Woman Uses Her Conditioner on Dog—Discovers She Should've Read Instructions

Newsweek

8 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A dog with an unexpected look has gained viral attention after her owner accidentally used the wrong conditioner.
Ella Hart, 55, shared a picture of 4-year-old Hungarian Herding dog Coconut on Reddit where it has more than 7,000 upvotes. In the caption, she said: "This is what happens when you don't read instructions."
"She turned pink as I was using my hair conditioner on her. It's a red-enhancing product, but on my hair there wasn't much of a change, so I thought it would be ok," Hart told Newsweek. "[I was] thinking maybe a pale pink that would wash out right away. It didn't."
The accidental dye job lasted four months, surviving multiple baths and capturing lots of attention online.
A picture of Coconut after her accidentally pink dye job.
A picture of Coconut after her accidentally pink dye job.
Imperfectyourenot/Reddit
Walking Coconut through their home of Toronto became a social experiment in canine fashion. "I found it hilarious. My partner, less so," Hart said.
In public, Coconut's pink coat drew a mix of reactions. "Little kids see her and run toward her squealing. It's like a toy coming to life I think. Then there were very serious dog people who were very unimpressed, going by their glares," she said.
Still, Hart says most people smiled—and a few were genuinely curious. "At least three people asked if it was real. Seriously. Wishful thinking maybe? Like, who wouldn't want a pink doggie?" she said.
Pink happens to be Hart's favorite color, which made walking Coconut a coordinated affair. "When I walked her, I usually was well color coordinated. That was a little much for me, so I started wearing just black," she said.
Thankfully, four months later, Coconut's fur has faded back to its original color, and no harm was done.
When it comes to washing a dog, its important to make sure to use dog-safe products.
Dog skin has a pH between 6.2 and 7.4, whereas human skin is more acidic). Using a human shampoo can disrupt this balance and damage their skin barrier. When choosing a shampoo for your dog, look for phrases like "veterinarian approved," "pH balanced for dogs," or "formulated for pets."
Hart shared the story of her shampoo mishap on Reddit, where the tale delighted dog lovers.
"This is what happens when you launder the whites with colors," joked one commenter. While another said: "Your candy floss has a face."
"I posted it on Reddit for a bunch of reasons. To share the humor, to see comments (Redditors can be hilarious), but mostly as I adore her and will use any excuse to talk about her, show off her photos," Hart said, adding that the reactions were "awesome."
This isn't the first time a dog owner has accidentally given their pup a new look. Last month, a man shared how he dyed his pond blue, only to forget how much his Labrador loves swimming. After adding the animal-safe dye, it wasn't long before Macy the dog was also a wonderful shade of blue.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [e-mail] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.