Hairy Babies

As a dog owner, I've discovered that a common Oklahoma expression, when you want to be cute and endearing, is to refer to a dog as a 'baby'. I was in a pet store the other day buying 'kibble' (dry dog food), and the cashier asked me what kind of baby I had. I wondered if she knew something I didn't, until I realised she was actually asking me what breed of dog I owned.

Recently we've been trying to find somewhere to board our dog when we go away. Today I drove to four kennels to check them out. It became clear that the further out from the city I drove, the nicer they became. The final one I visited was about half an hour's drive south of Oklahoma City, and it was the best of all - lovely facilities in a delightful rural setting, run by an extremely nice lady. I had initially phoned them because I was very taken by the name of the establishment: 'Hairy Babies'. I imagine quite a few of my friends in the UK will refuse to believe that our dog is going to stay somewhere called Hairy Babies, but I assure you it's true. Moreover, when you phone them up, the owner answers the phone by saying 'Hairy Babies!', which is reasonable enough in the circumstances I suppose, but must be very disconcerting if you've phoned a wrong number.

Initial concerns that our dog, being a whippet, might not be considered hairy enough for this establishment, proved unfounded.