Would you dye your dog?

Tranceypoo

Seen a story in the papers today, some young actress had her 1 yr Bichon dyed bright pink and there was a picture (looked awful), another actress has her Yorkie dyed pink as well apparently. The groomer says it's a vegetable dye and it's not cruel to the dogs, maybe that's so but to me it just makes more of the 'small dog as fashion accessory' type craze that's been around for a while (too long). I dunno, I just think it's wrong on so many levels.

kildare.17hmr

Airhead accessory imo

toadfly

Not a hope. i think it looks ridiculous. seen a pic of dog a dog dyed pink on the Facebook page of a galway groomer. I've used her once and don't think I would again.

kylith

I wouldn't do it, but I can't really see the harm. Sure, the dog may be a fashion accessory, but as long as it's properly looked after what's the harm in it being pink? Dogs have been fashion accessories for centuries, it's just that hey've historically called Lap or Companion dogs.

My only concern would be that idiots would try do it at home with human dye.

Vince32

I've seen dog grooming taking a turn for the worst in the last few years, it seems to be more of an art form than it is making the dog more comfortable, my first thought when I heard about dog grooming was a wash with shampoo (canine), trimming the nails, cleaning the teeth and various other maintenance tasks.

Now it's gone the way of how to humiliate your dog. Example:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/3708346/Poodle-power-Sandra-Hartness-and-her-creatively-groomed-dog-Cindy.html?image=2 , while it does no harm physically, I would not endorse anything of this nature in any shape or form, even if it was for charity I would not RSVP an event that did this to animals. While it does look impressive and requires a fair amount of skill, I can't see any valid reason to put a dog through an ordeal like this.

Vince.

lookitsme

IMO i think it is disgraceful, your dog should look like your dog not a child's toy. i don't you think you should alter the physical appearance of any dog. people with those thoughts ruined many breeds of dog with selective breeding causing undesired hereditary problems.

The Big Red Button

I've seen it done to poodles before - disgusting!

http://memberfiles.freewebs.com/49/57/45995749/photos/Pretty-Puppies-/dyed-poodle-1.jpg

http://rsrc.psychologytoday.com/files/imagecache/article-inline-half/blogs/1987/2010/06/43766-28977.jpg
http://memberfiles.freewebs.com/49/57/45995749/photos/Pretty-Puppies-/pretty%20poodle.jpg

Anyone who would do that to their pet should have it taken off them.

Whispered

I wouldn't do it myself, I think it looks ridiculous. So long as the dog is not distressed having it done, is well looked after, and has all of its CANINE needs fulfilled too, I don't see how very different it is to buying blingy collars or bandanna's for example. At Christmas my boys usually wear a Christmas collar and or a dickie bow. Same thing I suppose.

Tranceypoo

I'm glad it's not just me!! Those Poodle pics are horrible, it's just sad, makes me feel almost as sad as seeing a wild animal in the circus, they just look humiliated, it really is just for the humans vanity and the groomers showing off their 'skills' isn't it.

Magenta

I wouldn't do it mostly because I'd be afraid some idiot would try and copy it with human hair dye.

girl in the striped socks

I don't really see the point unless you're the kind of person who likes people pointing & staring at you & your dog.
I personally think there is something very insecure about people who do this.

SingItOut

It honestly doesn't bother me, I wouldn't do it to my dogs but I don't see anything wrong with it.

Dogs don't have a clue that their pink/green/purple etc The same as they couldn't care less that they have a diamond collar or bandana, my jack russel and labrador have fancy collars and wear bandanas but they don't care! That stuff is for the owners happiness and it makes strangers smile (I know this because I take my smaller dog to work on a regular basis). The only thing that bugs me are those stupid clothes that also go in around their legs mostly cutting into them, restricting movement like that causes pain.

This little dog on twitter, called PinkDarcyDog (don't know if I can give links) has been dyed pink to raise money for cancer research.

Cherry Blossom

SingItOut wrote: »

Dogs don't have a clue that their pink/green/purple etc The same as they couldn't care less that they have a diamond collar or bandana

^^This tbh, humiliation is a human emotion, dogs don't get embarrassed. I wouldn't do it myself, actually I don't even use special shampoo designed for white dogs because I don't entirely trust what's in it and the 'white' wouldn't last too long in any case. I'm currently trying to find personalised accessories for santa paws to bring that match the dog's names ie. poppies for Poppy etc. It's mostly a nice touch for the kids benefit (who named all the pets here) and slightly for my own benefit. Same reasoning behind it though, because I want to/feel like it. Each to their own I say.

Vince32

I just found this link on the subject, although the incident happened in the state of Florida, there at least they consider dying a dogs fur an act of cruelty, and the owner of the dog got slapped with a hefty fine. This reflects my feelings on the subject, I agree with AJ and SingItOut that animals don't feel embarrassment, but they could very well feel distress while having it done. http://www.smithtownradio.com/2011/08/15/1125/sound-off-woman-fined-for-dying-dogs-fur-pink/

I know there is a worldwide phenomenon of grooming "ART", and my opinions may not be reflected in the popular side of the argument, but I must say that this to me seems beyond the scope of grooming, and turning dogs into canvas in competition is a far cry from a healthy and normal experience for any dog.

I don't believe that bandannas or dickybow collars are very appropriate for dogs either, but since the act of putting them on and taking them off is a matter of a few seconds I can't believe the dog would be very distressed by being forced to wear one, so I guess I'm ok with seasonal apparel, but that's were I would draw the line.

Whispered

I really do agree that if the dog is distressed then it shouldn't be done, and I don't like the idea of dogs just being a fashion accessory. But there are plenty of other more widespread and accepted things which are done to dogs that would upset me more. Docking, carrying dogs around in bags and the use of choke chains for example.

I really wouldn't care too much about people dying, or accessorising their dogs so long as the dog is well cared for. I think the main concern I'd have is if someone had a dog who is dyed, would they then discourage their dog from doing doggy things lest they destroy their dye job. But I could worry the same about any very well groomed dog really I suppose.

I think if the dog is being fulfilled on a doggy level, allowed to act as a dog and isn't distressed by the process of being dyed then I'm sure the dog couldn't care less.

girl in the striped socks

Whispered wrote: »

I really do agree that if the dog is distressed then it shouldn't be done, and I don't like the idea of dogs just being a fashion accessory. But there are plenty of other more widespread and accepted things which are done to dogs that would upset me more. Docking, carrying dogs around in bags and the use of choke chains for example.

I really wouldn't care too much about people dying, or accessorising their dogs so long as the dog is well cared for. I think the main concern I'd have is if someone had a dog who is dyed, would they then discourage their dog from doing doggy things lest they destroy their dye job. But I could worry the same about any very well groomed dog really I suppose.

I think if the dog is being fulfilled on a doggy level, allowed to act as a dog and isn't distressed by the process of being dyed then I'm sure the dog couldn't care less.

What's wrong with using a choke chain if it's used correctly?
There's a right & a wrong way to put it on, the right way the dog gets uncomfortable if they strain but it releases as soon as they relax. The wrong way they just choke.

Cherry Blossom

Vince32 wrote: »

I just found this link on the subject, although the incident happened in the state of Florida, there at least they consider dying a dogs fur an act of cruelty, and the owner of the dog got slapped with a hefty fine. This reflects my feelings on the subject, I agree with AJ and SingItOut that animals don't feel embarrassment, but they could very well feel distress while having it done. http://www.smithtownradio.com/2011/08/15/1125/sound-off-woman-fined-for-dying-dogs-fur-pink/

Poodles have to be clipped very regularly due to the hair type, the above is on a par with saying Poodles should be banned because clipping them is cruel. A bit of vegetable dye is on a par with giving a dog a bath. It's rather extreme that someone has been fined for doing it.

Vince32 wrote: »

I know there is a worldwide phenomenon of grooming "ART", and my opinions may not be reflected in the popular side of the argument, but I must say that this to me seems beyond the scope of grooming, and turning dogs into canvas in competition is a far cry from a healthy and normal experience for any dog.

Dogs are groomed with appropriate 'breed' cuts for showing, is this different and how? Is keeping a long-haired breed that does agility clipped so it has easier movement different and how?

Vince32 wrote: »

I don't believe that bandannas or dickybow collars are very appropriate for dogs either, but since the act of putting them on and taking them off is a matter of a few seconds I can't believe the dog would be very distressed by being forced to wear one, so I guess I'm ok with seasonal apparel, but that's were I would draw the line.

Your having a laugh now right? A dog not introduced to harness properly will put up a lot more fight against that than being asked to wear a dickybow. Best look away from the screen now because you may find the follow pics highly distressing:

A dog in a coat :eek:



A dog with a bow in it's hair



And the grand finale, a dog in a Halloween costume, a double whammy because the whole thing has been sewn on to her coat shown in the first pic :pac:

TooManyDogs

I do agree that as long as the dog isn't bothered by the dyeing process and is happy then it's not harmful to the dog but I think the owner is still a thick, what's wrong with the dog's natural colour???

Whatever about the dog not knowing what colour it is though what I do wonder about is the dogs who are dyed to look like different animals, the dogs in this article are done up to look like a tiger or panda

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1284646/Meet-Tiger-Dog-Chinese-owners-dye-pets-look-like-wild-animals.html



That would make me wonder about how other dogs would percieve them. Now obviously I realise sight isn't a dog's primary sense but still, we've all seen dogs react out of character when they see something like a dog wearing odd clothing or things like that. I'm sure most dogs wouldn't put any pass on it but I'd hate to think I'd put my dog in danger by making them appear startling to even a few dogs in case anything kicked off as a result.

Whispered

What's wrong with using a choke chain if it's used correctly?
There's a right & a wrong way to put it on, the right way the dog gets uncomfortable if they strain but it releases as soon as they relax. The wrong way they just choke.

I don't think this is the thread for it, but choke chains have been proven to cause physical and behavioural problems in dogs. They are a tool which are supposed to teach the dog to walk nicely through the use of pain. The name says it all, if the dog doesn't walk as it's supposed to, it's choked. I (and many other dog owners) prefer not to train their dog through the use of pain or discomfort when there is another option.

Maybe have a quick look through other threads, it's been discussed here before. Also google give loads of info about it. Would rather not go further off topic in this thread if that's ok.

girl in the striped socks

Whispered wrote: »

I don't think this is the thread for it, but choke chains have been proven to cause physical and behavioural problems in dogs. They are a tool which are supposed to teach the dog to walk nicely through the use of pain. The name says it all, if the dog doesn't walk as it's supposed to, it's choked. I (and many other dog owners) prefer not to train their dog through the use of pain or discomfort when there is another option.

Maybe have a quick look through other threads, it's been discussed here before. Also google give loads of info about it. Would rather not go further off topic in this thread if that's ok.

Ok, thanks.
The reason is ask is that the trainer I used told me to use one & tbh I haven't looked back since.
Anyway will read up on it, thanks again.

OhLongJohnson

Lovely pictures, adrenalinejunkie:)

With regards to the topic at hand, the big concern is that people don't try to dye the dogs themselves, which is really an enormous possibility given how stupid some dog owners are.

Fundamentally I think so long as its done in a harmless way, there is a number of significantly larger animal rights issues that have to be tackled before we can deal with people merely making their dogs look stupid.

Although...with that said...the golden retriever tiger does look kinda cool...

Fluorescence

No, I never would. My dog is white, and I often dye my hair with vegetable dyes, but I wouldn't put the two together. Not because it would be harmful for her to have a different colour coat, but because it would be a uncomfortable and possibly distressing process for her. She detests baths as it is, so I couldn't imagine the stress it would cause both parties to dye her another colour.

She's cute enough as it is anyway - her black spots make her look like a mini Friesian cow :pac:

Tranceypoo

I think my initial feeling was the presumption that the sort of person who would dye their dog is the sort of person who treats their dog as a fashion accessory and not as 'a dog', that is possibly a generalisation on my part.

I agree with a lot of the points on here, there are many other things done to dogs which are a million times worse of course and yes I am guilty of putting a christmas hat and some tinsel on one of the dogs (the other one won't stand for it) and taking a picture and putting it on FB, my dogs also have coats to wear but they are for practical reasons rather than vanity. I don't know, I guess I don't really equate bandanas and silly hats on dogs on par with dying it.

tk123

Vince32 wrote: »

I just found this link on the subject, although the incident happened in the star dickybow collars are very appropriate for dogs either, but since the act of putting them on and taking them off is a matter of a few seconds I can't believe the dog would be very distressed by being forced to wear one, so I guess I'm ok with seasonal apparel, but that's were I would draw the line.

Bandanas catch drool and if the dog is partial to rolling in disgusting things the bandana will often take the brunt of it leaving the dog clean. Also handy if the dog is a swimmer - when the collar drying off you can throw a bandana on around the house and still be able to grab them if needed.

rorrissey

I think the photo you saw was of Emma Watson walking her friend's dog. They used beetroot juice to dye her pink for breast cancer awareness, at least that's what I read somewhere. I wouldn't bother doing it myself, I think it looks crazy but at least it wasn't cruel!