How to Paint a Poodle

Painting poodles is a recent trend that has become increasingly popular in the United States, Canada and Britain. Although coloring a poodle's coat is referred to as "painting," the poodle is not exposed to toxic chemicals such as paint or human hair dye. When you "paint" your poodle you dye the coat with concentrated vegetable coloring, chalk, unsweetened Kool-Aid and/or a combination of these, which washes out over a period of time. It is common to seek a dog groomer to perform this task. The reasoning behind this is that dog groomers are practiced, professional and experienced. When "painting"/dyeing a poodle, it is imperative that none of the coloring substance go around or into the dog's eyes.

Things You'll Need

  • Coloring substance
  • Water
  • Bowl
  • Sponge
  • Brush
  • Hair dryer
  • Latex gloves
  • Plastic drop cloth
  • Cotton balls
  • Cotton swab
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill a large bowl with water that is a bit warmer than room temperature. Use a separate bowl and water for each color that you are dying your poodle.

    • 2

      Drop three to five drops of food coloring (or 1 to 2 packs of Kool-Aid or 1 to 2 sticks of chalk) into the lukewarm water. Look to see after the color/Kool-Aid/chalk has mixed with the water if it is the desired color. Add further color/Kool-Aid/chalk if you wish for the dye to be darker or more vibrant. Drop only two drops/half a Kool-Aid packet/a stick of chalk at a time when darkening the dye, as the color quickly changes.

    • 3

      Brush the fur of your poodle to ensure that the fur does not have knots. Alternatively, have your poodle groomed so the fur is shaped and the correct length before you start the dying process.

    • 4

      Cover your hands with latex gloves and cover your workplace with a plastic drop cloth to avoid staining. Dab the sponge in the colored water and pat the fur that you desire to have dyed that color, starting with the head and ending with the tail. Continue sponging the area until the fur is thoroughly dyed. If multiple colors are being used, assign a designated space for each individual color.

    • 5

      Leave the dye solution on the coat for forty-five minutes. Then rinse the coat with water and towel dry.

    • 6

      Blow dry the poodle's fur, enabling the color to set. Contain the dog to one particular area until its fur is dry to ensure that the coloring substance does not get on the carpet or furniture.