I was buying a red collar for my dog when a stranger leaned over and said only dogs that really need red collars should wear them. Before I could ask what she meant, she walked away. I stood there confused and embarrassed, her words echoing in my head.
At home, I looked it up and learned that red collars are sometimes used to signal that a dog needs space—because they’re fearful, reactive, or aggressive. My stomach dropped. Oswin wasn’t aggressive, just cautious around strangers. I wondered if the collar would make people see him as dangerous.