I was buying a red collar for my dog at the pet store when another customer told me that only dogs that actually need a red collar should buy them. I asked her what she meant, but she just left. What am I missing here? What does a red collar on a dog mean? I stood there holding the collar, feeling stupid and embarrassed. People were moving around me, carts rolling by, but all I could hear was the woman’s voice echoing in my head. Only dogs that actually need a red collar.
The cashier, a tall guy with an eyebrow piercing, asked if I was ready to check out. I nodded quickly, paid for the collar, and walked to my car. My dog, Oswin, was sitting in the backseat with his tongue hanging out, looking so happy to see me. I tried to shake it off and clipped the red collar around his neck, but the whole drive home, my thoughts kept circling that woman’s words.
When I got home, I Googled it right away. I felt ridiculous typing “what does red dog collar mean” into the search bar, but I needed answers. To my surprise, there were several posts and forums explaining that red collars, harnesses, or leashes sometimes signal that a dog needs space – that they’re reactive, fearful, or aggressive. I felt a pit in my stomach.
Oswin wasn’t aggressive. He could be a bit wary of strangers, but he was a sweetheart who just needed time to warm up. Did wearing this collar mean people would think he was dangerous? Or worse, would it actually make them act nervous and cause Oswin to react more strongly?
I decided to take him for a walk to see how people behaved. As soon as we stepped onto the sidewalk, I noticed a woman pulling her toddler to the other side of the path when she saw the red collar. A jogger glanced down at Oswin, then picked up speed to pass us with extra space. My heart sank. Was I sending the wrong message? We kept walking, and I tried to focus on Oswin sniffing every lamppost like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the stranger in the pet store. Why didn’t she explain? Why did she just vanish?
