Iowa, If You See a Dog Wearing a Red Collar Leave Immediately

I'm a dog lover. I had a dog growing up and she was my best friend.  We've got dogs now because our kids are such animal lovers. However, admittedly, I'm a bit skittish around new dogs.

Which does two things: It makes the dog anxious and allows my family to make fun of me. All fun and games besides, if you see a dog wearing a red collar get the heck away from it. More on that in a minute.

Get our free mobile app

Is This Dog Friendly?

If the owner is with the dog, I always ask, "is your dog friendly"?  If they say, "yes," then I am more than happy to give the good boy some scratches.  But if they're not around, I have to wait until I'm sure it's not going to bite my hand off before I can be calm.

Secret Collar Code?

Had I known there was a secret "collar code" to indicate the dog's personality, I guess I would have had less anxiety.  Did you know about this code? If you see a dog with a red collar, leave it alone.

According to FluffsOfLuv.com here are what these collars mean on dogs:

Red – Beware of the dog, and don’t get too close. Red signifies "stop, caution, warning" which we all learned as kids.

“Red is the signal that this pet is aggressive and needs space from both people and other animals,” according to Reader's Digest. Dr. Brian Evans veterinarian and medical director of virtual vet care company Dutch is quoted in the article and here's his warning.

“These are pets that have been known to snap or bite at passersby, attack other dogs, or lunge at people. These pets may be perfectly fine at home with their owner but become overly protective of them when they are out.”

I had no idea, did you? Here are some other dog collar symbols and what that collar color could mean.

Orange – This dog does not get along well with other dogs.

Yellow – The dog is unpredictable and edgy. It could also mean that it’s looking for a new home.

Green – The dog has a friendly nature, and it’s okay to get close alone or with any animal.

Blue – The dog is a service animal. It’s training or working, so don’t disturb it.

White – The dog has difficulty hearing or seeing, or is completely blind/deaf.

Purple – Don’t feed anything to the dog.

Think About This When Buying New Collars

In the past, we've just bought the dogs whichever color the kids thought they would look good in.  Many times that has been a red-collar.  But we'll be thinking differently about it the next time Sid & Sarge are due for new collars.