Hedgehands : Topiary: Sepulveda man shapes a mass of ivy on utility poles into a 12-foot-high dog sculpture.

Brian Welch came to Los Angeles from England to be a hairstylist. Although that aspiration dissolved several years ago, he is still pretty handy with the clippers.

Like the movie mutant Edward Scissorhands, whose hands were a jumble of razor-sharp metal, Welch has carved himself a reputation in his Sepulveda neighborhood as the guy who pruned and preened a shapeless tangle of ivy into a 12-foot dog topiary.

Welch said his 5-year-old sculpture at the corner of Plummer Street and Hayvenhurst Avenue is not a memorial to the faithful pooch of his youth, or even to Bebe, his German shepherd/Labrador retriever mix that barks at pedestrians. Welch, who works as a painting contractor, said he was inspired by similar sculptures in his native England.

A telephone pole serves as support for the dog’s chest, front legs and head. The body wraps around a horizontal bar. And the back legs and tail grow on a shorter utility pole and a diagonal wire.

Passing motorists sometimes stop to snap photos under the dog’s belly, which is more than six feet above the sidewalk. Welch said he has received several postcards from people praising his sculpture.

For Christmas, the dog sported a red bow around its neck. During the war in the Persian Gulf, the bow was yellow. At Halloween, two girls covered the topiary with orange and black balloons.

But not everyone thinks Welch’s work is wonderful.

Welch said Pacific Bell officials told him a few years ago to remove the ivy from the pole. He didn’t. Phone officials have not bothered him since.

Pacific Bell spokeswoman Kate Flynn said that as long as the shrubbery does not interfere with access to the pole and does not affect telephone service, the phone company has no objections.

Welch said crews recently worked on the pole and went out of their way to avoid damaging the topiary. “They thought it was great.”

Over the years, several passers-by have named the poodle. A Northridge grandmother said her grandchildren enjoy driving by “Fido” on their way to visit her. Two schoolgirls who pass the dog during their morning and afternoon trips named it “Ivy.”

But Welch generally just calls his creation “that damn bush” when it comes time for the monthly trimming. It is a complicated affair, requiring a 20-foot ladder, an electric hedge clipper and about two or three hours. His hair-cutting training ensures that he will not take too much off the top, he said.

Despite the hassle, Welch said he has no plans to prune the pooch away.

“People get a kick out of it,” he said. “It puts a smile on their faces. That’s what you like to see.”