178 ENGLISH SPIKED COLLAR [CH. xr. 



On a leather strap, which has a ring at one end, four 

 wooden balls (of about two inches diameter) are threaded 

 like beads, at intervals from each other and the ring, 

 say, of two inches (the exact distance being depen- 

 dent on the size of the dog's throat). Into each of the 

 balls sundry short thickish pieces of wire are driven, 

 leaving about one-sixth of an inch beyond the surface. 

 The other end of the strap (to which the checkcord is 

 attached) is passed through the ring. This ring being 

 of somewhat less diameter than the balls, it is clear, 

 however severely the breaker may pull, he cannot com- 

 press the dog's throat beyond a certain point. The 

 effect of the short spikes is rather to crumple than 

 penetrate the skin. 



302. I have long been sensible of the aid a spiked 

 collar would afford in reclaiming headstrong, badly edu- 

 cated dogs, if it could be used at the moment and only 

 at the precise moment when punishment was required ; 

 but not until lately did it strike me how the collar could 

 be carried so that the attached cord should not con- 

 stantly bear upon it, and thereby worry, if not pain the 

 dog. And had I again to deal with an old offender, 

 who incorrigibly crept in after pointing, or obstinately 

 " rushed into dead," I should feel much disposed to 

 employ a slightly spiked collar in the following manner. 



303. That the mere carrying the collar might not 

 annoy the dog, I would extract or flatten the nails fixed 

 on the top of the collar, on the part, I mean, that would 

 lie on the animal's neck. This collar I would place 011 

 his neck, in front of his common light collar. I would 

 then firmly fasten the checkcord, in the usual way, to 

 the spiked collar ; but, to prevent any annoyance from 

 dragging the checkcord, at about five or six inches from 

 the fastening just made I would attach it to the com- 



