dog groomers pissing me off

Mobile decorations.

I'm sorry, this is vomit making. Why is this in the NYT? Oh, let me guess, subscriptions off. (You can tell I'm grumpy now.)

I'm still irritated, of course. Mutter, mutter.

Really -


Is this a sign of Recession going into Depression?
Is this a sign of some people in New York trying very hard to get attention?
Is this what happens when all women under forty attempt to wear five inch heels?
Is this what happens when grown women pose pigeon-toed in an attempt to be fetching?
Not to give the men any quarter, is this what happens when guys wear jackets that are two sizes too small?
Yes, they all get dogs with blue ears...

You even have problems with William Wegman?! One of my favorite photographers of all time. <<harumph>>

These trippy, acid dropping groomers aren't in the same league as Wegman!

This isn't right! Nope!! Not at all!

A poor dog has an owner on LSD throw up on it and that is all the sympathy you can muster ? For shame on you...These people need serious therapy and help..

Edit - Just read Czar Stevano and acid...almost a double up...

Perhaps the NYT decided it was a slow news day and they needed to provoke readers with another glimpse of bizarre human practices.

I was sickened when I saw those photos. They call this outrage "canine topiary".

Why, oh why, do they always do such awful humiliating things to poodles?

I think it's time that poodles began fighting back. I know a few who would like to have a chat with those groomers.

man, I see dogs groomed like that and it makes me want to vote republican and invade Grenada, nukes the whales and revoke Obamacare. or, I just don't give a rat's ass how other people groom their dogs. I don't think the dogs care either as long as they get lots of attention.

I think I agree with you dys...

It is ugly...but then - people do it to themselves also...apparently if it can be done it will be done - by someone.

I know, I know, I appreciate Wegman, but part of me doesn't like the dog dressing up even by him, at the same time I thought the photos/dogs were often beautiful, sometimes very touching - especially of Man Ray as the dog aged.

I get dog coats or sweaters in winter, and paw covers in some situations - but the dyeing treatment in this thread article, costume treatment at some other times, irritate me, as you can tell. (grumble)

What's distasteful, apart from the way these poor dogs look, is the fact that they are being treated as inanimate objects by these people and groomed in a way that totally distorts the dog's appearance, in a bizarre manner, for the sole purpose of glorifying the owner.

While the dog may lack self consciousness about the way they look, it's unlikely that they really enjoy the grooming procedure. The dog is required to stand perfectly still on either a grooming table or a floor for hours on end while these people carve and dye the dog's coat. That's extremely hard on the dog's joints and back--it's very unnatural and painful for a dog to stand in one position for such extended lengths of time.

All poodles require some routine brushing and trimming, and some poodles like this and some poodles don't, but they all have to put up with a minimal amount of it because a poodle's hair grows continuously, just as human hair does, and, without frequent brushing, the coat will mat badly. But the dog does not always have to stand for the routine daily brushing, and they generally have to stand no longer than a half hour for a trim every 2 months. Subjecting the dog to having to stand hours on end, to satisfy the crazy whim of a groomer, really is an abuse of the dog.

I really don't care what people do to their own hair. But, as a lover of poodles, as a breed, I am appalled at the deliberate outlandish distortion of the dog's appearance by these people. Not only does the dog wind up looking freakish, their appearance invites ridicule, all for the purpose of drawing attention to the groomer who has created this "artistic masterpiece". Dogs are not inanimate objects, nor are they blank canvases. Living creatures deserve more respectful treatment than this. And poodles are subjected to this sort of human lunacy more often than any other breed of dog.

Amen.

As I alluded to, I find it a kind of strange decadence of the humans.
Not always, as I was once charmed by a photo of a colleague and his dog with faux reindeer antlers on in a holiday card - but most of the time.

We're in agreement on this one, osso.

There's a big difference between putting clothing on a dog (coats, sweaters, boots), which is generally done to protect the dog from the elements, and what these groomers are doing. There's a big difference between putting reindeer antlers, or a santa hat, or a birthday party hat, on a dog for a photo op or for a few minutes of family amusement. Such costumes are removable and are not generally worn by the dog for more than a few minutes. They aren't distorting the dog's appearance for months at a time, until the "artwork" grows out. And the owners who briefly costume their pets this way, generally think it looks cute, they aren't doing it to publicly ridicule the dog.

I don't have a real problem with Wegman. He's not actually doing something to alter the dog's body, or hurt the dog, he's mainly just having it stand or sit long enough for him to get his shot. There is some artistic merit to his photos, and he plays on our tendency to get anthropomorphic about dogs. And many of his photos actually reveal the beauty of the dog.

Even in shots like this one, I don't feel Wegman is ridiculing the dog.

That dog is just standing or sitting behind some props. And I think it's a clever creative concept that really isn't grossly misusing the dog. It's a visual image of the unexpected, and that's what art is about. The dogs in Wegman's photos are only one part of the total composition. And, once Wegman gets his shot, the dog is just as he was before.

Humans do exploit dogs all the time--in circuses, films, commercials, art, photos, etc,. And some might well argue against the use of dogs in all those venues, although most of them also reveal the talent and aptitude of dogs.

But what these crazy groomers are doing to their dogs, is a whole different ballgame.

Funny, it's mostly poodle owners who go for this kind of grooming. Perhaps
someone should assess their mental capabilities.

My groomer gives blueberry facials (only in California). I haven't figured out if it's for the owners or for the pooches. I'll ask the next time Lilly is due for a haircut.

Blueberry facial, I can just see it..

Here's an interview of Bill Wegman that I like -
http://www.utata.org/salon/20500.php
I found it when I was looking for a particular photo of Man Ray when he was older and Wegman tended to cover him more. I didn't find it, but remember now why I did like Wegman, even with my mixed feelings.

I wonder if it is more common amongst female owners than male...perhaps a frustrated desire to play dressup...whatever, it should be against animal cruelty laws.

Are dogs colour blind ?

Fortunately, yes, or at least limited perception.

I understand Sylexadics point that the dog probably appreciates grooming but it takes away any dignity a "civilised" dog may have had left. It looks wierd and humiliating.

My old partner in the cattle rustling and horse thieving business was an old time cowboy born on a ranch in the mountains between Guffy and Cripple Creek Colorado. First time he ever saw a flush toilet was when he joined the army in 1941. He served in WW II in Burma and China with Merrill's Marauders. , He was 6' 2" and weighted about 270 lbs. Wore dungrees with plaid shirts and red suspenders and a Stetson hat. He kept a .270 rifle in his Dodge 1 ton truck and carried a 44 Magnum revolver. His dog was a toy puddle that went everywhere with him be it slopping hogs or butchering a beef in the barn or having a shot of whisky and a beer in the local bar. He had the toy puddle groomed twice a month with all the fru fru and pink ribbons. The dog's name was Dolly. I do think that if anyone made fun of Dolly he would have shot them, probably in the knee-cap.