Saturday, 6am, and the car park at the foot of the trail is still half empty. Biscuit, my golden retriever cross, is doing her pre-hike dance by the boot. Before we set off, I go through the same short checklist every time. It started as a way to stop forgetting things and has become part of the outing itself.
The checklist
- Water for two. One bottle for me, plus a collapsible bowl and a second bottle for her.
- Waste bags. Always more than you think you need.
- Phone charged. For the map, the photos and the emergency call you hope never to make.
- The weather. A quick look at the rain radar, because afternoon storms here arrive fast.
- Her collar. That it is on, that the buckle sits in the right hole, and that her name is showing.
That last check used to be the dullest. Now it is the one I enjoy.
Why the collar earned its place on the list
On a busy trail, Biscuit greets everyone. Hikers stop to pat her and ask her name, and her old collar, a plain nylon band with a small round tag, never answered. The tag dangled out of sight under her chin, and the band itself was the same one you could find on a thousand other dogs.
So I went to Little Red Cute and ordered Biscuit a personalised dog collar. Her face, illustrated from one photo, and her name are both part of the print that covers the band. Nothing hangs off it: no engraved tag, no metal plate, just the portrait built into the collar’s own design.
The details I looked at before ordering
The band is PU leather. Length is 47 cm, width 1.9 cm, and there is only one size, adjusted with a buckle that has several holes. Sublimation printing presses the design in using heat. After a dusty trail I clean it with a damp cloth, because the washing machine is not an option for this collar. If the length worries you, measure your dog’s neck and message the number to the shop first.
Everything happened online. The photo I sent was bright and in focus, Biscuit’s face fully showing and turned toward the camera. I picked a style, inspected the completed design, and gave my approval before paying; until then nothing was produced. Only then was the collar made, here in Singapore, to my order.
Back at the car park
Three hours later we were back at the boot, Biscuit muddy to the knees and me sunburnt in exactly the places I forgot. A family packing up beside us waved goodbye to her by name. Checklist complete.