TEN-YEAR-OLD Flynn Batterham always wanted a tiger.

And half way through her dog grooming course, his mum Jodie Johnson worked out how to get him one.

“I was halfway through the course and we were learning about colour, and I wondered whether I could do stripes,” Ms Johnson said.

“Flynn was so obsessed with tigers, and we already had a tiger collar, so I thought, ‘why not give it a go?’.”

media_camera Marley has earned her stripes in the Johnson family.

It took the Mosman woman two hours, using a product similar to human hair dye, to transform Marley her miniature groodle — part golden retriever and poodle.

And she said the reaction from her son, and passers-by, has been overwhelming.

“Flynn and all his mates think Marley looks awesome and its never hard to get him to walk the dog,” Ms Johnson said.

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“But wherever we go people see her and come up and they just can’t help smiling.

“I can’t tell you how many people have their photo taken with her, she just brings so much joy.”

Ms Johnson said the dog has been mistaken for a Taronga Zoo escapee and Winnie the Pooh’s hyperactive friend Tigger.

“We have started telling everyone she is a tigroodle,” she said.

media_camera Marley, the tiger dog, on Balmoral beach.

media_camera Marley is not like the other dogs.

Ms Johnson said it took about two weeks for Marley’s semipermanent tiger coat to start growing out.

But in that time, the dog has inspired a new business idea.

“I made her a tiger purely for my son, but when I was walking her on Balmoral Beach and The Spit people were asking me if I could do it for their pets,” she said.

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“I had to get some business cards printed up, and now I take them with me when we go for walks.

“I thought why not offer it as a service, a temporary colour change for a birthday theme or some other event or turn your dog into a leopard or a panda.”

For more on Ms Johnson’s work visit her website.

If you have any unusual pet photos please email them to photo@dailytelegraph.com.au