# Pink Poodles (and Other Dyed Dogs)



## CricketLoops (Apr 18, 2011)

A friend of mine asked me to babysit her dog for the week, and of course I agreed! I was told that the dog was a toy poodle, and I love poodles, so I was very excited.

Imagine my surprise (and horror?) when this showed up at my door:





































How does everyone else feel about dogs that are dyed different colors/have their nails painted/etc? I suppose it's better than people who don't groom their dogs often enough, but still...

She is an extremely intelligent, happy, wiggly little dog, though.


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

I say if their owner likes the look, who cares? However, I saw once where a woman was arrested for dying her poodle. Some places have really odd laws.


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## LittleFr0g (Jun 11, 2007)

As long as they use dog safe dyes, and the dog is well looked after, I have no issues with it at all.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Kuma'sMom said:


> As long as they use dog safe dyes, and the dog is well looked after, I have no issues with it at all.


My thoughts exactly.


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## JohnJ (Jul 7, 2011)

I'll roll my eyes if I see it but I don't care as long as the dog is cared for. Same goes for when people dress a dog in clothing. It's not something I would do but I don't care.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

I find it tacky and unattractive. The store manager at my local pet store has a tiny papillon that she has dyed in every colour of the rainbow. She also did this to her now deceased papillon. I never liked it, and the dog is soooo cute so it's not like she needs to be made prettier. 

But it doesn't hurt the dog so it doesn't really matter.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

At least its accessories are color coordinated. 

If poodles came in pink for realz I would totally get one.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Lol I think it's hilarious and adorable. I agree with the consensus that as long as they are using a dog-safe dye then they aren't doing anyone any harm. Not all dye jobs are very attractive, sure, but sometimes they can be cute. I have personally dyed Basil's tail in the past for holidays. On the 4th of July, his tail is red, white and blue, and last year for Halloween he was a "rain cloud," and his tail was a rainbow. I couldn't possibly dye his whole body one color, though, he's too cute in brown and white! :biggrin1:

Here's Basil celebrating the last 4th of July:









ETA: I found a picture of Basil's Halloween costume!


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## CricketLoops (Apr 18, 2011)

sassafras said:


> At least its accessories are color coordinated.
> 
> If poodles came in pink for realz I would totally get one.


Lol, I wish I'd included pictures of her other accessories... Her crate is also pink and studded with rhinestones. One of her chew toys is a squeaky stuffed pink poodle that says "Princess" on it.



Nargle said:


> Lol I think it's hilarious and adorable. I agree with the consensus that as long as they are using a dog-safe dye then they aren't doing anyone any harm. Not all dye jobs are very attractive, sure, but sometimes they can be cute. I have personally dyed Basil's tail in the past for holidays. On the 4th of July, his tail is red, white and blue, and last year for Halloween he was a "rain cloud," and his tail was a rainbow. I couldn't possibly dye his whole body one color, though, he's too cute in brown and white! :biggrin1:


Awwww! I love Basil's dye job, and his Halloween costume sounds adorable!

To be clear, my horror from Toodles (that's her name)'s dye job isn't that I think it's cruel or abusive, but that every time I look at her I shudder a little.


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

I agree with the consensus. As long as they are using dog safe dyes, I could care less. It is their dog, if they want to dye the dog pink so be it. The dog looks well cared for, so I see no big deal in it. 

I absolutely love extreme grooming though. If I had the skills that would be so much fun to try.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

I just polished the foster pups nails lime green.


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## Dingeryote (Jun 20, 2011)

I think it's as goofy as a football Bat. Generations of carefull breeding to achieve a certain coloration and coat, undone by doggy Clairol.

But what the heck, as long as it's safe on the pooch, and the dog isn't traumatized by it, why not. 
Most quirky fun people, have quirky fun dogs that seem to enjoy the attention. 

Life is too short not to have fun with it.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Dingeryote said:


> I think it's as goofy as a football Bat. Generations of carefull breeding to achieve a certain coloration and coat, undone by doggy Clairol.
> 
> But what the heck, as long as it's safe on the pooch, and the dog isn't traumatized by it, why not.
> Most quirky fun people, have quirky fun dogs that seem to enjoy the attention.
> ...


LOL Well if someone was using Clairol I would have a problem with it. Manic Panic or colors of that nature please.


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

In the case with that Poodle that's not only dyed pink, has pink toenails, pink bows in her ears and a pink rhinestone collar, I think it's incredibly tacky. It looks a little like they want her to be a fasion accessory.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

ChaosIsAWeim said:


> I absolutely love extreme grooming though. If I had the skills that would be so much fun to try.


Oh man some of the pictures I've seen are incredible. Not that long ago someone posted a link to an extreme grooming contest and it was amazing. There was a camel one that I absolutely adored.


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## flipgirl (Oct 5, 2007)

I wouldn'tbdo it myself but to each his/her own. If she takes care of the dog and treats it well, it doesn't matter. Although my dog would look cute dyed like a panda. But I wouldn't be able to keep up with it. I can't even keep up with my own hair.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

I don't think it's cruel, and if people want to (safely) dye their dogs, more power to them! I think those grooming competitions where the dogs are styled up like camels and horses and bison are neat.

That said, if I had to dogsit that poodle, I would be embarrassed to walk it down the street. I am just not the type of person to own a pink dog.


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## JiveDadson (Feb 22, 2010)

CricketLoops said:


> She is an extremely intelligent, happy, wiggly little dog, though.



The dog is fine. I have my doubts about the friend though.


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## Polywoggy (Mar 7, 2011)

Ugh! I think that's horrid, but as long as the dog is healthy and happy, it is really not my business. I don't have a problem with a little bit for Hallowe'en or special events, but to me, it's not an everyday look for a pooch.
I did once let a couple of neighbour girls break open some paintballs (I figured if they are meant to be shot at humans, they weren't toxic) and paint Willow up Native American style in blue and green. Then they braided little anklets and a tiaria for her with dandelions. Cute as anything and she loved the attention. Of course when things like this happen, she will then go roll in the dirt. That's why one of my nicknames for her is "The Muddy Princess".


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## Entwine (Jan 14, 2009)

I think it's really funny when people (not really on this forum, as everyone seems to be logical about it) freak out about colored fur or nails on a dog. It's COLOR. Their entire argument is "It's a dog!".. While mine is precisely the same argument. It's a dog--it doesn't care one bit about its appearance physically in the way of color.

I think people get too hung up on the whole being human and the things humans do are off limits to anything else thing. As though it's a threat to them personally to see a dog dyed a different color.

That said.. I'm not a huge pink fan. ;S


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## Polywoggy (Mar 7, 2011)

Entwine said:


> That said.. I'm not a huge pink fan. ;S


Yes, that's part of the prob for me too. Turquoise would be much more pleasing to my eye! (Still wouldn't do it myself though)


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## osdbmom (Feb 15, 2011)

Nargle said:


> Lol I think it's hilarious and adorable. I agree with the consensus that as long as they are using a dog-safe dye then they aren't doing anyone any harm. Not all dye jobs are very attractive, sure, but sometimes they can be cute. I have personally dyed Basil's tail in the past for holidays. On the 4th of July, his tail is red, white and blue, and last year for Halloween he was a "rain cloud," and his tail was a rainbow. I couldn't possibly dye his whole body one color, though, he's too cute in brown and white! :biggrin1:
> 
> Here's Basil celebrating the last 4th of July:
> 
> ...


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## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

aawwwww...that's really nifty! If I had the type of dog you could do that to I probably would for special occasions like Nargle. 

Hmmm....maybe Bella's tail would look good in purple....hahahahahaha!

"Ooooohhhhh Beeeeeellaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

She'd hate me for it. LOL


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

I think it's weird, but live and let live. As long as the dog doesnt mind. It makes me think about the owner though. That said, I love Basil's halloween costume. Too cute! So why does that not bother me, but the pink poodle makes me shake my head? Maybe because I 'know' you Nargle, and dont consider you weird. I dont know. I wouldnt be caught dead in public with a pink poodle though.


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## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

Well, not a fan of pink.. but if I had a dog that was mostly white.. I may well occasionally give it some colour. Heck, maybe I can turn George's white parks blue, that'd be fun!


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

I once accidentally dyed Gracie. She was lying near me while I was coloring my hair. She got little dark brown spots all over her.


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

As long as it's not toxic whats the harm? That little poodle probably gets more attention being pink than her natural color. Assuming the dog likes attention...again, whats the harm?

Its not something I will do, though my girls have been begging me for months to be allowed to dye Busters tail. Bussy attracts enough attention with his natural color. After having someone almost hit a power pole across the street last night because she was watching Buster as she was driving Im almost afraid to dye him.


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## Sendiulino (Jun 20, 2011)

CricketLoops said:


> How does everyone else feel about dogs that are dyed different colors/have their nails painted/etc?


Well since we're talking about _feelings_ here... I feel that it's pretty dumb, sorry to say. Right up there with dressing dogs in stupid little every-day glamor outfits (practical sweaters and hallowe'en costumes aside).

But as long as the dog hasn't been put in any health danger (as people have said: dog-safe dyes), I'd never say anything.. not out loud anyway


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

LuvMyAngels said:


> As long as it's not toxic whats the harm? That little poodle probably gets more attention being pink than her natural color. Assuming the dog likes attention...again, whats the harm?
> 
> Its not something I will do, though my girls have been begging me for months to be allowed to dye Busters tail. Bussy attracts enough attention with his natural color. After having someone almost hit a power pole across the street last night because she was watching Buster as she was driving Im almost afraid to dye him.


We've dyed dogs before...we had a blue bichon and a pink chi. They were adorable. Pink isn't my color, but it was very cute and the dogs DID get a lot of extra attention. If the dogs are introverts and fearful of people I wouldn't recommend it, but if they're attention seekers, why not?
If someone on the street started berating me for dying my dogs's tails blue, I would laugh and think how lucky they are to have their biggest problem in life being the hue of my dogs' coat...what a carefree life they must lead to get so upset about someone elses dog :rockon:


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## katielou (Apr 29, 2010)

Dude if Abe was white i would totally dye him!

As it is he has nail polish to match mine!


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Crantastic said:


> I think those grooming competitions where the dogs are styled up like camels and horses and bison are neat.


That bison is awesome!! 



> LOL heres an idea for basil next halloween: last year at petsmart halloween event, there was a pom dyed blues/green and was dressed as a peacock it was really pretty (and won a prize


That's a great idea! I may try making that costume! :biggrin1:

I have another idea for a costume that I never got around to making, and it would be a matching costume (I love matching costumes, while he was dressed as a rain cloud I wore a big yellow rain poncho, and one year he was dressed as a lobster and I was dressed as a chef) but I'd like to dress him up as a French person one year, with a little sweater, a black beret, and a bandana of the French flag. :biggrin1:


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

i really wanted to dye iorek black in panda bear places for halloween but there is no where around here to do it.  

as long as it is dog safe (like everyone else said ) i have no problem with it - as long as the dog is ok with the attention.


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## theyogachick (Aug 2, 2009)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> I just polished the foster pups nails lime green.


Can we see pictures of Mr. Clove and his pretty green nails?


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## Polywoggy (Mar 7, 2011)

Crantastic said:


> I think those grooming competitions where the dogs are styled up like camels and horses and bison are neat.


Whoa- somehow I missed that the first time around. I have to be honest--- my reaction to something that extreme is "poor dogs".


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## Sendiulino (Jun 20, 2011)

Yeah I missed that too.. I'm sorry but I don't care how "not harmful" it is to the dog... that is hideous and disturbing. 

It's funny because I'm child-free and I'm often telling people that pets are a great alternative to kids  But in this case I gotta say: If you wanna dress something up in cute little outfits, I recommend having a baby  lol

(re: this)


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

I'm kind of confused, because people get so upset when dogs are dressed in clothes and carried around in purses, saying they're just fashion accessories. But when it's an extreme dying job and it's "extras" like the bows and nail polish, on this Poodle etc. It looks just as much as a fashion accessory, but no one seems to have a problem with it.


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## stopbsl (Jul 13, 2011)

i like it that its a pale pink but i wouldnt walk it down the street


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

as long as its not harmful to the animal I don't have an issue with it

I've thought about trying to find a white spray that is non harmful for Isis...so at Halloween I can stencil a skeleton pattern on her


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

luvntzus said:


> I'm kind of confused, because people get so upset when dogs are dressed in clothes and carried around in purses, saying they're just fashion accessories. But when it's an extreme dying job and it's "extras" like the bows and nail polish, on this Poodle etc. It looks just as much as a fashion accessory, but no one seems to have a problem with it.


...doesn't upset me... I'm pretty sure that in past threads about dressing up dogs, the consensus has been about the same as it is in this one; it's cool as long as it doesn't hurt the dog.

I don't think you can judge exclusively by whether or not someone's dog is dyed, whether someone thinks of their dog as an object. Does someone have to think of them self as an object just because they have gaudy taste?

The dog has to get groomed anyway, I see no harm in getting creative with it. For the extreme grooming the camel, horse, panda and bison were magnificent! As for the rest...they mostly were just pretty weird to me, lol.


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

luvntzus said:


> I'm kind of confused, because people get so upset when dogs are dressed in clothes and carried around in purses, saying they're just fashion accessories. But when it's an extreme dying job and it's "extras" like the bows and nail polish, on this Poodle etc. It looks just as much as a fashion accessory, but no one seems to have a problem with it.


Which people? Personally, I don't care if someone wants to dress their dog or dye their dog or paint it's toenails. I don't like to see little dogs carried around too much as I think it creates problems by making them feel "ungrounded" and somewhat bereft of choices. That doesn't mean I freak out if someone picks up their dog. Lots of people do things with their dogs that I wouldn't. And I probably do things with my dogs that other people might not do.


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## grab (Sep 26, 2009)

I don't have an issue with it. In fact, someday I'll have a white poodle, and he (or she) shall live in purple ears. Dogs generally like the attention and as long as the dyes are safe, it doesn't matter to them what color they are. It doesn't affect their ability to get out and about and 'be a dog'. My poodle is black, so no color for her. She has had painted nails, though (as has my poodle mix). She doesn't mind, no harm to her, and she runs around just fine. (and is quite doglike..poo eating and all)

We like color here..


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Eh, I've been known to goof around dressing my dogs up every now and then and dying their tails every now and then mainly for photo ops. I have been berated about the tail dye too on another forum, which honestly just made me laugh. I don't let them 'be dogs' despite all the plethora of posts and pics I have that prove otherwise.

That said, I would NEVER dye my dogs permanently. I've only used chalk and in my experience it comes out ina few days. I also don't like the look of a dog that is completely dyed, I'd probably only do the tail. But do I care what other people do? Nope. Not at all. 



















Summer as a pirate: 










Oh and let us not forget the Christmas torture...


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## Deeken (Feb 14, 2011)

A friend of mine (and one of the directors of our local pit bull rescue) rescued a geriatric poodle (like 16+ yrs old) when she went to assess a couple of pit bulls in the shelter. She took the dog to another friend who is an awesome groomer and told her to do "whatever she wanted". The groomer gave the dog a mowhawk and died her blue. From that day, till the day she passed almost nine months later, bits was many, many different colours and she loved the attention and being groomed. She even was died in rainbow for the summer events last year. It was awesome


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

My facebook albums won't pull up for some reason the last two days, otherwise I have this great picture of Jonas and I wearing matching shirts with matching nail polish. We're very stylish together and I don't think he lives as a fashion accessory.


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## Polywoggy (Mar 7, 2011)

Labmom4 said:


> I once accidentally dyed Gracie. She was lying near me while I was coloring my hair. She got little dark brown spots all over her.


Living out in the country I used to take Willow on wildberry-picking excursions. She'd always be covered in red or purple splotches by the end of the day.

Rainbow poodle hurt my eyes! Dunno. I'm used to a dog who's choice is to be decorated in mud and burrs. Somehow she always found a way- even in the city!


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

I accidentally dyed Nikki's white around her collar hot pink once by bathing her with a cheap hot pink collar on. It did NOT go away for literally months. I got asked so many times why I had dyed her pink. It was kind of funny.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

I'm totally dyeing Squash pink one of these days.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

luvntzus said:


> I'm kind of confused, because people get so upset when dogs are dressed in clothes and carried around in purses, saying they're just fashion accessories. But when it's an extreme dying job and it's "extras" like the bows and nail polish, on this Poodle etc. It looks just as much as a fashion accessory, but no one seems to have a problem with it.


A dog that's dyed or a dog that's wearing clothing isn't automatically treated like a "fashion accessory." If they _are_ treated as such, then yeah, that's not fair to the dog. But a dog can still be given a good doggy-life even if it matches your outfit/has pink accessories/is colorful, etc. 

Purses are different, IMO. If the dog is occasionally carried in a purse, but still gets walked plenty, then that's fine, but I would bet that you probably wouldn't go out and buy a purse specifically designed to carry your dog around if you never intended on using it. And being carried around all the time is bad because dogs need to stretch their legs and get some exercise.


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## CricketLoops (Apr 18, 2011)

sassafras said:


> I'm totally dyeing Squash pink one of these days.


Oddly, that mental image is making me deliriously happy. It would match the spots on his nose!


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

sassafras said:


> I'm totally dyeing Squash pink one of these days.


Baby blue would be awesome


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## Wynterr (Jul 13, 2011)

As long as the dog isn't being hurt then why not? I wouldn't do it but I do go out and buy my dog a cute collar and that doesn't mean I think of her as a fashion accessory.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

Deeken said:


> A friend of mine (and one of the directors of our local pit bull rescue) rescued a geriatric poodle (like 16+ yrs old) when she went to assess a couple of pit bulls in the shelter. She took the dog to another friend who is an awesome groomer and told her to do "whatever she wanted". The groomer gave the dog a mowhawk and died her blue. From that day, till the day she passed almost nine months later, bits was many, many different colours and she loved the attention and being groomed. She even was died in rainbow for the summer events last year. It was awesome


I have to admit, that dog looks pretty freakin' cool, lol.


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## Wynterr (Jul 13, 2011)

Just saw the camels, panda, etc link. I am actually kind of impressed. I just got a set of clippers so I can do my Black Russian Terrier myself and find it hard enough to just clip the hair short much less something like that!lol


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

I have to admit that at grooming competitions there are some AMAZING groom jobs on standard poodles. Off the top of my head I remember one that made the Poodle look exactly like a camel and another with a snail on its side. But I think that rainbow dog is absolutely hideous.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

luvntzus said:


> I'm kind of confused, because people get so upset when dogs are dressed in clothes and carried around in purses, saying they're just fashion accessories. But when it's an extreme dying job and it's "extras" like the bows and nail polish, on this Poodle etc. It looks just as much as a fashion accessory, but no one seems to have a problem with it.


I don't get upset when I see dogs dressed in clothes, although I will admit I find it hard to believe that a dog is "comfortable" wearing hats, sunglasses, and shoes. I don't choose to dress my dogs up, except for Dude, only because his T-shirt style clothes he has seems to act as a T-Touch, or Thundershirt. It curbs his itching (wonderful if he has a hot spot), and seems to make him comfortable in his own skin during a particularly bad allergy season. My mom has a 6 pound papillon that has dresses and stuff, it's not my cup of tea but the dog seems to love getting dressed up because it means she's going somewhere (she'll literally cram her head into the clothes). If someone dresses a dog up and the dog acts miserable, yes, that's stupid. I don't like purse dogs for one simple reason--dogs can WALK, and it's an extreme disservice to them to carry them everywhere and make them totally fearful of having four on the floor. If someone loves having their dog dyed, decked out and dressed up, more power to them as long as their dog is outgoing and friendly and actively enjoys the amount of extra attention they'll get from strangers. I once dyed Auz's butt feathers and white parts on his sides purple, green, red, and blue because I had gotten new blo-pens and wanted to test them out. People LOVED it. Auz is quite the attention seeker, and thought being dyed was swell. I dyed Tags tail red white and blue (and it came out pink, white, and purple), and he was the hit of agility class. I dyed Dudes tail colors once and let him sit behind the reception area at work...people cooed at him and told him how awesome he was and he'd sit up and wave for them. It didn't hurt anyone. I don't understand why people act like dying dogs is so cruel, I really don't. My own dogs would beg to differ, and the dogs who are the subjects of extreme grooming, well...(general) you could only wish to be so loved.



Wynterr said:


> As long as the dog isn't being hurt then why not? I wouldn't do it but I do go out and buy my dog a cute collar and that doesn't mean I think of her as a fashion accessory.


Same. Tag has a red agility slip leash, a red collar for every day use, and a very nice rolled leather collar and matching (super thin, special ordered) leash for rally/obedience trials. Dude has a collection of scarves (aka bandanas) from his entire life, I've saved every single one. My dogs wear bandanas, a lot (especially the German Shepherd--he's a friendly guy that looks a bit threatening, and I think it makes him more approachable).  Tag also has an agility bag that was hand made by a friend that has his name and picture on it, and they also have dog beds that match my living room. It doesn't make them fashion accessories  
Speaking of Dudes scarves...when he's gone, I am going to patch 2 together as a square and make a quilt. We've had grooming customers do this before and the results are beautiful. Tag and Auz will have one, too.
Example:


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

sassafras said:


> I'm totally dyeing Squash pink one of these days.


I support this so hard I can't stand it.


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## kelii36 (May 7, 2011)

I would have dyed the pup lime green, but that's just me.


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## stopbsl (Jul 13, 2011)

ah rip rainbow poodle


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## Allyfally (Mar 4, 2011)

Aww, I think she's adorable!! Then again, I am a girly girl and I love pink. 

I just painted Patch's nails blue last night... I was going to do Judas too, but as soon as he smelled the nail polish, he was out of there.

I think this is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen.


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

Polywoggy said:


> Living out in the country I used to take Willow on wildberry-picking excursions. She'd always be covered in red or purple splotches by the end of the day.
> 
> Rainbow poodle hurt my eyes! Dunno. I'm used to a dog who's choice is to be decorated in mud and burrs. Somehow she always found a way- even in the city!


We think alike pollywoggy 



Allyfally said:


> Aww, I think she's adorable!! Then again, I am a girly girl and I love pink.
> 
> I just painted Patch's nails blue last night... I was going to do Judas too, but as soon as he smelled the nail polish, he was out of there.
> 
> I think this is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen.


That is freaky!! I might have nightmares of that!

LazyGr~ those quilts are beautiful. I wish I knew how to make something like that and had the sentimental bandanas to make it with


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

That's a little..overdone lol but I have no problems with it at all.

I think dying for example my Papillon's tail in halloween/christmas/4th of july/canada day colors could be fun though. 

Nargle: I love Basil's costume!


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

The closest thing to a dyed poodle I have ever had was when my poodle/schnauzer mix ate the red berries off of my Christmas wreath! He had a pink mustache and beard for WEEKS! Oops! I should have been paying closer attention to what he was doing instead of baking all those Christmas cookies. 
Maybe for just a few holidays would be ok...if it is safe. Life is too short to not have any fun at all!


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

sassafras said:


> I'm totally dyeing Squash pink one of these days.


I'd do him in zebra stripes....


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## Kpenn (Jun 24, 2011)

My dog has that same collar in purple. I'm going to dye her white chest purple. As you can tell I love the idea of dyeing dogs as long as its not hurting them. Why not?


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

Abbylynn said:


> The closest thing to a dyed poodle I have ever had was when my poodle/schnauzer mix ate the red berries off of my Christmas wreath! He had a pink mustache and beard for WEEKS! Oops! I should have been paying closer attention to what he was doing instead of baking all those Christmas cookies.
> Maybe for just a few holidays would be ok...if it is safe. Life is too short to not have any fun at all!


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

my next breed will likley be a standard poodle...I want a white one for the sole reason of being able to dye it different colours lol


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## Ramble On Rose (Apr 21, 2010)

I think the Poodle looks tacky as all get out.... But the 4Th of July Pap looks awesome! My opinion on it is if that's your thing and you're being safe, then go for it.


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## Averyismypei (May 24, 2010)

I feel that as long as its a safe dye then why not? Its kinda cute  and well as for the nail painting, I paint my Chihuahua's nails. I used to paint my Shar-pei's also but since she likes to play outside more than my chi does, it wears the polish off easily.


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## MafiaPrincess (Jul 1, 2009)

*shrug* Cider's been pink for months. It's not fading out.

The world canine freestyle association's rules say no dyed dog, no glitter, no more than a collar for routines. I read from their board no serious sport would allow dyed dogs.. So I made her pink, got a CARO championship title that weekend, have hit a CPE and 2 AAC trials.. Made my point.. no one cared..

I'm a little bored of the pink.. but it'll have to grow out.

Awful pic, but I took few of the pink.


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

OMG, I love Cider's pink feet! It looks like she's wearing totally 80s leg-warmers!

I'm cracking up at the number of people who are offended by the dog's "tackiness." Am I the only person who enjoys some (possibly ironic) tackiness now and then? I like way-too-short skirts, I like Las Vegas, I like 2 Buck Chuck. I own rhinestone sunglasses and a denim purse with leopard print trim. I am pretty much known for overestimating the formality of events and showing up dressed way fancier than I should have. I would call myself a fairly sophisticated person, actually, but there's few things I enjoy more than a little kitch. If I had a white poodle, I would totally go for pink and rhinestones, especially if it was a standard. If it were a black or chocolate standard, I'd be all about spiked collars and names like "Butch." I'm easily amused, but I find that kind of stuff hilarious.


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## MafiaPrincess (Jul 1, 2009)

FilleBelle said:


> OMG, I love Cider's pink feet! It looks like she's wearing totally 80s leg-warmers!
> 
> I'm cracking up at the number of people who are offended by the dog's "tackiness." Am I the only person who enjoys some (possibly ironic) tackiness now and then? I like way-too-short skirts, I like Las Vegas, I like 2 Buck Chuck. I own rhinestone sunglasses and a denim purse with leopard print trim. I am pretty much known for overestimating the formality of events and showing up dressed way fancier than I should have. I would call myself a fairly sophisticated person, actually, but there's few things I enjoy more than a little kitch. If I had a white poodle, I would totally go for pink and rhinestones, especially if it was a standard. If it were a black or chocolate standard, I'd be all about spiked collars and names like "Butch." I'm easily amused, but I find that kind of stuff hilarious.


Thank you. Apparently her cut even pre dye may have been disqualifying.. Unless they revamp their rules, I think I'm passing on freestyle. Friends think I need a parti mini poodle instead of another cocker for pup 3.. as then I could play more with dye  I have turquoise, blue and purple on hand.. *grin*


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

If you think a pink poodle was horrifying...how 'bout Zombie Poodle!?








(www.portlandmercury.com)

_*It's aliiiiiiiiiiiive!*_


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

Shaina said:


> If you think a pink poodle was horrifying...how 'bout Zombie Poodle!?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love that poodle.


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## Trillian (Jan 17, 2011)

Jetta got dyed green, and her nails change colors weekly (whenever they get too chipped) they're bood red now to go with her 'zombie' costume.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

I'm tempted to dye Pixie now.... what colour shall I go for do you think?


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

lil_fuzzy said:


> I'm tempted to dye Pixie now.... what colour shall I go for do you think?


 How about orange and purple for Halloween?


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

I'm having trouble explaining why I don't support dying dogs, because as many posters have said, it's not harmful to the dog. But all the same, I don't like it. I can't fathom why someone would want to do that to a dog, except if it's an accessory. I'll be the first to admit that some of the dogs look really cool (wow, the poodle is amazing!), but just because you CAN do it doesn't mean you should. Maybe it's that the dog doesn't have a choice in it. Maybe it's what it says about the owner's relationship to the dog. I dunno, hard to explain.

But I have a white dog, and never in a million years would I dye her. I just wouldn't. A friend told me that the agility club members around here will sometimes steal your dog out of its crate and dye it when you get a big title. I told them absolutely not (if we ever got to that level) - no one is doing that to my dog!


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

What in the world would it say about the human's relationship to the dog?


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## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

Georgie white parts got dyed green today, and I am indeed wondering what you think that says about my relationship with him. I'm not offended, I just honestly have no clue what you mean.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Laurelin said:


> What in the world would it say about the human's relationship to the dog?


Um, I'm wondering the exact same thing!!

Also, dogs don't really have a choice in a LOT of things we do with them. They absolutely do not care about the color of their fur, though. Just like how I'm sure your dog doesn't care about the color of his collar or his crate. I never asked Basil's opinion when I got him a green collar with owls on it.


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## The_Monstors (Oct 1, 2010)

I painted her nails all the time. She actually would lay down and put her paw out like that on her own when she sees nailpolish. 










Really I started the nailpolish thing because somehow kids at the park confused her as a boy since she was a big pug and kinda just stuck with doing it. 

Silly, but it was bonding time with her. 

Silly, really that some person at the park yelled at me for having a nailpolished dog and wrote me off as not being able to be a good owner somehow. It's kinda weird to me. Discipline has nothing to do with frivolous ways to amuse myself with my dog.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Laurelin said:


> What in the world would it say about the human's relationship to the dog?


Again, I'm not sure - I'm having problems putting it into words. But think of it this way...

If I was a parent of a baby, I wouldn't dye his/her hair. That would be denying his/her baby-ness. When the kid was 5, if they asked to dye their hair pink for Halloween, I wouldn't have a problem with it, cause it's their choice. For the same reason, I think dyeing a dog takes something away from the dog-ness of a dog. And an owner who does that to their dog, I dunno...it says something about their relationship to the animal. JMO.

That said, if I saw someone with a dyed dog, I wouldn't say anything.


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

I shaved the Rider logo into Mistys shpulder and dyed it. I dont think it says anything about my relationship with her. 









as for the baby thing..my parents peirced my ears when I was a baby..wasnt my choice. so?? it's hardly damaged my relationship with them lol


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

GottaLuvMutts said:


> Again, I'm not sure - I'm having problems putting it into words. But think of it this way...
> 
> If I was a parent of a baby, I wouldn't dye his/her hair. That would be denying his/her baby-ness. When the kid was 5, if they asked to dye their hair pink for Halloween, I wouldn't have a problem with it, cause it's their choice. For the same reason, I think dyeing a dog takes something away from the dog-ness of a dog. And an owner who does that to their dog, I dunno...it says something about their relationship to the animal. JMO.
> 
> That said, if I saw someone with a dyed dog, I wouldn't say anything.


I personally think that's ridiculous. 

Dyeing them, at least the way I've done it is not any different than grooming them. They don't know the difference. You just wet down their hair and brush in the chalk, then brush it out. What about people that clip their dogs' hair? Isn't that kind of the same thing? I'm sure the dog doesn't really care if they have a poodle cut or not or a pom pom on their tail. 

The concept of 'doggy-ness' is strange too. What classifies as 'being doggy'? A lot of people would argue that dogs that don't live outside aren't being allowed to be dogs. Or that neutering dogs is depriving them of some sort of doggy-dignity. To me allowing a dog to be a dog has nothing to do with what color their hair is because they're DOGS. They really don't care. 

There is also a big difference between a baby human and a dog. A human will eventually be able to choose such things for themselves. Dogs will not.


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## LittleFr0g (Jun 11, 2007)

> I personally think that's ridiculous.
> 
> Dyeing them, at least the way I've done it is not any different than grooming them. They don't know the difference. You just wet down their hair and brush in the chalk, then brush it out. What about people that clip their dogs' hair? Isn't that kind of the same thing? I'm sure the dog doesn't really care if they have a poodle cut or not or a pom pom on their tail.
> 
> ...


Agreed 110% Laurelin!


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

Do people not realize that after the extreme grooming competition is done and the winners/etc have had their picture taken, they are shaved down. They are not kept like that.


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## Dekka (Mar 20, 2010)

I can assure you have have a fantastic relationship with Dekka. Not sure in what way you would assume its not good. She goes out gets dirty on the farm, is allowed to kill vermin, has been taken out hunting (real earth dog stuff) she sleeps under the covers at night, has titles in all sorts of dog sports as well as having been in movies and commercials. She is my shadow, my heart dog.

I dyed a heart on her tush cause I thought it was funny and cute. Its not like she cared or knew...
Here she is on a canoe trip showing off the butt heart









Here she is chillin on the farm with it 









I can't see how dying a dog has any bearing on the relationship someone has with their dog.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Mia kept the purple tail for about a week then it faded out. Summer's blue stayed in for about 2 weeks. I really think that might need to happen again. They're due for a grooming anyways.


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## Dekka (Mar 20, 2010)

Give Mia a rainbow tail!


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Basil's rainbow tail was so cute last Halloween, I think it would look great on Mia! :biggrin1: Also I think Basil would look pretty cool with a green tail, maybe I should dye his too, hehe.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

That and do dogs really want to do any of the garbage we have them do? Jonas would sure be happy if I let him poop in the house at his free will.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Dekka said:


> I can assure you have have a fantastic relationship with Dekka. Not sure in what way you would assume its not good. She goes out gets dirty on the farm, is allowed to kill vermin, has been taken out hunting (real earth dog stuff) she sleeps under the covers at night, has titles in all sorts of dog sports as well as having been in movies and commercials. She is my shadow, my heart dog.
> 
> I can't see how dying a dog has any bearing on the relationship someone has with their dog.


Nowhere did I say that dyeing a dog means that there's something WRONG with the human's relationship to the dog. Only that dyeing a dog implies something about that relationship. And nowhere did I question that dyed dogs can't do fun doggy stuff, too. 

Bugs, piercing the ears of small children (babies, especially) is something else I'm very much against. But again, it's the parents' choice, and I'm certainly not going to light into them for doing it.


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## Dakota Spirit (Jul 31, 2007)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> That and do dogs really want to do any of the garbage we have them do? Jonas would sure be happy if I let him poop in the house at his free will.


Exactly. 

People are welcome to their own opinions and all that...but I've always found the dog's lack of choice a little bit of a weird argument. Dogs don't have a choice in _any_ of the things we do. And if you're going on the dog's enjoyment (as in my dog lives for agility, etc.) well...I've seen many a dog just MELT on the grooming table. It can be a very soothing period of bonding for both owner and dog. 

Ditto what Laurelin said on grooming as well. One may not dye their baby's hair but the majority of parents WOULD get their child's hair cut.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Also, human hair dyes have a lot of nasty stuff in them, could be harmful to the baby (pregnant women aren't supposed to dye their hair). If the parent used koolaid or chalk to color the baby's hair for a special occasion, I wouldn't see anything wrong with that. If they colored their baby's hair with koolaid or chalk every single day, I would think they were weird. Sort of the same with dogs; if someone colored their dog for an occasion, or just did it now and then for funsies, I don't see anything wrong with it. If someone always keeps their little purse Poodle dyed pink, I would wonder about them, and if they really wanted an actual dog or just a pink accessory. Just one of those odd little snap judgements people make, I guess.


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## Trillian (Jan 17, 2011)

In my oppinion it doesn't hurt them, and if they aren't in destress/stressed out then why care what people do with their dogs (clothes and dying wise)?

Jetta OFTEN has her nails painted, it's AMAZING how many people came up to her SOULY because her nails where painted (And admit it). She GIVES me her foot to paint. She also wears clothes ect. from time to time, she's been doing it since she was a small puppy (2 1/2 months old in December) and doesn't care about that either. I don't see her as a fashion statement or an accessory. She finds it a ton of fun, LOVES the attention she gets. Look at the pictures of the bottom of my "Jetta went down town" post, seems like she's having fun to me.

It washes out, it gets taken off and in the case of piercings they heal most of the time. 

What do YOU assume when you see a dog wearing clothes? Or dyed? Or painted nails? (This is a serious question)

Also...I feel ALOT sorrier for the dogs who's people don't brush them because 'they don't like it' . Or those dogs who come in completely covered in matts (so bad it tears the skin) because their people don't care enough, let alone care enough to buy them a sweater in the winter or take them out to have fun all dressed and dyed up.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

GottaLuvMutts said:


> A For the same reason, I think dyeing a dog takes something away from the dog-ness of a dog. And an owner who does that to their dog, I dunno...it says something about their relationship to the animal.


Of course it says "something" about their relationship to the animal - just like everything else someone does with or to their dog says "something" about their relationship to the animal - what breed, spayed or neutered, whether they're groomed at all, what they do for training and/or fun, where the dog lives, what it eats. In most cases I'm guessing it probably doesn't mean what you're judging it to mean just because YOU wouldn't do it.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

GottaLuvMutts said:


> Again, I'm not sure - I'm having problems putting it into words. But think of it this way...
> 
> If I was a parent of a baby, I wouldn't dye his/her hair. That would be denying his/her baby-ness. When the kid was 5, if they asked to dye their hair pink for Halloween, I wouldn't have a problem with it, cause it's their choice. For the same reason, I think dyeing a dog takes something away from the dog-ness of a dog. And an owner who does that to their dog, I dunno...it says something about their relationship to the animal. JMO.
> 
> That said, if I saw someone with a dyed dog, I wouldn't say anything.


To me it seems no worse than dressing babies up like little dolls. The baby doesn't care what it's wearing, it's all for the parent's sake that it's done, to make the baby look cute, like it's an accessory, or something to show off. Same thing when I buy nice collars and harnesses for my dogs. They don't care what they wear, so it's all for me and for other people to see. And when I get Pixie groomed, I experiment with different grooming styles, and if I want to add some colour, what difference does it make?


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## MafiaPrincess (Jul 1, 2009)

Mine are freezing currently, and it isn't even that cold yet. Cider has to wear at least a hoodie 24/7 to keep her from shaking endlessly. Even then if she finds a human with a blanket, she asks to join them. Can't say mine wear clothes cause it's cute.. they are cold.

I've had endless people ask about my dog's fur. Smudge hennaed on vacation got lots of people stopping me, and it was subtle. Cider dyed is bright enough I've had more people approach. Only nastiness I've heard has been online. Never in person. I could care less if other people hate it. I had one hardcore doxie lady give a 30 minute diatribe this summer over her absolute hatred of the cuts I had both my dogs in at a funday. Smudge had full legs, Cider cut like a Frisian and she could only whine endlessly that they looked silly. I acknowledged her, said that was nice. How they were cut pleased me, and she whined more that normal pet people don't do that. That's nice. Many pet people don't brush their dogs or attend fundays either.... 

Hennaed


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## LittleFr0g (Jun 11, 2007)

I LOVE the way you have him clipped, looks fantastic! Also love the henna, very subtle, but I like it! Do you have a pick of Cider dyed?


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## Dekka (Mar 20, 2010)

My point wasn't that my dog could still do things dyed. Its that my dog lives a very full doggy life. And gets to do more doggy things than the average dog... just what does having a heart on her bum say about the relationship....? Nothing that you can tell just by looking. 

That is like saying I can assume the fact that your dog is jumping for a blue Frisbee says something about your relationship with your dog. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't, but its nothing I can assume.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Trillian said:


> Also...I feel ALOT sorrier for the dogs who's people don't brush them because 'they don't like it' . Or those dogs who come in completely covered in matts (so bad it tears the skin) because their people don't care enough, let alone care enough to buy them a sweater in the winter or take them out to have fun all dressed and dyed up.


Agreed, I think that says a lot more about the owner's relationship with their dog!


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

GottaLuvMutts said:


> Again, I'm not sure - I'm having problems putting it into words. But think of it this way...
> 
> If I was a parent of a baby, I wouldn't dye his/her hair. That would be denying his/her baby-ness. When the kid was 5, if they asked to dye their hair pink for Halloween, I wouldn't have a problem with it, cause it's their choice. For the same reason, I think dyeing a dog takes something away from the dog-ness of a dog. And an owner who does that to their dog, I dunno...it says something about their relationship to the animal. JMO.
> 
> That said, if I saw someone with a dyed dog, I wouldn't say anything.


Does a poodle with a show clip have less "dogness" than a labrador?


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## MafiaPrincess (Jul 1, 2009)

Back on page 4 I think Kuma. I posted her first as she's pretty bright. I hennaed him to use up a package that wasn't the right colour for my hair. I didn't expect anything to happen. Then he got highlight.


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## LittleFr0g (Jun 11, 2007)

Aww, I'm not a fan of pink, but she's ADORABLE! What will you color her after the pink grows out, or will you do it again?


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## MafiaPrincess (Jul 1, 2009)

Took 2 tries to get her pink. Her buff colouring seemed to eat a lot of the dye. When some that is veggie based went on sale I got red (which I sometimes use on me) another pink, turquoise, purple and violet...

I don't think I'd do it again unless it was warmer out.. as I had to keep her outside to set it.. I'd do it again though.. amused me, but after months of pink, I do kinda miss normal..


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