Big Black Dog Syndrome

[OKCCrime]

I saw this article after learning about big black dog syndrome from the Rottie Rescue at Wolfstock. Very interesting.

"An interesting phenomenon in the dog adoption world has recently become very apparent. Dogs that are large and black, especially labs, shepherd mixes, pit bulls, and rottweilers are passed over time after time for smaller, lighter colored dogs for adoption."

"Big black dogs have a negative connotation to some potential pet owners, who mistakenly assume they are mean and aggressive."

"Owning this type of dog may lead people to believe that the owner has the same negative characteristics that are associated with big black dogs."

"Animal shelters attempt to explain the reasoning behind this problem, stating that black dogs of all sizes are difficult to photograph for online listings, and that they are easily hidden in the dark shadows of their cages."

[Italian Woman]

Funny, I just heard something about this on the radio this morning. Very strange! Big black dogs are adorable.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Pets and People even says that on their website.

Personally...I LOVE black dogs.


Speaking of dogs, anybody want a Beagle named Darwin?

[OKCCrime]

Speaking of dogs, anybody want a Beagle named Darwin?

More details....please.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

My sister, who lives in Tampa, is probably moving to London...So Darwin needs a new home. She got him from a Beagle rescue down there a year or so ago.

She's going to be in town here in a few weeks and if she hasn't found a new home for him at that point...I'm sure he'll be staying with me until I can find him one...or He grows on me.

[sweetdaisy]

Hey OGTS, as a suggestion to your sister, she should get in contact with the beagle rescue she adopted from, as they may want Darwin to come back to them. Some rescues have policies regarding rehoming the animals, and most are willing to take back the animal if the adopter's circumstances change to where they can't keep the pet. That would likely be a good first step for her to take unless you're interested in adopting him yourself.

[Karried]

Sweetdaisy, that's a good point, didn't Ellen get in trouble for something similar?

Darwin, what a sweet Beagle name...

You should keep him ogts!

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Hey OGTS, as a suggestion to your sister, she should get in contact with the beagle rescue she adopted from, as they may want Darwin to come back to them. Some rescues have policies regarding rehoming the animals, and most are willing to take back the animal if the adopter's circumstances change to where they can't keep the pet. That would likely be a good first step for her to take unless you're interested in adopting him yourself.

That's what I told her. She's discussed it with them, and their policies on rehoming aren't that strict...I don't know what they said about taking him back. I've already poked at her for this whole thing.

I'm not sure how she got that rescue place to give her the dog in the first place. She's an apartment dweller that travels a lot.

Sweetdaisy, that's a good point, didn't Ellen get in trouble for something similar?

Darwin, what a sweet Beagle name...

You should keep him ogts!

Since Charles Darwin sailed on the HMS Beagle, I didn't think it was all that original, but it's still a cute name

And as much as I like dogs and as much as I want one, I've not had a pet in years. So me keeping him is kind of a last resort sort of deal. Not sure I'd be able to handle a house dog, especially a howlin' beagle.* I'm kind of a neat freak and don't like pet hair, I'm mildly allergic, and while my back yard is over 1/2 acre, I do not have -nor do I want- a fence.



*I don't really know if he's a howler.

[Karried]

Do Beagles shed a lot?

You wouldn't think so but I was surprised at how much my Black Lab sheds! sheesh, thank God for my Dyson Animal vacuum cleaner.... love that thing, even though it's purple and green..

I just ordered another one that is Bronze...but now it's warmer out, Kodi gets to experience the great outdoors more.. I can relate... I can't take black dog hair in my house.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

I know how much labs shed, we had a yellow one and a black one...No color of clothes were safe from the hair!

I don't know about beagles though.

[FritterGirl]

We have a small beagle (shelter dog #3), Lilly, who we just adopted about a month ago. She doesn't shed at all. Her two long-haired terrier companions? Now, that's another story. We're up to our eyeballs in dog hair with those two.

She is somewhat of a howler, though, but only when she plays with the other two. And she's also full of energy, but is a quick, quick learner and after just one month, already knows the rules of our household.

All in all, she's a sweet, sweet girl who just wants lots of affection, which we're always willing to give, and lots of time to play, which she gets outside with her two "sisters."

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Well, he's found a home! A friend of the rescue knew somebody in Dallas that wanted a Beagle. My sister will be coming to Dallas in a couple of weeks, so it sort of worked itself out.

[PennyQuilts]

Great!!

[jsibelius]

I saw this article after learning about big black dog syndrome from the Rottie Rescue at Wolfstock. Very interesting.

"An interesting phenomenon in the dog adoption world has recently become very apparent. Dogs that are large and black, especially labs, shepherd mixes, pit bulls, and rottweilers are passed over time after time for smaller, lighter colored dogs for adoption."

"Big black dogs have a negative connotation to some potential pet owners, who mistakenly assume they are mean and aggressive."

"Owning this type of dog may lead people to believe that the owner has the same negative characteristics that are associated with big black dogs."

"Animal shelters attempt to explain the reasoning behind this problem, stating that black dogs of all sizes are difficult to photograph for online listings, and that they are easily hidden in the dark shadows of their cages."

I swear this is true. Even little black dogs are difficult to photograph, so if you're looking online for your dogs, you're probably unlikely to pick a black one. I have numerous pictures of my black Schnauzer, but none of them do him justice. He never looks good in any of his pictures, but in person, he is incredibly cute.

I adopted him from a shelter. In fact, I actually found a different dog on PetFinder out at the Bethany shelter, but they had the weight of the dog listed wrong. I'm told he was about 10 pounds heavier, and I'm convinced they combined the records of both the dogs in that particular kennel, because there never was a PetFinder record for the dog I eventually took home. When I went to go look at the dog they had in the picture, he was gone, and only his "cellmate" was left, a little black Schnauzer with a really big personality. He looked like a little Brillo pad, but he was very insistent to go home with me. Two years later, I'm very happy I took him home. But I would never have driven all the way out to Bethany to look at this little dog based on anything they might have had online. I was just lucky someone else had gotten to the other dog first.