How to Dye Your Pet

Do you have a plain white dog? What to give him or her a bit of pizzazz for the holidays or for any celebration, but do not want it permanent? You could dress them up in the latest fashion, but some dogs cannot stand having clothes on them or you just cannot find the right size. How about giving them just a bit of color through temporary dyes? It is harmless for your pet and can be made with simple household ingredients. This article offers a safe, non-permanent way to dye your dog's hair that will wash out in four to six baths.

This is a serious reminder to never use hair that is marketed towards humans as the chemicals and toxins used in the product are harmful, if not fatal, to your pet.

To make the dye for your dog, you can use either food safe dye, such as the liquid food coloring that can be found at your local grocery store or unsweetened Kool-Aid. (Source: www.ehow.com/how_2222539_dye-dogs-fur-safely.html) Now that you have the items needed to change your pet's color, there are a few different ways to go about it:

1. A bath. Fill a tub with room temperature water. Put in color until desired tint is achieved. Keep in mind that the final color will be lighter, so it is a better idea to darken the color in the water. If using Kool-Aid it can take anywhere from five to twenty packets. Place your pet into the tub and bathe pet in the colored water. Use a pet brush or comb to make sure that the color makes it to the root. Once pet is colored, dry pet with old towels and keep them there until they are dry or your house will also be colored. You can also keep them on newspaper until they are dry. This works well for small dogs.

2. A spray bottle. Fill bottle with room temperature water and add color until desired tint is achieved, keeping in mind to go a few shades darker. Lay down old towels or newspaper. Spray your pet with color and brush or comb in. Work in small areas and continue until your pet is the color you wish. Again, make sure that your pet is dry before letting them run around the house.

3. Pet conditioner. Purchase a quality pet conditioner. Place a small amount into another bottle; add your color to reach the color you wish to achieve into your conditioner. Wash your pet as normal. Use conditioner and keep on your pet for prescribed time and rinse way.

There are also CTFA (Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association) approved dye gels that are safe for pets even though they carry the same warnings as do human products (i.e. test in small area first). They offer nine colors to choose from. The product cannot be found at your local pet store, but there are two sites that offer the coloring gel - they are, www.poochieheaven.com and www.poshpetglamourboutique.com.