Helen and the dogs are watching Courageous Collie Carlo on a rainy day, when an ad comes on for a Courageous Collie Carlo themed collar made of "naugapleather hide". Helen thinks it's too expensive, but the dogs want one of their own. However, Helen thinks that the collar isn't what it's cracked up to be.
The next day at the park, however, Martha sees that Francois has one. At first, she thinks this means he's gullible to advertising, but then when an old woman gives him a treat, she becomes jealous. On the way home, Martha reveals that Francois claimed that strangers have been feeding him ever since he got the collar. This makes her want one for her own so that she'll also be fed by strangers.
Martha convinces Helen to take her and Skits to the pet supplies store, but Helen refuses to buy Martha a collar because she thinks they're too low-quality and too expensive. Martha relentlessly begs Helen, to the point where Helen loses sleep.
T.D. goes to the corner store and is confused to find Helen tired and Martha sulky. Helen explains, and T.D. asks why Helen doesn't just buy a collar. Helen says that it isn't worth the money, so T.D. suggests making a pretend version of it. She tries, but the old woman just gasps instead of feeding her, the collar itches, and then it falls apart. T.D. then says that there's many things he wants that his parents won't buy him, and they claim he has to buy them himself. When Martha says that dogs don't have money, T.D. says that kids only earn money through chores, which inspires Martha to earn money through chores herself.
She delivers papers, fetches Danny's slippers, tidies Jake's nursery, cleans the floor with her tongue, tries to clean leaves up, and gives kids "massages" by treading on their backs. This earns her a collar, but it itches, and she doesn't get fed because the strangers see her itching and think she has fleas.
To make matters worse, it stains her fur so she has to be bathed. Helen and Martha tell this to T.D., who wants to make some money by doing chores himself.
This episode provides examples of
- Answer Cut: Helen asks who would ever buy one of the collars, and then we see Francois wearing one, implying that Mrs. Clusky bought it.
- Assuming the Audience's Age: The ad for the collar addresses the viewers as "kids".
- Big "NO!": When Martha and Skits finish cleaning the leaves up, only for the wind to blow them away, Martha yells, "NO!".
- Buffy Speak: When Martha complains about the collar being bad, she uses the term "fakey-fake" to describe it.
- Comfort Food: When the dogs are sad that they can't have a Courageous Collie Carlo collar, Helen throws them dog biscuits.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Helen tells Martha to shut up since she's trying to sleep, Martha continues to wheedle but whispering.
- Continuity Nod: When demonstrating the word "artificial", Helen shows Martha and Skits their squirrel toy from "Dog Fight".
- Delicious Daydream: Martha imagines wearing a Courageous Collie Carlo collar and being given food.
- False Cause: Francois thinks the collar made the strangers feed him, but it turns out that they just found him cute, and it happening after Mrs. Clusky bought it for him was just a coincidence.
- Green-Eyed Monster: The reason Martha wants the collar is because she's jealous of Francois, who has been given food ever since getting his own collar.
- Left the Background Music On: At the corner store, Helen is seen very sleepy, and "Rock-a-Bye Baby" is playing. Then, it's revealed to be being played on T.D.'s phone.
- Rhetorical Question Blunder: When the ad says, "Hey, kids, do you wish you had a dog like Courageous Collie Carlo?", Helen replies, "Not really".
- Rhetorical Request Blunder: When Helen hears the phrase "Courageous Collie Carlo collar", she says, "Try saying that five times fast". Martha tries to actually do it.
- Sickeningly Sweet: Martha and Skits gag at Francois's perceived cuteness.
- Sleep Deprivation: Helen is at one point very tired due to Martha having kept her awake begging.
- Standard Snippet: Parodied — "Rock-a-Bye Baby" plays as Helen is sleepy, then it's revealed to be being played on T.D.'s phone.
- Stock Animal Diet: The doggie treats are shaped like bones.
- Take Our Word for It: We're told the collar is expensive, but never learn the price of it.
- You Can Talk?: Upon hearing Martha speak, the old woman gasps loudly and grabs her chest.
