I wasn’t sure where to post this. It is my solution of a practical problem, but seems too decorative for the Practical Knots area. On the other hand, it isn’t terribly decorative, either, especially when put beside some of the skilled work in the Fancy and Decorative area. So I have just posted it here. If one of the other areas is more appropriate, moderator, please move it. Now to it.
I have three standard poodles: two 18-month-old pups (one boy,T.J. and Belle, a bitch), and a 13-year-old (the pups’ father). The pups have grown up together and have never been separated for any length of time (except when Belle comes into heat). They share the same kennel, same water dispensers, and same bowl. The has always been that when I put the pups in their kennel together, T.J. always destroys (usually shreds) Belle’s collar. Plastic hardware, clips, etc. are always the first to go. I have begun removing the Belle’s collar when they are in the kennel, but each time I forget costs me yet another collar (collars start at about three US dollars here, not too expensive, but more than I want to shell out each time a T.J. dines on one).
One thing I do have access to here is cheap paracord-like string, and I recently found a roll that reacts to cyanoacrylate glue in a similar manner to cotton (heats and dries extremely quickly, becoming stiff and hard). I decided to use this string to make (cheap) collar for Belle.
The pictures show the collar in various stages of completion/assembly. It consists of a ring (hardened with cyanoacrylicate, to receive the bolt-snap on a leash), a loop to receive the button on the neck/throat strap, and the two tag ends, which can be directly passed through the binding loop (Gleipnir’s TurNip?) on the end of the throat strap opposite the button (also hardened with cyanoacrylate).
I tried various configurations of of a doubled cord with loop one end and a large, two-strand stopper knot at the other end to be put through the loop as a button. I wanted a hardware free collar – only string and cyanoacrylate glue – so made a loose overhand knot and then twisted the two strings into a short length of marline, doubled the marline back on itself and formed a two-strand matthew walker knot with a loop of marline at one end and the loop for the button and the working ends emerging from the other. I then coated the loop of marline with cyanoacrylate, making a hard loop to which I could attach the leash, taking the place of the D-ring on commercial collars. After covering a length of the two working ends with Solomon Bar, I simply tied a large button knot, which I attached to the loop in the other end to secure the collar. This worked acceptably well, but getting the length right turned out to be a rather large challenge. Too short and the collar couldn’t be used; too long and it would slip of the dog’s head. I wanted something adjustable.
To make an adjustable collar, I followed this same basic configuration, but instead of beginning with a simple loop, I began with a nipping loop in a bight, and ending with a two-strand Matthew Walker, tied at the shortest intended length of the collar, followed by long ends with about 1-2 cm of the end hardened with cyanoacrylate. These two ends were passed through the initial nipping loop in opposite directions, completing the collar. The completed collar was simply slipped over the dog’s head and tightened by pulling the two loose ends. The final MattWalker prevents choking the dog, and the collar could be worn looser if needed.
This worked well for me – , but I understand how it (the Gleipinr’s TurNip) works. But when I sent Belle for grooming wearing the collar, lets just say it didn’t come back in working order. And then one day, I forgot to take the collar off again when the dogs were in the kennel, and T.J., true to form, ate the tag ends off the collar. The collar held fine for several days with very short tag ends, but the ends were so short that they came out when loosened. At this point I simply trimmed the tag ends and replaced them with another piece of string.
At least I could repair this collar…
The current version has a button for quick, convenient removal, Gleipnir’s TurNip for limited adjustment of length, a separate throat strap for greater changes in length, and replaceable working/tag ends – for T.J.'s enjoyment.
JP.
