Remember that big old dog on the old Tom & Jerry cartoons? He wouldn't have looked half so terrifying if one of his creators had not decided to add a big spiky studded dog collar! His name back in the very early cartoons varied from Butch to Killer but eventually Spike stuck and that continued to be his name until they stopped making the cartoons.
Remember his son? His name was Tyke, and he always sported a studded collar too.
So what was the origin of these curious collars? After man tamed dog (or dog latched onto man as a good source of food), people soon realized that dogs could be trained to do any number of useful jobs, including animal herding and protection.
The ancient Greeks and Romans used their dogs for herding their livestock and as warrior nations; they decided their dogs needed some protection too in the form of armor.
Wolves were always a problem both in the plains and in mountainous regions and when they attacked a dog, they would invariably go for their vulnerable heads and necks.
The Romans invented the spiked or studded dog collar as a means of protecting their valuable dogs.
One dog was unearthed in the ruins of Pompeii wearing an inscribed, spiked dog collar - he had saved his master's flock from a wolf attack.
Today we know that there are still wolves around and some shepherds and livestock owners still use these studded dog collars in other countries as protection for their animals, but here in the 21st century there's little chance of a wolf attack in a crowded city.
Studded dog collars are used to give a dog either a chic, amusing or belligerent look.
Studded dog collars can come in any size to fit any animal these days - I've even seen them on cats! They were traditionally made from leather with steel studs by a blacksmith, but these days they can be made from any kind of durable nylon or vinyl and the studs made from anything from plastic to - I hate to say it - diamonds.
You must have seen those crazy millionaires and Hollywood stars with their little dogs sporting a shocking pink dog collar, studded with diamonds - probably worth enough money to feed a small African village for a year! Even Henry VIII of England owned a bull mastiff that went everywhere with him (I think they ended up looking similar too!) and Henry took this dog into battle on a number of occasions, eventually rewarding him with a silver studded collar when he survived a particularly ferocious battle.
Remember the punk movement? Johnny Rotten always wore a studded dog collar - he was already scary enough to look at! Today you can buy a studded dog collar for your cat, Chihuahua or giant Great Dane, in just about any color, and sporting whatever you want, from rhinestones to real iron spikes.
So when you're walking your pooch in the park not knowing what to talk about to the cute gal sitting on the bench - you can tell her the history of the studded dog collar and break the ice!