Bad Hair Day

Dear Dog Lady,

I have a Chinese Crested puppy, Jones, who’s 13 weeks old. My husband has been joking about coloring his crest for a while now. I never knew this would be a bad thing until I started reading online. It seems as if though people have mixed feelings about it. Can it really hurt him to dye his hair? I obviously wouldn't use hair dye for people, but where would I find doggie dye?

Janelle, Kernersville, NC

Janelle, please, don’t go there. Dyeing your puppy’s hair, even with goop supposedly made for canines, does nothing for the dog and may even harm Jones’ skin. Coloring a dog’s hair is a form of abuse, not an expression of love. Dogs are innocents, which makes them vulnerable to human whims and fads. Dog Lady can’t tell you how many queries come in about whether it’s OK to pierce a dog’s ears. The answer is the same as dyeing a dog’s hair: Fuhgeddaboutit. No responsible pet keeper should alter their animal’s natural appearance just for fun.

Posted by Dog Lady at June 16, 2005 11:03 AM