Home made collar

Sorry about the quality of the image, I didn't have time to make a model in 3DS Max, I'll probably do it within a month or two.



My previous dog was too small to wear a collar like this but now I am getting a larger dog (Rottweiler or American Akita) it is possible.

It is similar to a leather dog collar except the leather that would be against the side of the dogs neck is replaced with a piece of metal shaped to fit the dogs neck.

Rather than have dog tags, the dogs information can be engraved onto the collar using salt water etching (http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=17602) or something similar.

It will have to be made out of a metal that is not ferrous and preferably with a low melting point. Aluminium is well suited as it has a low melting point long with low density and can be sand casted relatively easily. However brass (higher melting point and density) would suit the black and rust coloured coat of the Rottweiler more than the aluminium. The Copper in Brass makes it germicidal but it may contain Lead.

Can anyone see any major flaws or recommendations?

I wont be making the collar for 6 months+ so I have time to make all the adjustments I need.

Have you tested what the the strain of a pulling Rottie etc would do to aluminium or brass when a lead was attached?

So 90+ Mega Pascals, or 90+ million Pascals, which is equal to 13000+ pounds per square inch.

According to wikipedia Aluminium alloys can reach ~500 MPa UTS.

I assume that's enough but I will still be testing it.

What about hot weather? Will the collar not get unbearably hot outdoors in the height of summer?

There will be padding between the surface of the metal and the dogs neck, many people wear metal watches, when was the last time it was too hot to wear one?

The surface of aluminium and brass are not dark and they both can reflect large amounts of light, although this collar will have larger surface area than a metal choke chain would there should be no problem with heat (especially in the UK).

Dont know why but I really dont like the idea of a METAL collar?!
Surely it will be very uncomfortable for the dog who has to wear it?
Most of the time dog owners are looking for soft padded collars for their dogs, so they are comfy...whereas this idea is kinda going completely backwards.

It will be just as comfortable as a leather collar, the force produced when the dog pulls on the collar will still effect the same parts of the neck due to the leather strap on it's front. The metal will have no sharp corners or pieces that could cause discomfort.

The difference comes when the dogs rests it's head on an something, then the rigid metal will be felt, however at home can be wearing a different collar when he's most likely to sleep or laze about.

The dog will not just be limited to just this collar, it would mainly be for when the aesthetics were preferred.

Edit:

Considering the amount of posts on here about dogs being attacked and DA posts, a larger, solid collar that would be unpleasant for another dog to bite wouldn't be such a bad thing in these situations.

I doubt a collar would really make a difference in the grand scheme of things in an attack to be honest.
However, as long as the collar is secure/safe and comfortable for the dog then I don't see the issue. It's not to my taste, I prefer to go for "softer" collars with my breeds to take the edge of them (so many people react much more positively to their baby blue/baby pink headcollars than my previous GSD with her black Halti for example) but everyone has their own preferences.
My only concern is the comfort of it when the dog was at rest - my Rottie cross often lays with her head up on the arm of the sofa and if the (nylon) collar presses against her neck it gives her a real throaty snore and she often moves so I don't think it's very comfortable for her. I know I personally don't like wearing solid metal bracelets or anything as they are uncomfortable when resting my arm on flat surfaces. You've probably covered most scenarios by not using it as a house collar but it's definately something that would put me off buying such a collar.

Well I have often (jokingly) considered body armour for Cherry to wear considering the nasty dogs she sometimes meets but I can't personally see the point of a metal collar?

Is it similar to people having brass sort of harnesses for Staffies?

It will be replaced in doors with something more comfortable.





I would imagine it's like a when a human bites a fork hard (we've all done it), however the dog (decent size) is producing a 200+ pound bite and is hitting a lot more metal. It probably wont stop the attack but it gives your dog a better chance at protecting itself however small.