Dog Lover
Furball Dogma
Lesson 82: Out of the car, long hair!
It’s been called the great hypoallergenic debate. The battle lines are drawn, with fur on one side and hair on the other.
Some humans argue the ideal dog doesn’t shed, and others say she shouldn’t require a hundred dollars a month in grooming fees. Other humans favor hairless dogs that look like rats straight from the sewers of the Bronx.
Hi, I’m Keke. I’m a long-haired Biewer Terrier and I write Keke’s Guide to Training Your Human. I’m not here to judge. I’m just here to report the facts and clear up the misunderstandings about our coats.
Furball or hairball
Despite common misconceptions, what humans call dog “hair” is made of the same thing as “fur”: keratin. Yet hair also has a different feel than fur. You love to pet hair dogs like me, don’t you? We’re so-o-o soft.
It turns out that many furballs have a double coat of fur. This includes Golden Retrievers, Welsh Corgis, Siberian Huskies, and many more. The undercoat is soft and delicate — almost like mine — while the outer coat is coarse and unrefined. Crude and unfinished. Hardly worth petting at all, are they? Wouldn’t you rather pet a nice, soft hairball?
