*Cheeky grin* i must drive you nuts BDSM_Tourguide....
Here is my take on it... there is no one outside of our relationship that i will give or use the titles to that i use with LT. the plain and simple truth is... that in my heart he has earned the right to them and i have earned the right to use them...and for us they work. We are both historians in our own rights... and this is what we are comfortable with...
Having said that... we are both people... we both have flaws and we both have issues... we sleep, eat work and play. He is many things to me, but first and formost he is my friend... and all that that implies... it is a wonderful basis for what we have...
For you and your love the dog collar was fine... it worked...for others it wouldn't... for some the use of titles is a deep seeded need ...for others it is a nuisance...for some the use of a title is the same as a endearment.
At the end of the day, all that really matters is that you have found what works for you and your love...and it is the same with me and LT.... over time we have found what works best for us... and it may not be the perfect picture for anyone else... but that's that is okay....because it works for us.
What we have is safe sane and consensual.... that is the only perimeter that matters in any relationship and i have to say i think that rule should be applied to every relationship...not just BDSM relationships... beyond that everything else is up to individual needs and tastes....