Hair it is...dogs that have fur, dogs that have hair...pet humor

April 17, 2010

Hair it is

Under the heading of “you learn something new every day,” it has come to my attention that some dogs have fur, while others sport hair. This becomes important if you are under the heading of “folks allergic to pet dander” because an “en-furred” dog will make you sneeze, while an “in-hair-ent” dog will not. (Note the fun I must be having, as an English teacher, as I turn the words, “inferred” and “inherent,” that are normally spelled waaayyyy differently, into humor. Cheap entertainment!)

We adopted a Cocker Spaniel about two months ago because, now that my kids are growing (grown), up it looked as though I was going to get a full night’s sleep and enjoy some independence. We couldn’t have that, so we adopted a dog for whom we are her third set of adoptive parents. This may give you an idea of her state of mind upon arrival. I mean, talk about your abandonment issues.

So, I thought this little cutie was a hairy creature, but it turns out she has fur, as I discovered when I launched into one of my unnecessary Google searches when I should have been completing any number of necessary tasks. In case you need some sort of cocktail party conversational fodder, here is a list of hairy, non-furry canines. A good rule of thumb let will help you remember the hair versus fur thing seems to be that if you can’t pronounce or spell the dog’s name easily, it can probably share your shampoo with you:

Airedale
Basenji
Bearded Collie
Bedlington Terrier
Bergamasco
Bichon Frise
Bolognese
Brussels Griffon
Chinese Crested
Coton de Tulear
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Havanese
Irish Water Spaniel
Kerry Blue Terrier
Lagotto Romagnolo
Lhasa Apso
Lowchen
Maltese
Peruvian Inca Orchid
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Poodle
Portugese Water Dog
Puli
Schnauzer
Shih-Tzu
Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier
Tibetan Terrier
Wirehaired Fox Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier