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It’s a dog’s life to be the butt of their owner’s jokes. But, the modern-day obsession with social media means millions of our four-legged friends are having pictures posted online of them with ridiculous hairstyles, brightly dyed fur or wearing absurd costumes.

Now animal charities are calling on pet owners to stop mocking the animals on social media because they claim dogs know when they are being laughed at and can feel silly.

Britain’s Kennel Club secretary, Caroline Kisko said: “We are not greatly in favour of doing anything to dogs which makes them feel ’silly’.

“Dogs know when they are being laughed at. Some will have a reasonably high level of tolerance for that sort of thing.

“You can get a dog that will love being the centre of attention. But some will feel silly. Outfits come under the same banner.

[caption id="attachment_215848" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Picture: Ren Netherland/Animal Photography[/caption]

“If someone wants to put a bumblebee costume on their dog for Christmas, that’s fine, but take it off again. The dog doesn’t want to be a bumblebee.

“With colour dyeing and so on, if you are intending that your dog will wander around looking like a pink rabbit for the rest of its days, I would say that is pretty questionable.

“But if it is pink dye that will come out again when you wash it, maybe that’s OK.”

[caption id="attachment_215847" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Picture: Ren Netherland/Animal Photography[/caption]

Figures released earlier this week showed that one in five (17%) dogs and cats now have their own social media account and more than a third (35%) feature heavily on their owner’s social media channels.

Research by Sainsbury’s Bank Pet Insurance found that one in four adults take more photos of their pets than their own children, while 42% said they take more pictures of their pets than their partners.

Some pets have millions of followers online.

One Pomeranian named Boo, has more than 17 million Facebook Likes.

The warnings were issued amid a rise in “extreme grooming“, where fur is dyed bright colours and trimmed into elaborate shapes.

The practice, which has been notable in America and parts of Asia for many years, is now gaining popularity in the UK with competitions where owners can exhibit their dogs. That has prompted concern from charities and animal rights groups.

Kisko said dog owners needed to strike a balance between what is done for the dog and what is mere “human vanity”.

[caption id="attachment_215846" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Picture: Ren Netherland/Animal Photography[/caption] Dogs are not bonsai trees or toys “It is not a toy and we need to maintain that a dog is a dog,” she said.

“Since we can’t ask them, we should err on the side of caution.

“Why is it suddenly OK to dress a dog up in silly clothing or dye it? We are very much not in favour of accessories – the dog needs to be treated as a dog.

“If you put a dog in a handbag, you are treating it as if it is an adornment rather than a dog.”

Dogs Trust veterinary director Paula Boyden said: “We’re concerned by any dog grooming or colour-dyeing which could cause unnecessary discomfort or irritation.

“It’s important that dog owners, and groomers, remember that dogs are not fashion accessories to have the latest trend tried out on them.

“Grooming is for the dog’s needs rather than for the owner’s entertainment.”

Elisa Allen, of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said: “Dogs aren’t bonsai trees to be sculpted into shapes that please us.

“Many are nervous about being groomed, and dyeing them bright colours puts them at risk of allergic reactions and even toxic poisoning.”

Su Eld-Weaver, a champion dog groomer from Northamptonshire, said extreme dog grooming was nothing new, although should only be used on dogs that enjoyed it.

“It has been going on in the UK since the 1800s, it is just that with social media more people see it,” she said.

“They have been carving coats and colouring them further back in history, and doing that for a very long time. The earliest video footage is from the '20s and '30s.” – The Sunday Telegraph