POLL: Dying dogs' fur to make them look like wild animals?

I honestly don't care. If you want your chow to look like a panda, you go right on ahead as long as you are u sing pet-safe coloring and not bleaching (bleach can burn the skin, OUCH!).

Riddle me this, Batman. If a dog was meant to look like a wild animal it would, right? If we were meant to wear clothes don't you think we'd be born with a fur coat? If we were meant to fly don't you think we'd have wings instead of airplanes? After all, we don't need to be or do something we're not.

Kind of an extreme example, but it's still valid. A dog isn't "meant" to look like a panda or a brightly colored piece of art, or even pink, but there is absolutely NO harm in doing it as long as the coloring is pet-safe.

[Add] I colored my husky's white markings green for St. Patrick's day a few years back. He wasn't meant to be black and green, and I was hardly humanizing him. I am under no mistaken impression that he gave a crap about St. Paddy's day, nor am I under any mistaken impression that he liked being colored, but I'm also not under some mistaken impression that the other dogs would make fun of him because I do not humanize my dogs.

Dying your dogs may be the result of humanizing the dog. However, being so against it is also sometimes the result of over-humanizing a dog that does not give two craps if its coat is pink or white.

If it doesn't hurt the dogs, I'd say there's nothing wrong with it. I'm not against it.

I would never do ti myself, though. I got a dachshund because I wanted a dachshund, and he looks like a dachshund, so...I'm happy. I've seen the pics of Tiger Dog and Panda Puppies, and personally I don't think it's cute, but stupid. (okay, maybe Panda Puppies are a little cute, but Tiger Dog really is just ugly) To each his own, I guess.

If it is for an extreme grooming contest: Yay

If it is to make their owners feel special or for fun or whatever: Nay

This started with one dog in Japan, a rescue dog his owner wanted to make special, unfortunately many are not using safe dyes. Now those extremists want to breed dogs to have "panda" markings, good luck with that one.

There was a conference at a World Dog Show in China, that touched on these issues. They want to get stricter cruelty laws in China and most of Asia.

This would include:

The recreational dying of dogs and other pets to be Pandas or other wild animals

The processes of killing dogs for food

and plenty more issues, those two being the hot topics

Edit- I have no problem with extreme grooming contests, as the dogs truly love all the attention they get, or the groomer would not use them, groomers use dogs like poodles that can be shaved down right after the contest, and they use safe dyes.

Edit- This is the dog that started it

http://www.pandafix.com/photos/other_pandas/r64140...

Um... Nay...

it's a dog, not a wild animal. Dying something's fur is just another way to humanize it even more.

What makes me mad is how they dye baby chickens. The entire thing is just sick! (especially since they even do it in elementary schools!)

@ Jasmer, in my opinion, humanizing is doing something completely for vanity or if it is something that humans do to themselves (like hair dying) to a dog that would not have happened to him in the wild, for your own personal benefit or pleasure. So in my opinion, dying a dog, no matter your reasons, is humanizing. I guess it is all just a matter of opinion.

As long as there is no harm to the animal (safe dye etc) I would rather they made it look like a panda than completely neglect grooming it at all.

If it's painless and safe I don't see why not? I wouldn't dye my dog cause it's not my thing but if it's harmless I don't see how it's a problem, it's just like those people who clothe their dogs, but obviously to a more extreme extent.

YaY! That people care enough to bring them out of the backyard and have them paid more attention to is a great thing, maybe they might even schedule a vet visit.

ive actually seen them pictures and i think the work looks amazing and takes great talent but yes their is a time and place for everything i think its okay for the dog grooming competitions (yes it is safe for the dogs as long as their using animal dye) i think it looks great!! but i would never do that to my 2 dogs.

Beats the hell out of just putting the dog in the back yard and ignoring it.

How can paying attention to their pets be a bad thing?, they aren't hurting them.

F no. Dog's have enough issue's.