Poodle turned into Arcanine could pass for a real-life Pokemon

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Professional dog groomer recreates a Pokemon that has long been admired for its beauty

Arcanine
(Image credit: The Pokemon Compnay)

A professional dog groomer based out of San Diego, California has dyed and cut a poodle's fur so that it looks like the Pokemon Arcanine. 

Gabriel Feitosa is an award-winning dog grooming artist who took his eight-month-old poodle puppy Edea and transformed her into Arcanine with some creative cut and color work. She's got the orange-and-black striped body, the fluffy white chest and tail, and even the orange superhero-like eye mask. Feitosa cleverly kept Edea's chest and tail extra long and trimmed up the other fur so that she would look even more like the legendary Pokemon. 

Feitosa made a clever TikTok pretending that they found a fire stone that transformed Edea into Arcanine. Fire stones are coveted items that can transform Growlithes into Arcanines, and other Fire Stone evolutions include Vulpix into Ninetales and Eevee into Flareon.

Another TikTok shows Edea running around the dog park chasing other, normal-looking dogs, and it's quite the sight to behold. Imagine heading to the dog park with your bog standard rescue mutt in tow and a gigantic, Arcanine-shaped thing comes running at you. 

The pet community has some strong opinions on whether or not this is a safe or ethical practice. There are dog-safe dyes that do not contain harmful chemicals or toxins like human-grade hair dye, but talk to your vet before using any dyes on your dog's fur. If your pup has sensitive skin or likes to lick their fur a lot, dyeing their fur may not be a good option for them. And, as always, don't try this at home - consult a professional. 

It's been a big day for Pokemon news, as the latest Pokemon Presents stream gave us a ton of news about the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. While there won't be a real-life poodle painted to resemble Arcanine in the new Pokemon game, there is a new 'mon named Fidough that is, of course, a dog made of bread. 

Our Heather Wald can't believe we're getting so much freedom in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Alyssa Mercante
Alyssa Mercante
Former Features Writer

Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar+ and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.