# How do I dye a dog pink? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 10, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821 "2008-04-10T23:33:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/1 "2008-04-10T23:33:29Z")
My friend has a new dog. It is a big, happy mixed-breed husky type. The dog is all white, with with blue eyes. Sooner or later my friend will be on vacation and I will dog sit and take the pup on daily walks. It feel it is my duty to ensue the dog will be happy, healthy and cotton-candy pink. How do I safely make a dog pink? ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/2 "2008-04-10T23:42:36Z")
[QUOTE=conurepete] My friend has a new dog. It is a big, happy mixed-breed husky type. The dog is all white, with with blue eyes. Sooner or later my friend will be on vacation and I will dog sit and take the pup on daily walks. It feel it is my duty to ensue the dog will be happy, healthy and cotton-candy pink. How do I safely make a dog pink? [/QUOTE] Unsweetened Kool-Aid. The red kind. More or less like this: > **[4 Ways to Dye Hair with Kool Aid - wikiHow](https://www.wikihow.com/Dye-Hair-with-Kool-Aid)** > > If you want to experiment with a different hair color but don't want to make a long-term commitment, Kool-Aid might be the perfect solution! All you have to do is combine hot water, hair conditioner, and unsweetened Kool-Aid to create a... But don’t do it in Boulder. [http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/11/boulder-woman-ticketed-dyeing-her-poodle-pink/](http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/11/boulder-woman-ticketed-dyeing-her-poodle-pink/) ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/3 "2008-04-10T23:56:21Z")
As **Tabula Rasa** points out, dyeing animals is actually illegal in some areas in the U.S., so you might want to check that out locally before dyeing the dog. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/4 "2008-04-11T00:02:56Z")
[QUOTE=Tabula Rasa] But don’t do it in Boulder. [http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/11/boulder-woman-ticketed-dyeing-her-poodle-pink/](http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/11/boulder-woman-ticketed-dyeing-her-poodle-pink/) [/QUOTE] Don’t these City Council members have anything important to do? Never mind. If they’re passing ordinances like this, they don’t even have anything _unimportant_ to do: just stupid and invasive. **I would never consider dying my own dog pink, but I will defend your right to do so yourself** as long as you’re not harming the dog. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/5 "2008-04-11T00:04:05Z")
Good Point! Precious is clearly a dog of good character and would not want to be party to anything illegal. Instead, I will investigate odd dog hairstyles. When goofy hairdos are illegal, only outlaws will own poodles ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/6 "2008-04-11T00:05:18Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] As **Tabula Rasa** points out, dyeing animals is actually illegal in some areas in the U.S., so you might want to check that out locally before dyeing the dog. [/QUOTE] if you read the law carefully, that’s unless the animal has already curled up and dyed. i mean died. ---
**Author:** ![slanted\_zipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@slanted\_zipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slanted_zipper)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/7 "2008-04-11T01:29:12Z")
I would go to a reputable animal salon. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/8 "2008-04-11T01:33:29Z")
The woman in Boulder uses beet juice–“and occasionally Kool-Aid”–to dye her poodle pink. In _The Wizard of Oz_, they used Jello powder to color the horses in the Emerald City. [This dog groomers’ forum](http://www.groomers.net/discus/messages/93/31494.html?1138737114) suggests plain ol’ food coloring. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/9 "2008-04-11T01:40:58Z")
My little brother and my first cousin used Kool-Aid to dye my grandmother’s white, yappy small dog pink. No one seemed worse for the wear and the shade of pink was very attractive. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/10 "2008-04-11T01:45:01Z")
My daughter (a former pet groomer) suggests either: a) The Lion cut (leave the head and tail alone and shave the body) 1. If you think poodles look weird with a poodle cut… ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/11 "2008-04-11T01:46:48Z")
I’m going to assume it’s a joke that you want to dye your friend’s (not your own) dog pink. If you haven’t run this by your friend, I find it highly inappropriate. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/12 "2008-04-11T01:49:28Z")
[QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] Don’t these City Council members have anything important to do? Never mind. If they’re passing ordinances like this, they don’t even have anything _unimportant_ to do: just stupid and invasive. **I would never consider dying my own dog pink, but I will defend your right to do so yourself** as long as you’re not harming the dog. [/QUOTE] Good on the council members. Al Capone ended up going down for tax evasion, didn’t he? It’s similar here - this woman gets done under some obscure city ordinance, but we all know the real crime - _having a pink poodle named Cici!_ JeeBUZ, you should be doing twenty years hard porridge chipping rocks fourteen hours a day for that sort of offence against society. Kudos tothe Boulder lawmakers, I say. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/13 "2008-04-11T01:52:33Z")
[QUOTE=monica] I’m going to assume it’s a joke that you want to dye your friend’s (not your own) dog pink. If you haven’t run this by your friend, I find it highly inappropriate. [/QUOTE] I’d second this…I’d be peeved at this, if someone did it without my knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/14 "2008-04-11T01:53:38Z")
[QUOTE=monica] I’m going to assume it’s a joke that you want to dye your friend’s (not your own) dog pink. If you haven’t run this by your friend, I find it highly inappropriate. [/QUOTE] I say it depends on the kind of relationship they have. Some people have friends who would find it funny to come home to a pink dog. The OP is the only one here who can decide this. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/15 "2008-04-11T03:06:13Z")
There was a great thread about dying a cat green. It was a looonnng time ago by … by … by Squirrel, was it? I can’t remember. I think it was the poster who was banned for pretending to have harmed himself on the boards. Or something like that. I mention this because I can’t find it, and have no real idea what to search on. Maybe ‘green’ was in the title. Or was it pussy? Anyone? Great read, and probably had some answers for the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/16 "2008-04-11T03:16:59Z")
Beet juice is very reliable I’m told. And, best of all, it isn’t harmful, and lasts. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/17 "2008-04-11T03:52:17Z")
We have a Dalmatian and I’d laugh my ass of if I came home to find her pink with black spots rather than white. Hmmm. April Fool’s isn’t too soon to plan for next year, is it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/18 "2008-04-11T04:06:23Z")
[QUOTE=monica] I’m going to assume it’s a joke that you want to dye your friend’s (not your own) dog pink. If you haven’t run this by your friend, I find it highly inappropriate. [/QUOTE] Mental note: don’t dye **monica** ’s dog pink without running it past your friend. ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/19 "2008-04-11T04:07:13Z")
I have to say that if my friends dyed my maltese cross pink I would laugh my ass off and take as many pictures as possible. The only downside would be that my fiance wouldn’t be caught dead with a pink dog, but hey, I’m the one who walks her more often. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PuddingCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@PuddingCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PuddingCat)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821/20 "2008-04-11T09:24:01Z")
I agree with the general concensus. If my GF (or somebody who cared about them) dyed my cats pink I’d think it was funny. If it was somebody who didn’t much care for cats did it, I’d be wondering whether the cat was stressed in the process. But somebody who cares for them; I’d know they did it without winding the cat up. And I’d laugh and laugh and laugh… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dye-a-dog-pink/444821.md?page=2)