Probably the most ridiculous thing I stressed out about after adopting Miss M was finding her the perfect collar. I think it was ingrained in me that once I chose a collar, there was no going back.
See, growing up our dogs always owned the same collar. They were simple, brown leather collars, but I felt that was the one thing that they ever really owned. It became symbolic that this collar, a gift we gave them when they came to live with us, was something they wore their entire lives. And it was the one thing they gave back to us after they passed away.
And much like making the perfect mix tape, I felt the pressure to find the perfect statement-making collar that she could wear for the rest of her life. It would not only show Miss M's personality, but also get people to stop calling her "dude".
So, I went for a pink collar with skulls. I thought this matched her stubborn, independent personality while letting everyone know she's a girl--though people still call her a "handsome dude".
Getting Mr. B a collar was easier; he would get a matching blue collar and they would become the 'hipster pirate dog duo'.
In the years since we've had our pups, their collars have become a bit scuffed, the leather breaking through the coloring. I have been tempted to just buy new collars.
Or possibly buy new versions of the same skull collars?
But, I think there's something to be said about the authenticity of something we gave them since they first came to live with us. Even if they do break down to bare, scuffed straps, I think it's significant because everything they've done in their lives made them that way.
Or maybe I'm just being too sentimental.
Is there a sentimentality to collars? Or is it all about the fashion?
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