To Dye For : Has Fifi Ever Looked So Chichi?

The mutt looked like your average run-of-the-mill miniature poodle as it padded into the Costa Mesa shop where they groom dogs. It was white, it was tiny and it was sort of cute, if you like dogs that way.

But when it came out not too much later, the dog looked like the canine version of Mr. T. Not quite as pretty, of course, considering what had been done to it. But there was a similarity there, obvious to even the most uninquisitive spectator.

For one thing, the dog named Charlie had a Mohawk cut. Shades of Brian Bosworth (and Mr. T)! But the capper was the new color of the top of the dog’s pointy head. Purple. Not royal purple, actually. More on the lavender side. Why purple? To match the leash around Charlie’s neck.

“It looks weird,” said Jennifer Sexton, partner in Happy Grooming in Costa Mesa. “When he leaves, we’re always kind of hoping no one sees him.”

Even Charlie’s owner, Aina Bisbee, called the result “really ugly.” But there’s a reason she likes Charlie in a Mohawk, she said: “Because we have a pit bull and he (Charlie) has to look tough, too.”

The cuts and colors offered to Dobermans and Labradors, shepherds and spaniels may not be as extreme as Charlie’s, but bathing and trimming, brushing and perfuming canines are a big business.

Many dog owners prefer not to do the necessary washing, shampooing, drying and assorted other chores, and some of them, pet store owners say, go the whole nine yards by asking groomers to give their animals pedicures as well, and maybe attach ribbons to their ears or tint them in various colors.

And as long as the mutt is washed and beribboned, why not increase the sartorial splendor with a T-shirt, sweater, bow tie or beanie? Hey, it happens. There really are dogs out there dressed like that.

Actually, the basic grooming helps a dog not only to look better but to feel better and be healthier, according to veterinarians. Bathing a dog gets rid of fleas and can stop skin problems. Clipping the hair removes matted hair and cools off a canine in the summer.

Westminster resident Lori Balara said grooming improves her two toy Shelties’ smell and “makes them look so pretty.” Balara said she spends more money on her pets than on herself, paying $20 a week to have her two dogs groomed.

The basic grooming costs from $9 to $20 in most cases, including shampoo and flea bath, cutting off matted hair, brushing and drying the dog. With a clip, the price can go up to $60 for a large dog. Long-haired dogs generally need clipping every four to six weeks.

For each breed of dog, there is a standard clip. For poodles, there are oodles: There is a clown clip, a town clip, a country clip and the lion and lamb clips. The latter two are named after the animals the poodle is supposed to look like.

How do dogs react to all this falderal?

Bob Richardson, owner of Mister Pet in Fountain Valley, said about half the dogs he grooms bound happily into his shop, wagging their tails in what some believe is anticipation of the fuss their owners will make over them afterward.

The other half make no bones about their indignation. “As soon as they get to the door, they put on their brakes,” Richardson said.

Most groomers say they have been bitten at least once.

But though they may resent it, most dogs endure such primping as having their toenails painted. Quick-drying dog nail polish comes in about 30 shades, including the ever-popular red.

Groomer Diana Henry, owner of VIP Kennel in Santa Ana, colors dogs’ entire coats and decorates their cheeks with makeup and face paint for special occasions.

In one case, Henry tinted a white poodle’s body orange and its topknot green for Halloween. For July 4, she colored a dog red, white and blue and cut stars into its coat.

Henry has used spray hair tints usually found on human heads on a dog, as well as eye shadow, blushing powder and glittery face paint that leaves a dog with a rainbow or another design on its face.

Her charge for these decorations--which occasionally show up on her own white poodles--is about $20.

“A lot of people think, ‘Oh, my God, why would you do that to your dog?’ ” Henry said. “But I think it’s fun.”

Henry and other groomers routinely attach ribbons, fashioned into bows or rosettes, atop dogs’ ears. Ribbons come in floral prints and plaids, and in colors and designs to mark holidays. Still, no matter how good dogs look, something is lost if they smell like they just fought with a skunk or rolled in a sewer. Thus, perfume.

“We ask what kind of perfume the owner wears and put it on their dog,” said Catrina Stover, groomer at the Pet Place in Westminster. The Rodeo Drive Fragrance Collection puts out a popular line of scents for dogs that resemble Opium, Giorgio and Chanel No. 5.

After groomers sweeten the smell of a dog’s coat, it is up to the owners to do the same for its breath. Pet shops sell dog mouthwash, tooth brushes and tooth paste, plus food supplements that reduce canine halitosis.

When it comes to canine couture, the most popular items are sweaters, which come in various nautical, argyle and tuxedo patterns and cost up to $30 apiece. Other owners dress their pets in T-shirts and beanies, raincoats and rubber boots. Suede and rhinestone-studded collars go for as much as $20 each. Collars can be hidden beneath camouflage- and bandanna-patterned bow ties.

Of course, fashion is an ever-changing thing, and this year’s new items include stone-wash denim jackets and jogging suits.

Fountain Valley resident Sandy Morton said she has ordered jogging suits for her two Shih Tzus so their long hair will not ball up when she takes them to the snow.

Other dog owners choose clothes for their looks.

Marilee Wooster, manager of Pat’s Pets in Orange, said customers buy tartans for Scottish terriers and green sweaters for Irish setters to set off their red coats.

Some owners coordinate the pet’s clothes with their own.

“I have a lot of people who buy something if it matches their sweater,” said Joanne Strotjost, manager of the Petcare Co. in Newport Beach.

Tammy McEachern picks the clothes of her cockapoo, Marty, to match the decor of her Fountain Valley home--as much as possible.

The home is decorated in hunter green and beige, so McEachern bought the cockapoo a sweater in emerald green and white--the closest color coordination she could find--and a hunter green bow tie. She also has hunter green and beige ribbons affixed to the dog’s ears.

“I guess I like everything to match,” McEachern explained.

Free-lance writer Sylvia Townsend has contributed previously to Orange County Life.