BM000_3: HEADCASE "VICTOR GUTIERREZ" - BETTER COLLAR

By LUIS RUBIO BONILLA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUIS RUBIO BONILLA

Some say slipping into the skin of your audience helps you grasp their attention. Victor Gutierrez took that literally when we asked him to create the Brainmaker Collar. The CEO of Better Collar has put serious thought into what will get pups all around getting the best possible alternative wrapped around their necks. The man has eaten dog food, dressed up like a dog, and even worn a dog collar, all this to say that there wasn't a doubt in our mind when we asked him to bring to life our next vision. We're just lucky that he had human hands instead of grubby paws working the sewing machine.

Luis: So what really made you be like… “collars, this is what I'm gonna do.”

Victor: Bro it was all about money.

LRB: Really?

VG: (Laughs) No, it's about innovating for me. Like , I saw the collars in the world- I'm like you. You are trying to do different things with Brainmaker. You're trying to innovate and do what's different than the status quo. I wanted to do that for something too, and what came to mind first was collars, just because of my girlfriend's dog.

LRB: Did you see her dog's collar and think “that's a terrible collar…”

VG: That's exactly what I thought. I thought “This collar right here is garbage… It's doodoo”. 

LRB: All right, so who do you see wearing these types of collars? Where are these collars being aimed at?

VG: It's the same thing. It's innovators, bro. For sure, dogs right, but it's more than just the dogs. It's about the people who own those dogs, who don't want just a boring old collar. They want something better. That's why we're better collar. So we want only the best for doggos. I mean, I'm not going to discriminate if you have an Iguana, if you have something that you want to put a coll- if you want to wear the collar yourself, go for it. But just know that this collar you're wearing is the best. Better.

LRB: All right, so you just mentioned an Iguana wearing this. What other animals do you see wearing this type of collar? Because this is the strongest material out there for this product. Do you think this could restrain a horse? You think a horse could wear a Better Collar?

VG: Well, first, my lawyers have notified me that I can't say “strongest” without testing. But just know with asterisks this is not proven, but pretty strong, I would say, off the books. And so, yeah, this is strong enough for, like, a bull shark. I would say a bull shark. Probably not a great white, but a bull shark. I think a small bear could possibly have this collar. A horse easily.

LRB: Because it's used for rock climbing, so it could hoist a human. You think it could hoist a horse?

VG: It could handle a horse by its neck, yes. It has that much force to hoist up the whole horse. It's stronger than military spec.

LRB: What dogs do you think should be wearing this collar? Maybe a celebrity dog you might have heard of. Would Scooby Doo wear this collar? 

VG: I can see Scooby Doo wearing it. I mean, definitely not in any of his movies or anything like that, but off screen, I'm sure he's a nice dog. He'd probably wear it every now and then. But more thinking…Snoopy. Snoopy would probably be like, he's a cool guy. He's a chill guy. I definitely see Snoopy wearing it.

LRB: This is a more relaxed collar. It's like the power and the energy of the collar is under all the sleekness of it. It's kind of like the iPhone of collars.

VG: Yeah, I mean it's just a really strong collar. I just decided to use really strong material, that's all.

LRB: So right now, the reader can't really see that you're wearing a dog suit, and you're wearing a Better Collar. So you wake up one day and you're a dog… first five things you're doing.

VG: I have to get up and lift my leg to pee. I’ve got to try the food…again.

LRB: Have you ever eaten dog food? I remember games like at school and we'd be like, losers eat, like, a spoonful of dog food, and then they'd do it and spit it out instantly.

VG: I've definitely tasted dog food. I don't remember the context. It might have just been out of curiosity, like, “what does this taste like?” I've tried it. So that's number two, dog food. I mean, I'm sure as a dog I'd like it. Three, I don't know. I just see my mind going into a pool and doing the doggy paddle. An official doggy paddle as a dog. Fourth, I'd have to try on the collar and see for myself-

LRB: Like if the lady dogs would look at you.

VG: That's a good point. Fifth…what else do dogs do? (Dog yawns in the background) I think that answers my question. Maybe sleep around and not have any responsibilities.

LRB: All right, so we're in the perspective of a dog right now. What do you think a dog would ask you if they could talk?

VG: I think I'd wonder about cars. Why do you hop inside this beast looking thing that growls, and then all of a sudden you're just swallowed inside this giant beast and you just leave? There's a lot that goes on inside their head. They're probably wondering about why we get so much more human food than they get.

LRB: What type of food do you feed your dogs? Is it just kibble and wet food?

VG: It's like a kibble, it used to be a wet food, but now it's just a kibble. It's like dry cereal every single day of their entire lives.

LRB: What's the weirdest thing you feel like you've seen come out of a dog, or like, that you've heard “my dog ate this”?

VG: My own dog has thrown up a whole, like, sock. Like, an entire sock.

LRB: I feel like that's something I want to know. If I could talk to a dog and ask them questions, I'd be like, why do you guys just always have to eat something? Can't you guys tell things are bad, but then again, a dog will eat their own throw up.

VG: They are just purely running on nature. They see nutrients, I think, and they're like okay-

LRB: Wait, is that true?

VG: That's my guess.

LRB: I feel like it's worse with cats. I feel like cats will eat anything.

VG: Cats are carnivores, just letting you know.

LRB: Are dogs not carnivores?

VG: Dogs are not carnivores.

LRB: That can’t be right.

VG: They're omnivores. They will eat everything. But cats can only eat meat, apparently.

LRB: So if I gave a cat an orange slice, they'd be like, what's this?

VG: I could only assume it would poison the cat if you gave it any orange slice.

LRB: Have you ever hurt a dog on accident?

VG: …

LRB: …

VG: An accident one time, a long time ago, I don't know, I was probably like six years old or something. [REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED] a couple of dogs [REDACTED REDACTED] cut. But you know how [REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED] and it's like not even connected [REDACTED REDACTED] a pair of scissors and was like, oh yeah [REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED] I was like, oh, my turn [REDACTED] I started cutting [REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED] It was like a mini poodle mutt thing. It was very not like a specific breed, just a little bit of everything in it. But that poor little dog. I feel so sorry…Yeah.

LRB: Is that dog still alive?

VG: That dog is not still alive because this was like over 13 years ago, I think.

LRB: Do you feel like had you not done this, the dog would still be alive?

VG: I don't even remember blood at all. I just remember pain. It was just crying and crying.

LRB: …

VG: …

LRB: Where do you see Better Collar in the next five years?

VG: I'm going to see Better Collar worldwide, international. Better Collar will be all over. I have huge visions for it. I just want something for people. I don't want the status quo. I don't want normal. I don't want ordinary. I want everybody in the world to have Better Collar, to be better. Because if everybody has it, then people are going to be pushing the boundaries even more in order to be better than better collar. So I'm all about pushing boundaries. So, yeah, you heard this here first. In five years, we're going to be an international company. You'll see it everywhere.

Luis: Better Collar will be a household name.

Victor: Household name guarantee.