# Color fun with my Havanese



## sgeorge

Looks like he has little blue booties on! Such a sweetie.


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## Freckles

Very cute and so appropriate for spring! My Crestie usually rocks some colored bits in her hair, Louis is making me feel it's about time for a redo.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle

Adorable!!


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## PammiPoodle

How cute! Is this your first color job? If so, what a coincidence - my first time I also gave my dog blue feet and a blue tail! Great minds think alike. ; ) What products/method did you use, btw?


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## tokipoke

PammiPoodle said:


> How cute! Is this your first color job? If so, what a coincidence - my first time I also gave my dog blue feet and a blue tail! Great minds think alike. ; ) What products/method did you use, btw?


This is Louis's first color job. He was great with it! I've colored Leroy several times. I typically like to color Leroy's pom poms when he has them, his tail, and I colored his rosettes when he was in a CC - then I shaped the rosettes into hearts.

I always color "dirty" hair - as in, I don't wash the hair, dry, then color. Although I've heard some conflicting info on what should be done. Some people say that the clean hair will hold the color better because you strip the oils... and others say that you need the oils to help the color. I just apply the color before the bath to save myself a step of having to bathe and dry again if I were to color clean hair. I used Manic Panic on Louis; I've only used that product and have had great results with it. It does fade faster on dog hair, especially if the hair gets wet all the time (like feet when it's always raining here!) - but better than the temporary colors. I don't mind how it fades because then I can try other colors faster.

I work the color onto the spots I want colored, then wrap in foil and wait 20-30 minutes. Wash out, bathe, and blowdry. I do wonder - how did you manage not to get the dye in Lumi's eyes? And how did you prevent her from licking the color around her mouth? The part about the coloring I hate is the waiting. The dog looks so pathetic covered in foil and gives you this look like "What the hell are you doing, woman?" I feel bad I can't explain to them what I'm doing and to make it worse I keep making them stand lol.


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## PammiPoodle

Leroy was in a CC?! I want to see! I'll have to search your old threads to find a picture. If you haven't posted one, you now know your assignment! ; ) 

I've always colored hair as fresh after the bath as possible. Chalk I'll do any time - I even used to color Simba's eyebrows each day, whatever color we were in the mood for! : P But I've always applied dye or food coloring to a clean wet/damp coat. I can't imagine working the dye into a dry coat! How do you do that? It takes me around 10-15 minutes to "paint" Lumi with the dye, and that's while she's still in the tub and damp from her bath! Actually, it's a bit of a problem, because even though I left it on for the full 30 minutes after I applied the last bit of dye, the areas I started with came out darker than the areas I finished with. I need to learn to apply the dye faster! Do you use a brush or just mush it in with your hands? I just used gloves and smeared it into her coat the first time (green), and I used a brush the second time. I liked the brush method much better! Here's the type I mean, it's at the bottom of the pic.










I used that same brush to get close to Lumi eyes/mouth nose. I just brushed the hair away from her eyes and with each stroke I'd go a little closer, until I didn't feel brave enough to get any closer! I might use a toothbrush next time, it just seems like it would give me even better control in such small areas. Lumi sits very still when I hold her face. I only got as close as the pic below shows, and thought she was just going to have white gogles and that was good enough. But once she was done, the color went right to the roots!! I wonder if it was wicking down the hair shaft while she soaked?










I was watching her eyes very closely to make sure her topknot didn't fall into them, but otherwise I didn't notice if the dye "traveled". The first time I dyed her, I didn't even *try* to get close! I was also using my hands that time, and the brush let me be much more precise. I chalked her tk after the bath, but I still didn't even try to get close on her face!










While she's soaking (which I agree is the hardest part!) I feed her treats, pb, biscuits, etc. - sometimes stuffed in bones. I basically become a vending machine. Lumi's not very happy, but she enjoys her snack time, so it can't be that bad! She's probably cold, though! As far as licking it off, she did more of that the first time. She was also less happy the first time. I think she does it because she's bored/uncomfortable, and well, her mouth is covered with stuff! I just tried to keep her busy and distracted, and fed her constantly. : P I used to let Simba run around outside while he soaked, but Lumi's so little I think half, if not all, of her legs would rub off in the grass! Since we've only done all over color (on her body) she can sit or stand or do what she wants. She just sort of cower-stands the whole time. If I ask for a sit, she lowers her haunches a little, but not all the way. I think she feels icky. : P I just tell her she's going to be SO pretty and everyone will love her more! Then I give her a cookie. I actually recorded her soaking both times so that I can one day make a video for those who think it's "torture"! : P

Btw, here's Simba's first color, we used chalk!


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## tokipoke

Simba with the chalk is so cute! I love the airbrushed effect. Hmm, I never thought to bathe the dog, then apply the color on clean hair while still WET! I don't know why. I guess I color my dogs the way I'd do my hair out of a box - just put it on day old dry hair. With Leroy I wore gloves and mushed the dye onto his hair. With Louis, I was already set up for everything but forgot the gloves. I just used my bare hands and spread it through his hair. I kept the top part of his legs away from the bottom part by separating with foil, but I'm sure vet tape would work better. The dye doesn't even burn my skin or anything so I know it's safe on the dog's skin. I washed my hands and they were tinged blue. By the time I got done bathing Louis, my hands were clean except around my nail beds, but that went away the next day.

I thought about coloring ALL of Leroy but that'd be a lot of Manic Panic!

Here's Leroy's CC: http://www.poodleforum.com/9-poodle-grooming/16207-leroys-continental-clip.html
Leroy in a Miami: http://www.poodleforum.com/9-poodle-grooming/16402-leroy-miami-new-tk.html

I tried to find the posts about Leroy's other colors, but couldn't find them!


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## PammiPoodle

Thank you! : ) That was our first dye job and became our go-to style for holidays/events. Green for St. Pat's, multi-color for Easter.

I got a few smudges of Lumi's pink dye on my arms while dying her, and it stained me for a few days! I don't know how you got away with it without gloves! 

Leroy looks so great in all his cuts and colors! When I did all of Simba with Manic Panic it took either 2 or 3 containers. And he had a THICK coat, and about 2 to 3 inches long on his mantle, back, and tail. So, unless you dye Leroy while he's in full coat, it may be more doable than you think! : )


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