I can tell the weather from the way Panda's fur feels under my fingers. His fur is cool today, light and soft. It will rain tonight.
In the summer, his fur feels hot and sticky. Each time I pet him a few black hairs come away as their owner wriggles in irritation. In winter, his fur is oily and sticks to his skin.
A dog's fur is warm and you can feel his skin move under your fingers as he breathes. It smells of the earth and the rain, and some days of heedless romps in the garbage heap. It is a little dusty. You might have to wash your hands afterwards. And then there's always the danger that he will turn and gravely lick your arm till it tickles and you beg him to stop.