Question for people who are against dyeing.

[MoonandBean]

I currently am owned by 2 cats as my dogs have passed on and I haven't gotten any new dogs yet (soooooooon!!) But this posting brought back some of my favorite memories of them:

When my all white husky was skunked, he too got a Tomato Juice bath...It didn't work but he looked like the energizer husky until we took him to the vet for a "real de-skunking bath". Then he came home as beautiful white as he ever was. I don't think HE minded being pink but I didn't like it

As for my terrier mix, she would die from embarrassment when she'd come home from the groomer with a new furr-do and a bow on her collar. We'd have to cut the bow off immediately and noone in the house was allowed to say anything about her new look. There was no "Sydney, you look sooo pretty" allowed!

[finn's mom]

I'm not against it, as long as there isn't a safety risk involved with the colors used. I look at it the same way as dyeing my own hair. To each his own. I don't think I'd personally dye my dog's fur, and I don't really think it's cute when others do, but I'm not against it for any other reason than that. I'm also not big on putting dresses and such on dogs, either, but again...not really against either as long as it's not harming the animal.

[Freedom]

I don't like the idea of dying; or dyeing.

Seems you don't have a solution to the first! Rats, I was hoping!

I think we need to respect our pets and help them maintain their dignity. Doing things to them should be for THEIR benefit, nothing more. I do put jackets and coats on my dogs, they are small and chill easily. Also, they are white with very light pink skin which is easily burned, bruised, etc. I put things on for their benefit. In the house in winter, only Ozzy wears a sweater, because he shivers with the cold. So it is for his health and welfare.

Dyeing the coat / skin of a pet does nothing for the pet's well being. It is purely for the owner's benefit: to make a statement, to celebrate something, and so forth. For me, it doesn't matter that it does not HARM, I ask if it HELPS and if it doesn't, then I don't do it. The dog has no say in the matter and other than embarrassment, couldn't care less. A green dog for St. Patty's Day? Even an Irish Setter doesn't know/care/celebrate that event.

For me, this is 'using' the pet and that would not be appropriate with another human, so why should it be alright with any other being?

I'll get off my soapbox, now, even though I could go on.

[Suki Wingy]

Dyeing the coat / skin of a pet does nothing for the pet's well being. It is purely for the owner's benefit: to make a statement, to celebrate something, and so forth. For me, it doesn't matter that it does not HARM, I ask if it HELPS and if it doesn't, then I don't do it. The dog has no say in the matter and other than embarrassment, couldn't care less.

Niño would like to argue that he very much enjoyed all of the extra attention and pets, therefore it DID help him.

Also, in all of my experience, dogs do not feel embarrassed by their looks and anyone who believes so is projecting human emotions upon an animal. They may be slightly uncomfortable with the change of a hair cut, but not embarrassed. I've seen the look that many take to be embarrassment.

But that's a whole other topic.

[slleipnir]

I'm not against it so long as it doesn't harm the animal. I just think a pink dog looks sort of a silly...

[Alysser]

There is really nothing wrong with dyeing an animal's fur. People may say it looks stupid but I think it's so cute and especially for animals who LOVE extra attention, they will definitly love it. I don't think dogs can be embarrassed unless they know they are being laughed at or something along those lines. My dad once dyed a red, white and blue stripe on Sassy for the fourth of July. We were having a party. Everyone loved it. We also went to a nuring home once to visit my Grandma and my mom dyed pink spots on her. My grandma and everyone else who saw Sas loved it. Sassy actually acted as a "therapy" dog that day because the nursing home allowed you to bring dogs. A nurse wanted us to bring her into an old lady's room. She had no family and never really smiled or talked. She talked all about her old dog when she saw Sassy. It's amazing what an animal can do for a person.