If this strange creature growled at you, you wouldn't know whether to run from his sharp claws or pat him on the head and give him a biscuit.

From a distance, its striped orange and black coat makes it look like a particularly odd tiger.

But it's actually a Retriever, the victim of the latest craze among some dog owners in China to dye their Pets to look like other animals.

The Chinese are always quick to embrace bizarre trends, and it is not unusual for owners to take their dogs to grooming parlours where they are not only given a shampoo and trim, but a multi-coloured dye job as well.

Today the retriever was joined by three furry friends whose dye jobs were much more convincing.

The tiny, fluffy dogs were the spitting image of baby giant pandas thanks to their makeovers.

The animals were pictured after being transferred to Zhenghou from Southwest China's Sichuan province at the weekend.

Recent figures show money spent on pets across the nation has seen nearly a 500 per cent increase between 1999 and 2008 - but, arguably, at the cost of their pets' dignity.

Quite what the animals might think about it is another matter.