Trying to copy latest fad, man dyes entire pooch in lurid hot pink instead of original plan of few soft pink patches. The natural fruit juice is easily washed out with water and poses no harm to dogs, making it popular among pet owners in China. — SCMP
A man in China trying to copy an online fad for dyeing white dogs soft pink with red dragon fruit juice accidentally dyed his pooch hot pink and became a joke meme on mainland social media with his spectacular failure.
The dog dye trend involves pet owners using freshly squeezed red dragon fruit juice to add a light pink hue to selected areas on their pets’ ears or tails, then sharing the resulting eye-catching contrast with their white fur online.
The natural fruit juice is easily washed out with water and poses no harm to the dogs, making it popular among pet owners in China with many sharing videos, pictures and tips online.
On Sept 8, the man who goes by the username, Bichon Eighteen, on Douyin shared a video of the comical outcome of his failed dog-dyeing attempt.
The video opens ordinarily enough with the man using a juicer to extract juice from red dragon fruit and then pouring the resulting pink liquid into a bottle.
However, when the video cuts to the reveal of his attempt at dyeing his white Bichon Frise, viewers see the pooch has been dyed a startling hot pink colour from head to toe.
He explained: “Initially, I just wanted to dye her head, but she wouldn’t stay still and made the dye go everywhere.”
Despite his failure, the man good-naturedly shared the steps he took in the comments on his video post to help other dog owners avoid the same fate.
“Step one, start with fresh dragon fruit juice. If you want a deeper colour, don’t dilute it with water. Store the juice in a bottle for later use.”
“Step two, wash your furbaby. If you’re only dyeing the ears, just wash the ears. Step three, put a plastic bag on the dog’s body and apply the dye to the chosen area. Then cover the area with another bag after dyeing.”
He also emphasised the importance of not washing the dog immediately after dyeing, as it can cause the colour to fade quickly.
The video has caused considerable amusement online in China, with 385,000 likes and 178,000 comments at the time of writing.
One person commented: “I can’t stop laughing, folks. I showed this to my mum on the train, and she asked me if it was a donkey.”
Another online observer joked: “You dyed your dog like this and still wanted to provide a tutorial!”
However, the determined dog owner wasn’t ready to give up after his first attempt went “pink-shaped”.
The day after he posted the botched job video, he posted another showing his second attempt, stating: “The last time I dyed my dog with dragon fruit juice, it was somewhat of a failure. So, I’m trying again.”
In the new video, he said he added water to create a lighter shade of pink. He also used a plastic bag to cover the dog’s entire body during the dyeing process to prevent the colour from spreading to unwanted areas.
The result was more in keeping with the trend’s intended outcome, with his pet Bichon Frise sporting a soft pink-tinted tail and ears. – South China Morning Post
