will eventually lead to deterring it barking. Other bark control collars include devices that produce a mild electrical sensation whenever the dog barks. These types of collars must have a failsafe mechanism incorporated to make sure that the device is automatically turned off after a certain period of time. Many designs come with a combination of the bark collars mentioned above. Another type of bark control collar is the escalation one, a device that produces quiet sounds which keep increasing in intensity if the dog does not cease barking. They have proven to be more effective than the other types of bark control collars because the dog may get used to stop barking before the device produces sounds of high levels of output. However, the use of such collars is controversial. Many do not see these options as safe
Safe
A safe is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or damage. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal or formed out of plastic through blow molding...

and viable, especially considering the electrical ones. Pet lovers criticize these devices, seeing in them a method of torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...

. As a result, it is recommended that all the other options such as training, trying to understand the communication or seeking professional advice are considered before choosing these bark control collars.

Training collar or shock collar
Shock collar
The term shock collar is a term used in order to describe a family of training collars that deliver shocks of varying intensity and duration to the neck of a dog via a radio controlled electronic device...

. These (usually for dogs) use an electric shock to improve animal training, reinforce commands and eliminate any bad habits. It may be combined with an "invisible fence
Pet fence
A pet fence or fenceless boundary is an electronic system designed to keep a pet or other domestic animal within a set of predefined boundaries without the use of a physical barrier.-Technology:...

", a signal wire surrounding the dog's permitted area, the dog receiving a shock if it strays too near it.

Choke collars are also a type of training collars. They are made of different materials with high resistance such as metal or various composites. This type of collar is suitable for obedience training as it tightens around the neck
Neck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...

of the dog if it goes further than the owner allows it to. It is mainly used on dogs.Insect collar or flea collar. Impregnated with chemicals that repel or kill external parasites. They are usually a supplementary collar, worn in addition to the conventional buckle collar on a dog. They are also used on horses. Flea collars' effectiveness is arguable. Although they are convenient because of their cost
Cost
In production, research, retail, and accounting, a cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one of acquisition, in which case the amount of money expended to acquire it is counted as cost. In this...

and of their accessibility as well as the comfort they provide for the pet, they only protect them from fleas that could be found around the neck. They are considered to be more effective in preventing infestation with external parasites rather than fighting against them. Flea collars are best used when a proper disinfestation has been performed, both indoor and outdoor. These collars are primarily worn by cats and dogs.
Pig hunting dog collar, This collar integrates a wide collar and a breastplate for pig dogs. They are made from multiple layers of extra tough fabric or leather to protect the vital carotid artery and jugular vein of pig hunting dogs should they be attacked.Some of the pig hunting dog collars come in the form of a full-body protection collar. These collars provide good protection for the dog's chest
Chest
The chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. It is sometimes referred to as the thorax or the bosom.-Chest anatomy - Humans and other hominids:...

, neck and rib cage
Rib cage
The rib cage is an arrangement of bones in the thorax of animals. It is formed by the vertebral column, ribs and sternum and encloses the heart and lungs....

.
Elizabethan collar
Elizabethan collar
An Elizabethan collar or space collar is a protective medical device worn by an animal, usually a cat or dog...

. Shaped like a lamp shade to prevent an animal from licking something on their body, such as a wound.
Tie-up collar. Used for bulls and other cattle, these may be a chain (sometimes covered in plastic hose), or a collar of heavy leather or synthetic material fastened with a heavy duty buckle.
Animal tracking collar. Used for tracking animal migration
Tracking animal migration
For years scientists have been tracking animals and the ways they migrate. One of the many goals of animal migration research has been, of course, to determine where the animals are going; however, researchers also want to know why they are going "there"...

, or to locate lost pets. In its simplest form contains a radio beacon
Electric beacon
Electric beacons are a kind of beacon used with direction finding equipment to find ones relative bearing to a known location .The term electric beacon includes radio, infrared and sonar beacons.- Radio beacons :...

to allow the location of the animal. More sophisticated devices may contain a GPS tracking
GPS tracking
A GPS tracking unit is a device that uses the Global Positioning System to determine the precise location of a vehicle, person, or other asset to which it is attached and to record the position of the asset at regular intervals...

unit to record the animal's track, other sensors to record water depth or other environmental information, and a mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...

or other radio transmitter to report location and other data. May have a timed or remotely-controlled release device.
Horse collars.
- Full collar or Horse Collar
  Horse collar
  A horse collar is a part of a horse harness device used to distribute load around a horse's neck and shoulders when pulling a wagon or plow. The collar often supports and pads a pair of curved metal or wood pieces, called hames, to which the traces of the harness are attached...
  
  . Used for horses or other draught animals, this consists of a robustly constructed leather
  Leather
  Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
  
  device stuffed with straw
  Straw
  Straw is an agricultural by-product, the dry stalks of cereal plants, after the grain and chaff have been removed. Straw makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. It has many uses, including fuel, livestock bedding and fodder, thatching and...
  
  or other material, that sits comfortably on the animal's shoulders around its lower neck, supporting a set of hame
  Hame
  Hame or hames may refer to:*Häme, a province of Finland*Hames, a pair of curved metal pieces lying on the horse collar of a horse harness, taking the pull from the traces...
  
  s that transfer the draught forces from the animal to the traces.
- Breast collar
  Breastplate (tack)
  A breastplate is a piece of riding equipment used on horses. Its purpose is to keep the saddle or harness from sliding back....
  
  or breastplate. Two forms: One is a simpler type of draught collar for lighter loads, consisting of a padded strap around the chest of the animal. The other is similar, but is attached to a saddle
  Saddle
  A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...
  
  and used when riding a horse to prevent the saddle from sliding back.
- Horse tie-up collar. A collar designed to teach horses to tie up and to tie stallions at public events. It is constructed from double-stitched wide leather (sometimes fleece lined), with heavy duty dees sewn into each end. The collar is placed on a horse just behind the poll strap of a headcollar (headstall) which is used in conjunction, and a strong rope passes through the headcollar to secure the two dees so that the horse's wind is not impaired in any way. This manner of application will reduce the likelihood of the collar slipping and injuring or choking the horse. Sometimes used for tethering horses, they are expensive and are potentially dangerous if the horse should become entangled in the tether or frightened etc.
- Mare collar. A simple buckled neck strap that has a plastic ID tag attached.
- Headcollar or halter
  Halter
  A halter, headcollar, or, less often, headstall, is headgear that is used to lead or tie up livestock and, occasionally, other animals; it fits behind the ears , and around the muzzle. To handle the animal, usually a lead rope or lead shank is attached...
  
  . Not strictly a collar, this consists of straps around the head for tethering, tying or leading horses or other livestock.
- Cribbing or wind-sucking collar. The "Nutcracker" collar is an adjustable strap with a lightweight aluminium 'nutcracker'. It is placed around a horse's neck to help prevent windsucking by stopping the flexing of the neck muscles whenever it tries to suck in air. Other varieties are also available, too.
- Cornell Collar A device developed for use on racehorses to prevent dorsal displacement of the soft palate during racing.
- Neck cradle. Used on horses to prevent them chewing at injuries and dressings.

- Neck strap. A simple narrow leather strap buckled around a horse's neck to give security to jockey
  Jockey
  A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
  
  s and other riders. Up until several years it was only used by beginner riders, but has now become popular with jockeys who ride with a very short stirrup leather. Another form of neck strap (or rope) is the one used by cowboys when roping. This style is shorter and placed closer to the horse's head with the lariat pasing through it, in order to keep the horse facing the calf after it has been roped. It also refers to the part of a martingale, which buckles around the horse's neck. A loose neck collar is also used on harness racing horses when the reins are passed through it.

Collars can be dangerous for pets that live in crate

Crate

A crate is a large shipping container, often made of wood, typically used to transport large, heavy or awkward items. A crate has a self-supporting structure, with or without sheathing. For a wooden container to be a crate, all six of its sides must be put in place to result in the rated strength...

s or which might get stuck in tree branches and that is why safety collars have been developed. There is a particular type of safety collar which is intended for both dogs and cats. Breakaway collars are especially designed to prevent the pet from choking or getting stuck because of their collar. They feature a clever design that releases quickly when a small amount of pressure

Pressure

Pressure is the force per unit area applied in a direction perpendicular to the surface of an object. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure.- Definition :...

is applied, such as the cat, hanging from a tree branch. The clasp will release, which quickly gets the pet out of a possibly desperate situation. However, it is recommended that pets have their collar removed before sleeping in a wired crate.

See also