Depends on the type of paint, I’d say. Latex paint, the kind you use on walls, is degraded by oil, so a rub of some vegetable oil before a bath can help a *ton* (why yes, we painted our own house when we moved, and yes, I got paint in my hair, why do you ask?) I dunno about other kinds, but mostly if it doesn’t come off in oil or soap and water it takes something toxic. There’s always scissors…
I thought I’d google around and see if there was any sort of reasonable answer to this query, because god knows latex paint is hard enough to get off hands, let alone fur, but according to yahoo answers, mild dish soap + rubbing should do the trick.
No, really. I’m serious. Unless you’re blogging from En Zed, Patagonia, or Oz, it’s summer. Fur will grow back, and Junebug will probably appreciate being much cooler, and it will also make ticks easier to find, and think of how much dog hair won’t be on your furniture.
Shaving the dog actually sounds like the smartest thing to me, or trimming off the paint bits if they’re small. WD-40 would be the first thing I’d try on my hands, but I imagine the dog would eat it, and I also imagine it’s probably toxic in sincere quantities.
Shaving sounds like the best idea unless her fur is really short. Dish soap and rubbing alcohol work for paint sometimes. The rubbing alcohol can work with oil based paints a little bit, and I used it and lots of scrubbing to get tar off my cat’s paw. Denatured alcohol will break down oil paints and can be used instead of turpentine, but I don’t think that it’s safe for dogs. The oil works for latex paints. I have never successfully removed dry acrylic from clothing. I’m not sure about fur. Soap allegedly works for watercolors, but in my experience green watercolors will not come out of anything. If all else fails, paint remover will get oil-based paint off her coat. You will have to bathe her throughly afterwards though.
Have you considered combustion? Then again, ridding yourself of the smell of burning dog hair may prove more problematic. Once again, Pernod inhibits any rational response. Apologies. Carry on.
If you’re going to shave the dog very close, you might want to limit its outdoor time for awhile. They sunburn. It’s also a lot easier to accidently cut a dog with scissors than most people realize (ex-vet. assistant talking).
Latex is water- and soap-soluble WHILE IT IS STILL WET. If you’ve got only a little bit, go for a wash. Fast. Use as fine a comb as your dog will stand to comb out the paint. However, latex (to some degree) and all non-latex paints such as oil-based paint, varnish, stain (to a much larger degree) are often fairly toxic. If it’s more than “a few paint spots” I’d shave the affected areas. You can buy a clipper for twenty bucks or less. At the low end, there’s no real difference between “pet” and “human” trimmers AFAIK so go for cheapness over packaging. It won’t last long, but it’ll probably get through a shave or two. If you need to trim your dog a lot you can buy a “real” trimmer (I have an Oster a5) but that’s not worth it for most folks.
Don’t shave her down to the skin, she’ll get sunburn if she goes outside. If she tolerates clippers (some animals flip at the noise), use a half inch or so guard. If not, cut out the paint with a sharp hand scissors. Buy a new pair with short blades at a sewing shop. Sewing scissors are very sharp. If she won’t sit still, just clip as much as you can as close as you can in short sessions. If you clip most of a clump, the fur will loosen a little and grow a little over time and be less painful and easier to completely remove. If you don’t want her chewing and swallowing paint clumps, pull out the lampshade collar. I’m the owner of a long hair cat. I’ve had to cut out clumps, but I’ve never gotten paint on her.
An idea if this is latex paint you’re dealing with: If Junebug will sit still for a while, hold a bag of ice over the affected area. The paint will harden enough to be removed with a wire pet hair brush. What’s left over can be removed with a shampooing with mild dish soap. What color is Junebug wearing?
Shaving sounds like the best idea unless her fur is really short. Which it is. Think peanut butter would work? It gets gum out of hair. For the curious: I painted my apartment last weekend, and she INSISTED on leaning against the freshly-painted walls and dragging her tail in it as well. There’s not much, but it’s there, fortunately where she can’t reach with her mouth.
Think peanut butter would work? It gets gum out of hair. Since it’s probably not oil based, I’d try the peanut butter or any oily substance to try to get the paint to loosen its hold on her fur. I don’t know if it will work. My experience is strictly from the one cat incident and from cleaning up after painting or after airbrushing acrylics on ceramic sculptures. The airbrushing especially always resulted in dried paint on my hands and sometimes on my arms. I’ve also gotten a very little bit of paint in my hair, and it came out with cooking oil.
Eucalyptus oil. As recommended by an Australian vet some fifteen years ago when my childhood pup managed to get a funky white mohawk stripe during the painting of the back bedroom.