Best in Something

March 22, 2014 6:53 AM

Dogs Gone Wild: Photos of ‘Creative’ Fur Styles at A New Jersey Dog Grooming Competition
posted by Going To Maine (18 comments total)

Oh! Should have credited: via the Dish.
posted by Going To Maine at 6:54 AM on March 22, 2014

And to beef it up a little: a video of some preparation from Intergroom, the competition from whence the photos came.
posted by Going To Maine at 6:59 AM on March 22, 2014

(Clearly, this could have become become a much bigger, much more thoroughly researched post. Something for the future. Ok, done threadsitting.)
posted by Going To Maine at 7:00 AM on March 22, 2014

Wow, perhaps some editorial photo choice skew, but just wow what bad taste. All the doggies are laughing at the goofy one over there. Good that dogs don't grasp how mirrors work or there'd be a rash of tragic dog under bus stories.
posted by sammyo at 7:22 AM on March 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

Magnificent, dignified beasts, all of them.
posted by hydrophonic at 7:29 AM on March 22, 2014 [2 favorites]

I am somewhat aghast.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:39 AM on March 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

mirror test
posted by bukvich at 7:39 AM on March 22, 2014

Poor dogs. I wish people would spend half what they spend on this nonsense helping out shelter dogs who really need it. Go dress up a human if you're that bored.

Our local shelter just had a telethon on the NBC affiliate. They showed a dog who'd just been rescued. A dog who should have weighed about 60 lbs weighing 20, with his collar hanging off his neck. He'd been left locked up in an apartment for weeks.

(I hope they find who did it and have a second telethon where you can call in and bid money on how many whacks you get to give the perpetrator with a bat).

I can shake off a lot of terrible images, but that one is sticking pretty thoroughly in my head right now. How can you spend thousands of dollars competing in something this stupid knowing that animals in real need are out there?

Ugh, sometimes I hate humans.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:43 AM on March 22, 2014 [9 favorites]

By that argument no one should be doing anything fun?

As long as these are calm dogs who enjoy being groomed and love the attention, I'm fine with people playing around this way. Unlike cats, dogs have very little inherent dignity, so even if they could see themselves in the mirror they might not mind all that much.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:52 AM on March 22, 2014 [3 favorites]

...dogs have very little inherent dignity

We disagree.

That said, Dip Flash, you're invited to stop by, me and the pup have some haircut and fashion ideas for ya! :)
posted by HuronBob at 8:31 AM on March 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'd take this over "cake" decorating competitions that cover a small amount of cake with a huge pile of stuff that is technically edible but nobody would want to eat. I couldn't quite figure out what some of them were supposed to be (a sea turtle climbing onto... what?), but they were fun to look at. I was impressed how much that one looked like a real Disney character.
posted by vytae at 8:51 AM on March 22, 2014

Oh my god! because... yes!

I wish people would spend half what they spend on this nonsense helping out shelter dogs who really need it.

I know for a fact that they do.
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 9:04 AM on March 22, 2014 [2 favorites]

Vytae - the dog with the turtle on it - I think the dog is supposed to be a seahorse. I don't know how to word that. The dog's head is a seahorse head, then there's some water and a turtle...
posted by artychoke at 9:07 AM on March 22, 2014 [2 favorites]

Our local shelter just had a telethon on the NBC affiliate. They showed a dog who'd just been rescued. A dog who should have weighed about 60 lbs weighing 20, with his collar hanging off his neck. He'd been left locked up in an apartment for weeks.

Here's the thing though -- these overgroomed dogs are pretty much the opposite of a neglected rescue.

I know lots of dogs wouldn't be into it, but is it totally beyond belief that some of these pups like all the touching and grooming and general attention and love that they are getting from their humans?

And as for the "waste" of money -- there are lots of ways that all of us could change our lifestyles so that we could do more to help the less fortunate, but no one is perfect. If this (really silly) hobby makes these humans happy and doesn't hurt the dogs (I skimmed, I don't know how these groomers feel about tail/ear cropping and the like), then more power to them.
posted by sparklemotion at 9:24 AM on March 22, 2014 [2 favorites]

I think it'd be a lot more interesting if the competition was all about the cut and styling, and artificial colouring (except maybe solid monochrome) was banned.

That dog on the book cover is awesome. The rest are... unfortunate.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:33 AM on March 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

Guys. I used to groom dogs and cats. A huge majority of groomers do a ton of work with/for rescues. I spent my first year working at a grooming shop that was also a rescue.

Some dogs and cats really do enjoy the grooming experience. I had a persian cat that would run over and hop into the grooming tub and just sit there while I bathed him. He also really enjoyed the high velocity dryer.

Having said all that...a lot of the groomers who do this kind of creative grooming are balls to the wall fucknut insane.

I walked away from grooming because crazypants people (industry side, not customers) and because you can't escape the scent of dog pee when you're around dogs that much.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 12:29 PM on March 22, 2014 [7 favorites]

I love this idea, but abhor this execution.
posted by oceanjesse at 11:38 AM on March 23, 2014

aaaw, sweet about that cat, fluffy battle kitten. Some cats just adore warm baths. Though none of mine have ever made friends with the hairdryer. Nu-uh. That's just not on.

These dogs though, how tacky-wacky.
posted by dabitch at 10:55 PM on March 23, 2014