Dog Hair - Actually It Is Fur

Mommy and I had a play date at the Home. I played with Valentina the Guide Dog, and Mommy played with Anita and Sophie. Anita is Valentina's mommy and Sophie is Anita's mommy.

 Before Mommy and I left the house, she combed me so I would look pretty. At least I thought that's why she combed me. When she finished she said, "Wow, Ethel Frances! You are really shedding. I am glad I combed you to get all that loose hair off of you.  Look at all that dog hair in the comb. Yuck!  "What is so yucky about my hair. I think it is beautiful. It is black, with a little white here and there, and it is very shiny.  Is it my fault that sometimes it comes out all over the place?

When we got to the Home, I was very excited.  We haven't been there in a long time.  Mommy did what she always does when we get to Sophie's room.  She knocked on the door and when Sophie answered, Mommy let me go in first.  Valentina came running to me.  We can't hug each other because our arms don't do that.  So we stood against each other and ran in circles.

Then Anita called me and at the same time, Mommy called Valentina.  Valentina is a yellow Labrador Retriever.  Mommy had on navy blue pants.  Valentina was happy to see Mommy and rubbed back and forth against her legs.  Then Valentina walked under Mommy's thighs.  Mommy's pants were no longer navy blue.  They looked just like Valentina!

"Valentina!" Mommy exclaimed. "You are shedding as much as Ethel Frances.  Now my blue pants are blond.  Look at your dog hair all over my pants."

I was busy snuggling with and rubbing against Anita.  She had on a burgundy skirt.  By the time I was finished, her skirt was covered with black dog hair.  Anita said, "Oh, Ethel Frances.  I would think your Mommy would be used to everyone shedding after all of these years.  And anyway, you girls don't have hair.  You have fur."

That was interesting, I thought.  I only hear Mommy say dog hair.  She never says dog fur.  Before I could figure out how to ask what the difference is between hair and fur, Anita answered.  "Marcia, you should be glad our girls have fur.  They have oil in their fur so when they get wet, the water just rolls off.  We don't have to dry them like we would if they had hair.  We don't have to get them haircuts like we would if they had hair.  So what if they shed.  They can't help it.  You might as well just think about how easy it is to clean them when they get wet and forget about the shedding.  It is a waste of time to think about things you can't control.  Right?"

Mommy agreed that Anita was right, but I did hear her mumble that she gets tired of vacuuming up dog fur.

Maybe Mommy needs an attitude adjustment. Maybe she should start thinking that the fur looks as good on the floor as it does on the dogs!