Might as well get the original shaggy dog story out of the way…
In medieval England, a knight in full armor walks into an inn and asks for lodgings. The innkeeper explains that there is no room. The knight then asks if there is room in the stable for his steed. The innkeeper looks outside and sees, not a horse, but a gigantic, shaggy dog. He says, “Come in – I’ll find room for you somehow. I wouldn’t put a knight out on a dog like this.”