that is just so completely and utterly wrong.

If pink is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Seriously, THIS get's an objection. War, poverty, crime... and you're worried about the crime of dying a dog pink?

Or maybe by wrong you mean hysterically funny and cool.

definitely not funny and cool, glad you called it a crime!

Seriously, what motivates a person to go out of their way to comment on something like this? I don't get why a pink dog draws such strong objections.

I don't agree with dying dogs either - it's not their choice - it's the owner's. Poodles are lovely naturally - i don't understand why everyone feels they have to interfere with the way animals look.
Having said that, I'm interested to know how the dogs themselves react to going to a poodle parlour and undergoing such a lot of grooming? Do they seem to enjoy it, tolerate it or dislike it?

alicat9, this is my dog and I'm a groomer. They go with me to work every day and play with the daycare dogs for several hours a day. I try to bathe them about every week or so. The dye is food color, like they dye cake icing with. Standard poodles generally tolerate grooming very well and dogs who are not groomed regularly suffer from matted fur which can create sores, dirty ears, overgrown toenails and eye problems. It is far more cruel to groom a dog infrequently than it is to dye a dog pink. Faith doesn't seem to mind the process at all, although none of my three poodles loves to be bathed. They're a bit like children in that respect.

"Seriously, what motivates a person to go out of their way to comment on something like this?" well seriously I didn't have to go very far out of my way, just a click away from the latest page. I saw a bunch of photos of a pink dog and investigated further. I don't believe I've said anything offensive (if so I apologise), I just think it is wrong to treat a dog as a fashion accessory. Maybe you have other reasons for the pink dye, I don't know. As for "I don't get why a pink dog draws such strong objections." don't you?

parabolichobo, I dyed my first standard poodle pink the day after Katrina struck. I had been wanting to try dying my white dog with food dyes and it was a good day to get away from the computer since there was nothing I could do to help right then. Everyone who saw that bright pink dog smiled and/or laughed. So many people responded positively that I decided we would keep the pink thing going. Occasionally someone reacts like you have but in person they are few and far between.

I am very much NOT a pink fluffy sort of person so having a fancy pink dog is a bit of a walking joke for me. I'm more of a tom boy, drive a truck, work hard and tend to do things myself rather than have them done for me. I agree that a pink dog is ridiculous. That's part of the fun. It isn't harmful to her and she doesn't seem to mind.

I'm not really offended. You weren't rude and I don't mind opposing opinions when they're offered respectfully. I just don't understand why a pink poodle offends people enough on the internet that they criticize people they have never met.

At first I was a wee bit taken aback by her too, but I've gotten used to her being pink now and I think she is adorable. If she doesn't mind, it doesn't hurt her, and it gets a dialogue going with people about how wonderful standard poodles are, or about how regular grooming is a great thing for dogs, then it's a good thing all around, I think.

I know Lupa pretty well, and she cares for her dogs very deeply. She also does dog rescue, giving abandoned dogs a temporary home until a new permanent home for them can be found. Some of them she keeps: Faith, the standard poodle in the picture, is one of those dogs.

I'm assuming, parabolichobo and alicat9, since you CARE SO MUCH about the welfare and dignity of a dog you've only seen a picture of, that you spend a lot of *your* time and effort and money looking after dogs that have been abandoned by their owners? Or otherwise work to make the world a better place through some method more effective than being a killjoy?

I also know Lupa pretty well and can speak to the pink poodles as being something done for fun and happiness: there's no pretension in it. She's probably the least pretentious person I know.

Her first one quite enjoyed it, too. She was an old lady when Lupa took her in and the attention and reactions she got perked the old girl right up.

Along the same lines, if CARE SO MUCH as others have said about the welfare and dignity of dogs are you aware the many cats have additional coloring added to their white or black fur prior to a show? No, probably not.

I was a bit put off the first time I saw on of Lupa's poodles, but now i look forward to seeing the pics when she posts them as I know they are well taken care of.

*I* think she is adorable. And I know she is well loved and cared for, and the dye is safe enough to eat. So what's the big deal? If the dog absolutely hated the attention, I'm sure Lupaloo wouldn't do it.