AbOUT
We use only 100% pet-safe, vegan and cruelty-free, pet-safe formulated products. In fact, they are even FDA approved for use in cosmetic and food products, with ingredients food grade as well!
At Uncanny Animals, we offer a variety of creative & colouring options to suit your pet’s coat and personality, including spray-on, chalk, semi-permanent and permanent dyes.
PROCESS
Colouring is actually one of the most relaxing services we provide! While all our grooming is designed to be as stress-free as possible, the colouring process is particularly calming... it feels a lot like a gentle massage and is easily incorporated into the bath.
Some colours take time to develop, so we simply wrap the hair and spend that time giving your pet cuddles, enrichment or play.
Neverthless, if your pet isn't a fan of grooming or has separation stress, creative colouring may not be recommended, as it involves extended time in the salon.
Creative Grooming Eligibility
To ensure safety, comfort and the best results, creative grooming is only available to pets who have had at least one grooming appointment with us in the last 6 months. This allows our team to assess their temperament, coat condition and overall suitability for the service.
Not all pets are eligible. Some animals may:
✔ Be uncomfortable with longer grooming sessions
✔ Lack the training or exposure needed to remain relaxed during the process
✔ Be too wiggly or excitable to achieve the desired style
✔ Be too shy for the added attention that comes with creative grooming
✔ Have allergies or skin sensitivities (just like with regular shampoos or products, we do not recommend colouring treatments if your pet has known sensitivities)
✔ Have coat types that are not suited to colour or design work
For these reasons, we must complete a standard grooming service first to determine if creative grooming is appropriate for your pet.
Cost
Just like your hairdresser's prices change depending on what you want done, so do your pet's.
To know what to charge we need to consider...
- How many colours you want?
- Is there a pattern or style you want?
- Where do you want it?
- How long is the hair?
- What condition is the hair in?
Prices are calculated on the amount of product needed, the time taken grooming, and the technical skill required.
Please don't hesitate to discuss a quote with us and if you have a budget, let us know and we can tell you what we can do to accomodate it.
Information About Colouring
Colour Vibrancy Varies by Coat Colour – Dye on a white coat appears bright and vivid, like drawing with marker on white paper. On cream or apricot coats, the colour is less vibrant and can pick up yellow tones, similar to drawing with marker on brown cardboard. The lighter the coat, the more vibrant the final result.
Dye Reacts to Base Colour – Dye works more like cellophane than paint, meaning it’s semi-transparent and will blend with the existing coat colour. For example, red over blue fur may appear purple, and blue over yellow fur will likely turn green.
Dark Coats Require Lightening for Dye – Dye won’t show on black or very dark fur unless it is lightened first. Lightening is permanent and lasts the entire hair growth cycle. If you wish to remove it, the fur must grow out, be trimmed, or dyed over. Hair chalk is the only option that works on all coat colours without lightening.
Black Dye Lasts the Longest – Like lightening, black dye is permanent for the full hair cycle and cannot be covered with another colour. The only way to remove it is to let it grow out or trim it off.
Different Coat Types Absorb Dye Differently – Double-coated dogs absorb dye more deeply, meaning the colour lasts much longer than on other breeds, even with semi-permanent dyes. Short-haired, high-shedding coats fade more quickly. On poodle-type coats, semi-permanent dye often lasts until the hair is trimmed rather than fading naturally. If you’d like an estimate of how long the colour will last on your pet’s specific coat, please consult with us before proceeding.
Cats - Cats are able to use semi permanent dyes only
Did you know?
Did you know that your dog's final product will look different to them than it will for you as ogs interpret colour differently to us!
Eyes contain special light catching cells called "cones" that respond to colour. Not only do dogs have fewer cones than humans (making what they see less intense), but they don't have as many different types of cones which are each tuned to different wavelengths of light (meaning they don't have the range of colour vision that humans have.)
This is amusing when considering so many dog toys are red which is difficult for dogs to see! It also means dogs don't react or even notice coloured dye like we do - it's not such a biggie for them!
However, they do understand that it can gain them more attention. If your dog loves pats and attention, this is an easy way to gain some more lovin'.
Will my dog be embarrassed?
Although animals are sentient beings (with emotions like anger, sadness, fear, empathy and happiness), they do not always feel the same emotions as us humans.
Researchers believe that embarrassment, humiliation and shame are uniquely human constructs. Although they serve a purpose for humans, it’s anthropomorphising to say our pets feel the same way.
In fact, assuming our pets feel these emotions can actually be detrimental to understanding them and even caring for them! For example, when an animal has done something we deem to be “naughty” or "silly" they might appear to be embarrassed. Their body language might slump or they might turn their head away. But it’s actually just them responding to our body language and anticipating a reaction from us.
Your dog won’t feel embarrassed if you pick the wrong colour for its eyes, hehe. It will more than likely just feed off the response that other humans give to it (which is often lots of smiles and positive attention!)
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