A bizarre new dog grooming trend in Taiwan has dog owners giving their pet pooches square or round haircuts. Canine hairdressers all over Taipei are up to date on the special technique required for these eccentric makeovers.

“It came about because people were always looking for more impressive haircuts, and somebody came up with the idea of shaping the dog like a hedge,” parlour owner Tain Yeh says. It started with a few people opting for these haircuts and sharing their pets’ photographs online, after which the trend caught on. Thousands of pet owners are now approaching salons, asking for their dogs’ hair to be cut in geometric patterns. Some are actually doing it simply to gain more likes and shares!

Yeh says that the peculiar styles aren’t suitable for all breeds. “The dog needs to have plenty of hair to play around with so that you can shape it around the face and body,” he explained. He also added that these special haircuts need a lot more maintenance than regular ones.

The dogs, in their quirky haircuts, do look adorable, if somewhat a bit strange. The ones with perfectly round hairdos appear to be sporting an afro, while square-faced dogs look as though their head is squeezed into an invisible box. Most of the dogs don’t seem to mind the haircuts at all though – they sit through the entire process rather patiently, letting the hairdressers do their thing.

Sources: RocketNews24, Daily Mail