A COLLAR AND LEAD ASSEMBLY

The present invention relates to a collar and lead assembly for dogs.

Conventional collar and leads are inadequate to enable users to control or restrain dogs, in the event of their attempting to run away or fight, without the addition of chokers, muzzles or body harnesses. Such chokers, muzzles or body harnesses may be inconvenient to carry, awkward to fit or adjust and heavy or painful for the animal to wear.

It is an object of the present invention to! obviate or mitigate the aforesaid disadvantages.

According to the present ' invention there is provided a collar and lead assembly for a dog, comprising a collar for attachment around the neck of the dog, and a lead attached to the collar through the intermediary of a ring, a length υf the lead being adapted to be threaded through the ring element to form a loop for disposition around either the nose or the body of the dog.

Preferably the collar and lead assembly comprises a pair of rings joined by a flexible member with one ring being connected to the collar and the other to the lead, a length of lead adjacent the other ring being adapted to be threaded through the latter to permit a section of the lead in opposite directions to form a loop to convert the assembly into either a head harness or a body harness.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the collar and lead assembly for use in the conventional manner;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the

- 2 -

representation of an embodiment of an assembly adapted for use as head harness or a body harness;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the assembly used as a head harness; and

Fig. 4 is a representation of a detail of a perspective view showing the assembly used as a body harness.

Referring to Fig. 1, the collar and lead assembly comprises a collar 10, a lead 11 and a link strap 12 con-necting the collar 10 and the lead 11 together.

The collar 10 comprises two straps 13, 14 connected at a respective end to a metal ring 15 to which one end of the link ^* strap ^* 12 is also connected. The other ends of the collar straps 13, 14 each have fitted thereto a respective complementary part 16, 17 of a fastener 18. Engagement of the fastener parts 16, 17 with one another forms a closed loop collar around a dog's neck (see Fig. 3 and 4).

The strap link 12 is connected at its other end through the intermediary of a metal ring 19 to the lead 11.

A terminal metal ring 20 is fitted onto the free end of the lead 11 for gripping by the dog handler or owner if required or for securing the collar and lead assembly to a restraining post or similar.

The rings 15, 19,- 20 are shown as circular rings but they may be D-shaped, rectangular or any other convenient closed configuration.

The collar straps 13, 14, the strap link 12 and the lead 11 are slidably connected to the respective rings 15, 19 and 20 by stitched or otherwise formed loop joints. These joints may be releasable or non-slidable.

3 -

In a modification, the connections between the straps 13, 14, the strap link 12 and the lead 19, and the ring 15 may be rotating or swivelling to provide greater manoeuvrability.

In use, the collar and lead assembly may be fastened round a dog's neck in the same way as a conventional dog collar (Fig. 1).

Where it is desired to use the assembly as a head harness, a length 11A of the lead 11 adjacent the ring 19 is threaded up through the ring 19 to form a loop which is then fitted around the dog's nose (see Fig. 3), the rings 15 and 19 being disposed under the dog's neck in this mode of use. By pulling on M ^* ιe lpad 19 the loop is drawn tight ^* tc form a yoke or halter.

If it is desired to use the assembly as a body harness the length 11A of the lead 11 as described above is taken and threaded down through the ring 19 to form the loop, the ring 19 being disposed behind the dog's neck in this mode of use. To fit the body harness, the loop 11A is brought forwardly over the dog's head and its front legs placed through the middle of the loop, and then the lead 11 is pulled, thereby drawing the loop tight to form a body harness (Fig. 4).

Where necessary the length of the lead element 3 can be extended by attaching an additional length of lead (not shown) to the ring 20.

In a modification, a single connecting ring may be provided between the collar and the lead in place of the rings 15 and 19 and strap link 12.

The lead may be of adjustable length to facilitate its use with differently sized dogs. The length of the strap link 12 may be adjustable to accommodate the use of the collar and lead assembly on differently sized dogs.