Pampered pooches: A look at some of the more eccentric dog grooming methods.

Most of us are happy to settle for quick wash and a buff dry with a towel for our dogs, however there is increasingly a call for more unusual grooming for pets. This article takes a look at grooming that truly make the mind boggle.

If you have ever looked at people with their pet’s hair clipped into a peculiar style and thought that it was a bit extreme, prepare to be amazed. There is a growing market for the truly spoilt pet that may surprise even the keenest dog fanatic.

People taking their dogs to be groomed can now get far more than a simple wash and clip. In true pampered pooch style they can then have their hair washed and styled using dog gel and hair spray and then dyed in a rainbow array of doggie hair dye.

A trend for ‘creative grooming’ which started in the US is starting to reach the UK where dogs (especially poodles) have their hair cut and dyed to look like other animals. There is a craze for ‘lionizing’ dogs (ie shaving off their hair and leaving them with a mane) but also competitions where dogs are styled to look like peacocks, camels, pandas, dolphins and even mermaids!

To supplement your dog’s new hairdo, online pet supplies stores stock a surprisingly large range of hair clips, tiaras, wigs and even hair extensions in a wide range of colours. Dogs can have also add to their look by having their claws not only trimmed but also painted with a special range of dog nail ‘pawlish’.

To finish the look off, some dogs then have ‘pretend’ diamante earrings pasted on to their ears and a puff of dog perfume to ensure that their pet always smells its best.

If the idea of stick on earrings seems too cheap, a number of online stores stock a range of clip on dog earrings in a range of styles. Taken one step further unfortunately some outlets offer dog ear piercing with tales of one owner asking for only one ear to be pierced as their dog was a boy! At the far extreme there are also dog piercing parlours that pierce nipples, bellies and noses as well as offering dog tattoos (of course if this seems a bit extreme you can always take the temporary tattoos for pets route!).

Finally if you are worried that your dog might suffer from dog breath after eating their (surely designer, organic) dog food then there are several ranges of dog breath mints especially for them. Get them home and you can rest assured that your dog will no longer make do with an ordinary average dog bed- leather and gold all the way!