Taking your dog for a grooming session is like spinning the wheel of fortune. You think you know what you’re gonna see when you come pick the little furry boi or gurl up, but that’s not always how it works.
You see, in times of worldwide social isolation and our best efforts to stay home, our beloved pets haven’t had a decent wash and cut in ages. Many have grown their fur way beyond their recognizable selves, and given the first opportunity, no owner would wait any longer to take them to the grooming salon.
After the session is over, things have changed, literally. According to people on social media, their dogs are not only unrecognizable, they’re literally different dogs. Can you go from being a proud parent to a cocker spaniel with luscious locks to a cute short-haired beagle in less than an hour? Yes, you can. Is there a conspiracy that groomers around the world have been mixing up doggos and handing their owners the wrong ones? You could call it that.
Let’s see it to believe it in the most hilarious post-haircut ‘not my dog’ moments shared by confused owners and hand-selected by Bored Panda for an ultimate cuteness overload.
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My Dog Got A Haircut, And Now It Looks Like He Gave Up Drinking
This Is The Same Dog. My Friend Adopted Her After She Just Showed Up On Her Porch. I Groomed Her And Made Her Brand New Babe Feeling So Fresh And Clean
She had to have all her teeth removed, she had a giant sore on her leg and under her tail and she was a giant matted mess.
My Sweet Girl Cheech Is 15 Years Old. After Her Haircuts, Everyone Always Thinks She’s A Puppy
To find out more about the art of dog grooming, Bored Panda reached out to Lindsey Patton, an Indiana-based professional pet groomer with 17 years of experience. Lindsey is also a member of the International Professional Groomers Inc. and the National Dog Groomer’s Association of America. She said her “commitment and passion for my job has allowed me to assemble a loyal and steadfast client base,” and you can see some of her recent dog transformations on her Instagram account.
Lindsey explained that a good groom is always the result of the groomer and owner working as a team. “As a pet owner, acclimate and desensitize your dog (or cat!) to every possible scenario they might encounter during the grooming process.”Imagine that during the grooming session, “as professionals, our hands literally cover every square inch of your pet’s body… oftentimes more so than your veterinarian does during a routine health exam!”
And according to Lindsey, it’s the owner’s responsibility to normalize these activities to your pet at home. In fact, “the more your pet is exposed to prior to visiting the grooming salon, the more comfortable and confident they will be in a proficient salon setting,” the expert groomer explained.
That's A Different Dog
We Rescued A Maltese From A Puppy Mill In Georgia That Got Busted With Over 700 Dogs This Weekend. After 3 Hours Of Cutting Matted Hair And Bathing, Here Is Luna’s Before And After
New Haircut, Same Smile
When it comes to dramatic pet transformations, Lindsey said that in some of the most dramatic cases she’s dealt with in her career, some dogs and cats have truly looked unrecognizable.
In cases when “the extensive matting requires them to be 'stripped' down with a very close clipper blade to safely & humanely remove a badly felted coat, we are just as shocked as the owner when we fully reveal the end result.”
However, Lindsey assured owners that “never should a professional groomer put an animal through torturous hours of de-matting just to appease a demanding human customer... Or, worse yet, for monetary gain by charging additional fees for de-matting services.”
From Shaggy To Happy. Total Transformation
My Friend Had To Triple Check With The Groomer To Make Sure He Was Bringing Home The Right Dog
It's 32°C Degrees (90°F) Outside, So My Dog, One-Eyed Snuggles, Needed A Groomer
On other occasions, owners may be stunned not only because of an extreme case of matting, but also because of a misunderstanding of the owner’s instructions for a hairstyle. It can indeed result in “a total alteration of breed character.”
“For example, certain breeds known for their distinct traits—such as a Schnauzer's eyebrows and beard or a Poodle's trademark topknot and tail pom—look starkly different when these characteristics are taken away.”
Having said that, Lindsey said that pet owners must be willing to accept the fact that it’s not the hairdo that makes their dog who he is. “Whether their pet is meticulously coiffed or shaved down to his birthday suit, he is still the same animal who casts no judgment and loves unconditionally,” the groomer concluded.
My Puppy Otis Got His First Haircut. I'm Not Sure They Gave Me Back The Same Dog
Our 9-Year-Old Goldendoodle Got Her First Grooming Since Quarantine. Our Other Dog Barked At Her When She Came Home
My Boy, Before And After Going To The Groomer. Went From Dirty Biker To Innocent Preacher's Kid
Life Lesson Learned. Be Very Specific When Explaining How You Want Your Dog Be Groomed. Dropped Off A Shihtzu, Picked Up A Llama
Fired My Groomer Today
He Looked Like The Squirrel From Ice Age
Took Doggo To A Groomer. Got A Different Doggo Back
My Pupper After I Adopted Him, And After I Had Him Groomed
Oliver, Our 8-Month-Old English Sheepdog (Bobtail) Shed His Puppy Coat At The Groomers. I Didn't Recognize Him At First
My Good Boy Got His Summer Haircut
This kind of haircut is bad for poms' fur., it grows back unevenly (or might not grow back at all) and doesn't look as good. Their fur is also a thermal insulator, so it keeps them warm in the winter and cold in the summer. Cutting it really short will cause them to overeat more easily and they might get sunburned. Don't do it unless absolutely necessary, like for a medical reason. There are other ways to help them cool down.
What A Difference A Haircut Can Make
Aaaaw that is sooo cute! Can I boop the little nose and take him/her home?? 😄
Pretty Sure We Picked Up The Wrong Dog At The Groomer's
Raggamuffin To Stud Muffin. Quite The Transformation At The Groomer Today
My Dog Before And After A Haircut
First-Ever Big Boy Haircut
What A Difference A Haircut Makes. Latest Fosters 13-Year-Old Vileda And 10-Year-Old Swiffer
From Puppy To Dog In One Haircut
She’s Adorable
My Dog Courage Before And After Grooming
Willie Had His First Haircut Today. I Think I Brought Home The Wrong Puppy
To The Guy Whose Dog Got A Haircut, I Present My Dog
The Difference One Haircut Can Make
Bagby
From Chicken Nugget To Barbie's Dog
THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is a real groomer's work! Excellent performed! (I also like the natural look.)
Before And After Grooming. Did We Bring Home The Wrong Dog
We Got A Puppy. His Name Is Picasso. He Got His First Haircut Today. He’s 3 Months Old
Still Not Convinced The Groomer Gave Us The Right Doggo
Our Puppy Got A Haircut (She Had Matts) My Fiance Isn't A Fan. What Do You Think?
I Literally Took My Baby To Go Get Groomed Because His Hair Was Getting Longer And Look I'm Crying
Took Him To A New Groomer
I Think The Groomer Gave Me Back The Wrong Dog
It Was This Little Girl’s First Time Being Groomed And She Was An Absolute Angel
Gave My Ten-Year-Old Boy A Haircut And Now He Looks Like A Puppy Again
Took My Dog For A Haircut And I Think They Gave Me A Different One Back
I Present You This
My Dogs Had A Run In With A Bad Groomer
Gave Our Puppy His First Real Haircut. Wasn't Sure If We Brought Home The Right Dog Or Not
Senior Doggo Teddy That We Rescued From Animal Control. He Went To The Groomers Today And Looks Totally Different
My Dog, Thor Got A Haircut For The Summer Heat. Looks Like A Totally Different Dog
Our Pup Got A Haircut And We Are Still Doubting Ourselves If I Picked Up The Right Dog
Derpy Dog Needed A Haircut, So I Gave Him One
My BF's Dog’s Transformation. It Was Drastic. I Had No Idea Who He Was When I Got Home. His Hair After About A Month And A Half Since Grooming Looks Good
I was mad at first but realized now he can’t go back to looking homeless like that again
It Actually Helped Him
Tell Them Puppy Face! This Was My Puppy’s First Haircut And I Had No Idea What To Expect. Puppy Face Or Teddy Bear Cut
I Took My Puppy To Get Groomed This Morning. I Hope I Brought Back The Right Dog
No mistaking this guy's face, he's very distinguished with his beard!
My 13-Year-Old Dog Archie Before And After Having Visited The Groomer (He Hasn't Been Since October). He's Practically A New Dog
Andy Before And After A Trip To The Groomer. I Don’t Think I’ll Be Getting Him Trimmed Quite So Short Next Time. I Can’t Get Over How Different He Looks
I Rather Keep Him Fluffy. They Cut His Fur Every Time
When Your Dog Goes Into The Groomer As Appa And Returns As Falkor
Much better than the one with the show cut further up. Looks like a dog that can actually BE a dog. Although admittedly for mine being a dog consists mainly of sleeping.
My Diamond Always Looks Like That After The Cut Her
Finally Got An Appointment With The Groomer And Now Bob Has Been Dechonked
Puppy's First Haircut. She Transformed Into A Whole New Dog
I Had To Cut His Hair. He Looks Like A Whole Different Dog
He Looks Like A Pokemon
Billy Came Home From The Groomers A Completely Different Doggy
Wesley Is Looking Dapper After His Man-Glam Makeover With Talia
I'm Not Convinced It's The Same Dog
I Gave Them One Dog, They Returned Another. I Had To Put A Shirt On Him Cause He Was Self Conscious
Or he might have been cold... They took clippers to his insulation, remember.
I Think The Groomer Gave Me The Wrong Dog
Princess
Why the freaky shorn feet and toecaps? Just trim between the toes and clip the nails.
This Dog
Is It The Same Dog?
I Was Like I Took Jonathan Firulais And They Only Gave Me Back Firulais. I Wanted Him To Keep His Teddy Bear Cut And Just Be Reshaped. They Gave Me A Whole New Dog
My Dog Got A Very Bad Haircut A Few Years Ago, We Never Took Her Back To Those Groomers Again. They Literally Shaved My Girl Bald
Before And After Going To A Very Bad Groomer
Took Otis To The Groomer. Still Not Convinced I Picked Up The Right Dog
This Is What Happens When You Can't Get A Groomer For Over 6 Months. Poor Guy And His Matting Left Them No Choice
No need to let them go matted. You can brush or comb a dog, if needed.
Lillie Groomed By Lauren
Took Away All His Fur
Our 5 Month Old Puppy Jason Got His First Haircut
They Definitely Played With My Baby. They Made Her Look Like A Little Boy, They Could Have At Least Give Her A Bow, But They Sent Her Back With A Lil Bandanna
I nearly cried when my mom brought her back home
There are way too many dogs on this list who have naturally long hair but have been shaved like sheep. I feel sorry for them, they do not have any other prorection against rain, sun or even scratches from sticks or other dogs teeth (when they play bite). Why do people do this to their dogs?
I will never understand why people buy beautiful long-hair dogs like Pomeranians, and then give them an ugly short cut. It does nothing but damage.
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Dogs need their coats to be tended to, brushed and a good grooming certainly won't hurt. A professional groomer gives them the kind of care their coat needs, unprofessional shaves them like a sheep and takes your money for it.
If people would brush their dogs every few days, groomers wouldn't have to shave them to nothing! It's part of proper pet care, bonding and health for the dog. The breed specific cuts are what groomers would rather be doing, believe me. But no, we have to take down your lack of care to save the dog.
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What's with all the poor shaved dogs? Brush your dog regularly and it won't get matted so easily. Keep your dog at a healthy weight to help it deal with the summer heat - shaving is NOT going to help much because dogs can't sweat.
Dogs sweat through their paws and tongues - they also sweat through their skin, just not as much.
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Love all dogs, but except for a few rescues where the extreme grooming was most definitely needed, I tend to prefer the before pics
Most of these examples are terrible grooming jobs!!! Tehre is only a handful of breeds that you can actually shear. And any dog with an undercoat is NOT one of them! Brush you dogs, people!!! Trim the few bits of too long hair yourself. Neglecting your dog's fur out of sheer lazyness and tehn have it all cut off compeltely is lazy af and really bad for the og in the long run. After everal years of this, they have this puppy like soft down instead of proper fur are hot in the summer and cold in winter and look terrible.
There's way too much anthropomorphising going on here. People say a dog looks "happier" because it is panting, but that's just because a pant looks a bit like a smile. Panting may not be a sign of happiness though.
I would seriously avoid some of the 'groomers' on here! No respect for the dog...they've just shavec them!
Those dogs are adorable, but are much better when cut, rather than shaved. 🐶
I understand the people mad about the over-groomed dogs, but sometimes long haired dogs do need to be trimmed. We had one that needed regular hair cuts because food would get stuck in his beard, his paws would get matted, and poo would get stuck in his hind area. He definitely needed trims for hygienic reasons.
Funny story, my brother-in-law was sent to pick up Muffin, their blind 17 year old buff cocker spaniel from the groomer. He brought home a buff cocker, but definitely not theirs, as this one was at least a decade younger and not blind. Yup, sure enough, the groomer realized the mistake also when the other family showed up and were given poor blind Muffin. To be fair, Muffin kept her puppy-good-looks for her 18+ years
Everyone of these dogs looked better BEFORE they were groomed😔
I don't understand. If you don't want a dog that has long hair, curly hair, long curly hair WHY DID YOU GET ONE IN THE FIRST PLACE?! Why aren't you brushing your dog regularly so its hair doesn't get matted, why don't you bath your dog when it gets dirty and why are you trying to turn them into anime cartoon characters?
This is really making me think I should probably go get my own hair cut
That wasn't really pleasant. I feel for the dogs. They have fur/hair that needs to be taken care of then they shouldn't be shaved!
Yes, many of these dogs look grossly undergroomed and half blind from obstructing fur. Yes it is cute before & after, but negligent :/
Some dog breeds, such as poodles and poodle crosses, have hair rather than fur. This means that it keeps growing, like human hair does. They have to have regular haircuts.
My poor little love is a toy poodle and everytime he's groomed, they shave him bald and he looks like a sphinx! He absolutely loves it though, everyone can tell his confidence levels up 100% !
this thread reminds me why I'm a cat person. so many poor babies who are so ugly and frail looking from overbreeding. thank god people love ugly dogs(and cats) as well as the cute ones.
I've never been a fan of long haired dogs, so they all look good to me. Many of the dogs look happier. Much happier.
That is rather cruel.A daily good brushing and a bath when he/she gets dirty/stinky is all you need for a Labrador.
Load More Replies... There are way too many dogs on this list who have naturally long hair but have been shaved like sheep. I feel sorry for them, they do not have any other prorection against rain, sun or even scratches from sticks or other dogs teeth (when they play bite). Why do people do this to their dogs?
I will never understand why people buy beautiful long-hair dogs like Pomeranians, and then give them an ugly short cut. It does nothing but damage.
Load More Replies... Dogs need their coats to be tended to, brushed and a good grooming certainly won't hurt. A professional groomer gives them the kind of care their coat needs, unprofessional shaves them like a sheep and takes your money for it.
If people would brush their dogs every few days, groomers wouldn't have to shave them to nothing! It's part of proper pet care, bonding and health for the dog. The breed specific cuts are what groomers would rather be doing, believe me. But no, we have to take down your lack of care to save the dog.
Load More Replies... What's with all the poor shaved dogs? Brush your dog regularly and it won't get matted so easily. Keep your dog at a healthy weight to help it deal with the summer heat - shaving is NOT going to help much because dogs can't sweat.
Dogs sweat through their paws and tongues - they also sweat through their skin, just not as much.
Load More Replies... Love all dogs, but except for a few rescues where the extreme grooming was most definitely needed, I tend to prefer the before pics
Most of these examples are terrible grooming jobs!!! Tehre is only a handful of breeds that you can actually shear. And any dog with an undercoat is NOT one of them! Brush you dogs, people!!! Trim the few bits of too long hair yourself. Neglecting your dog's fur out of sheer lazyness and tehn have it all cut off compeltely is lazy af and really bad for the og in the long run. After everal years of this, they have this puppy like soft down instead of proper fur are hot in the summer and cold in winter and look terrible.
There's way too much anthropomorphising going on here. People say a dog looks "happier" because it is panting, but that's just because a pant looks a bit like a smile. Panting may not be a sign of happiness though.
I would seriously avoid some of the 'groomers' on here! No respect for the dog...they've just shavec them!
Those dogs are adorable, but are much better when cut, rather than shaved. 🐶
I understand the people mad about the over-groomed dogs, but sometimes long haired dogs do need to be trimmed. We had one that needed regular hair cuts because food would get stuck in his beard, his paws would get matted, and poo would get stuck in his hind area. He definitely needed trims for hygienic reasons.
Funny story, my brother-in-law was sent to pick up Muffin, their blind 17 year old buff cocker spaniel from the groomer. He brought home a buff cocker, but definitely not theirs, as this one was at least a decade younger and not blind. Yup, sure enough, the groomer realized the mistake also when the other family showed up and were given poor blind Muffin. To be fair, Muffin kept her puppy-good-looks for her 18+ years
Everyone of these dogs looked better BEFORE they were groomed😔
I don't understand. If you don't want a dog that has long hair, curly hair, long curly hair WHY DID YOU GET ONE IN THE FIRST PLACE?! Why aren't you brushing your dog regularly so its hair doesn't get matted, why don't you bath your dog when it gets dirty and why are you trying to turn them into anime cartoon characters?
This is really making me think I should probably go get my own hair cut
That wasn't really pleasant. I feel for the dogs. They have fur/hair that needs to be taken care of then they shouldn't be shaved!
Yes, many of these dogs look grossly undergroomed and half blind from obstructing fur. Yes it is cute before & after, but negligent :/
Some dog breeds, such as poodles and poodle crosses, have hair rather than fur. This means that it keeps growing, like human hair does. They have to have regular haircuts.
My poor little love is a toy poodle and everytime he's groomed, they shave him bald and he looks like a sphinx! He absolutely loves it though, everyone can tell his confidence levels up 100% !
this thread reminds me why I'm a cat person. so many poor babies who are so ugly and frail looking from overbreeding. thank god people love ugly dogs(and cats) as well as the cute ones.
I've never been a fan of long haired dogs, so they all look good to me. Many of the dogs look happier. Much happier.
That is rather cruel.A daily good brushing and a bath when he/she gets dirty/stinky is all you need for a Labrador.
Load More Replies...