No, we're not talking about the media, but rather your dog! Training instills communication between you and your dog and gives you a certain amount of verbal control. But we humans are a grabby species and we tend to reach out and touch our canine companions quite often, especially in emergency situations when stress or fear cause words to fail us.

The problem is all that touching and grabbing can be stressful for a dog. Most dogs are only grabbed for bad things such as, to be taken inside from the yard, lead to a bath, or when they've got something you are going to take away. Can you easily grab your dog's collar or scruff (is she's naked) if necessary?

Even a well-behaved dog may have to be grabbed quickly one day so it is best to prepare your pooch for such a startling event. Teach your dog to looove being grabbed by practicing collar-grabs and other necessary handling. Once your dog loves to be grabbed, practice it during play sessions and at the park as well. Make a game of "Gotcha!" your dog's favorite game and you'll never have problems catching her again.

Another collar conundrum that often makes dogs uncomfortable is when they've got to wear an Elizabethan Collar to prevent licking and worrying over an injury or incision during the heeling process.

The traditional, enormous, hard plastic collar doled out by well-meaning veterinarians worldwide is not only terribly uncomfortable and embarrassing, but also, wearing it causes some dogs to become stressed or depressed. And who needs discomfort in their life while trying to heal? (Or heel for that matter. Have you ever tried heeling a dog that's wearing one of those satellite dishes? Or getting a large dog into the car with it attached? It'd be comical if it wasn't so uncomfortable and confusing for the dog.)

Luckily there is an alternative, the ProCollar® Premium Inflatable Protective Collar is both comfortable and functional.

We recently discovered this wonderful tool when Hugo, pictured above, injured his front toe and had lots of difficulties wearing the plastic Elizabethan Collar. The poor guy literally couldn't relax or even climb stairs with it on! Once we switched to the inflatable collar he could both rest comfortably and move freely about the house, which did wonders for his mental health and happiness. Hugo gives this product two paws up!