My Dog and his sudden hair-like spurts

[Jeremy Brown]

Hi, I just registered, I am a proud owner of a collie mix, he is gold and black colour just over a year old dog, and I love him with all my heart. Today, this morning in fact, when I woke up with him besides me, I noted something very strange - behind his legs and to the sides strange black like spiky hairs had spurted out of his otherwise gold coloured legs, their were also some on his belly. They did not appear in patches or regular formation, they were follicles appearing randomly up his legs and some near his testicles.

What was peculiar about them, you could feel them, and they were thick and quite spiky, and they were part of his skin no doubt. I first suspected it was just solidified mud, so I gave him a bath and shampooed him, but they were still there. I then tried to pluck one out, and I can definitely ascertain that they were from his skin.

I am not sure what they are, I hoping it's nothing but him growing more and soon his entire legs will be covered with black hair, but this does not really seem like hair, it's very bizarre for me, because I've not quite seen anything like it.

I was wondering if it could have been an allergic reaction to something, but it is unlikely, as I've read about every allergic reaction and skin disorder on vetinfo, and I've not come across something like this.

Also, I am not sure if this is natural, but around his testicles, there are little pimple like circle things with black heads like moles and they form a kind of shape around them, there are also some a bit up his body too. I am not sure what they are. I asked someone online, they suggested they were natural skin pigment things(for lack of better term) I wouldn't know how to tell a real pimple and this apart though.

I hope someone can help, I am very worried for the poor guy.

[badger]

Unless he is scratching at the new growth or seems to be suffering in some other way, I'm guessing it's just new coat coming in, he's only one and still growing. The pimples are probably just hair follicles. Don't worry!