No surprise to me that dog hair would work ... seeing as how the first hair jig I used to catch Crappie was tied with Polar Bear hair .... it was the original "Doll Fly" jig.
And to answer your question : yes, both species of Crappie can & will school together (at times) ... and yes, they can & do crossbreed, creating what is commonly known as a Hybrid Crappie :