The dog that's just dyeing to be a tiger: How Chinese
owners turn their pets into exotic wildlife in new
craze.
If this strange creature growled at you, you wouldn't know
whether to run from his sharp claws or pat him on the head and give
him a biscuit.
From a distance, its striped orange and black coat makes it look
like a particularly odd tiger.
But it's actually a retriever, the victim of the latest craze
among some dog owners in China to dye their pets to look like other
animals.
The Chinese are always quick to embrace bizarre trends, and it
is not unusual for owners to take their dogs to grooming parlours
where they are not only given a shampoo and trim, but a
multi-coloured dye job as well.
Bizarre: A pet retriever in China has been dyed by its
owner to resemble a tiger
Today the retriever was joined by
three furry friends whose dye jobs were much more
convincing.
The tiny, fluffy dogs were the
spitting image of baby giant pandas thanks to their
makeovers.
The animals were pictured
after being transferred to Zhenghou from Southwest China's Sichuan
province at the weekend
DoDoggy dye job: These small furry dogs look the spitting
image of baby panda cubs
Transformation: The dog appears unfazed by its new
coat
Recent figures show money spent
on pets across the nation has seen nearly a 500 per cent increase
between 1999 and 2008 - but, arguably, at the cost of their pets'
dignity.
Quite what the animals might
think about it is another matter.
On parade: The dogs were put on show after being transferred to
Zhenghou from Southwest China's Sichuan province
Confused: While some of the dogs didn't appear to be enjoying
themselves, they were a hit with locals