In My Opinion

So....there's a picture that's been circulating quite a bit on social media. It's a poodle who has been trimmed and dyed to look like a giraffe. Some of the pictures were mislabeling him as a zebra which I found infinitely entertaining given that there is a huge difference between zebras and giraffes. But I digress.

It seems that comments on the photos/videos fell into one of two camps. People who found it goofy and entertaining and those who found it offensive and demeaning. I had a conversation not too long ago with a friend in the show dog community who reported that an acquaintance who dyed her show dog's coat for a fun day event, received similar derision from other dog owners.

I have to be honest...putting bandannas on dogs, dressing them in clothes or costumes, goofy hats and sunglasses doesn't bother me at all. UNLESS it bothers the dog wearing said items. If a dog shows anxiety or fear, he shouldn't be made to wear those items as the discomfort could lead to him bolting to escape them, behaving aggressively, etc. I myself have put any number of scarves and costumes on my dogs. But not all of my dogs. My first rough coat collie LOVED dressing up. I think it was because he took part in dress up games with my daughter as a puppy, but he truly loved it. He would wear ANYTHING, tail wagging, head held high. Same with my pug. He loved hats and capes. Now, our Labrador was a different story. A bandanna on her made her freeze in place. So, we never put anything on her. Period.

So, back to that Giraffe-Poodle. If you watch the video, he looks pretty darn happy and carefree. Truly I don't see any sign of anxiety in that video. My guess is that he's getting a great deal of attention for his odd hairdo and he enjoys that attention immensely. Dogs don't feel embarrassment, so it's not like he will feel bad walking on the street when other dogs see him. I will say, however, that I think my dogs might give him a wide berth simply because he doesn't really look like a dog anymore!  I know, however, that if he approached them like any other dog, my dogs would likely chalk it up to a bad haircut and run around and play with him.

Hair grows out. Dye can be washed out or grows out as well. Bad haircuts happen daily. Is it cruel? I don't think so, as long as the dye is safe for animals. Is it okay to do it? I think this is a decision best made by the owner of the dog. They know their dog. Bottom line: I don't think it's okay to bash someone for a goofy haircut, costume, etc. on their dog. We are all entitled to our own opinions, but bashing someone you don't know is hurtful. And we all know right now that the one thing we need is more kindness in our world. And a sense of humor always.