Big Black Dog Syndrome

[lizbud]

Anybody ever heard of this before? Interesting article. I read it several
days ago & today saw some evidence that it does exist. Walking Maggie
around the block today & two big teenage boys actually crossed the street
to avoid us.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayof...g.syndrome.ap/

[dukedogsmom]

I hadn't until I adopted Dasher. Very sad, really. He loves and wants to meet, everybody. If he sees someone walking down the street, he'll sit and wait for them to get near us so he can meet them.
http://www.blackpearldogs.com/

[Jessika]

I think sometimes after I read stuff like this, I start noticing it more, OR I start thinking others' actions reflect the behaviors I'd read about and I start *thinking* I see it more when I'm just reading too far into others' actions.

People cross streets all the time when they see someone walking toward them with any dog. Happens a lot; most dogs I've ran into on walks the owners have had no control over and they are usually very exciteable and jumpy.

However, I do recognize this as an issue and have for awhile now. Numbers show that BBDs are some of the least adopted dogs in shelters because they "look scary". It's a sad fact but there are thousands of people out there working hard to educate people that appearances are only skin deep.

[mugsy]

I heard that the first month I started helping shelters about 8 years ago. And shelter managers will tell you it's true. People on the West Coast and in New England look at you like you have 6 heads when you say it because black Labs are what they're looking for!

People just suck and are so incredibly stupid it pains me to say I'm a member of the race.

[Reachoutrescue]

It is really sad. Everytime we get a big black dog they are with us a really long time. A lot of the dogs at pounds are either black or BIG and black. It goes the same way for black cats. People want more variety today and I have also been told they look "meaner" than other dogs. I just don't see it. I think they are nicer looking and tempered then most of those "variety" colored dogs and cats.

[chocolatepuppy]

When I picked Lacey at the shelter she was mostly black, her face was almost all black then. She had been there one month and was 10 weeks old. Would she have got adopted? When I went last Dec. I went after a black lab mix puppy, 4 mo. old. Ended up with Jake, and of course at that time he was mostly black. I swear before I die I will adopt another one of those big black shelter dogs. I love them, don't know why people dislike them. Same with cats, although neither of my cats are black, black cats are my favorite.

[Freedom]

Wow, that is new to me! I thought black labs were HIGHLY favored!

I wonder . . . At our Zoo, they have an exhibit which has always amused and interested me. They've had it the entire 15 years I've lived here in RI. As you walk past the Zebra pasture, they have a sign asking you to describe a Zebra.

Then about 12 feet further along is another sign which goes something like this. Here in the US, we tend to describe the Zebra as white with black stripes.
In Africa, a zebra is usually described as black with white stripes.

It has amused me because I described Zebra in my head as a horse with black and white stripes, so I didn't really fit either category!

It is interesting as it points out how subtly our viewpoint can effect so many things we see, say and do.

[lizbud]

Here are just a few of the reasons cited in the article on BDS. It is
surprising how often humans make decisions mentally & aren't aware
of how unreasonable they may be.

Val I love the Black Pearl Dogs website. Thanks for the link.


"Older black dogs with a little white in their muzzles can look elderly. Bigger breeds like German shepherds or Chows aren't as fashionable as small, cuddly lap dogs.

Then there's the reputation. The idea of a big, black dog unleashing destruction is a common theme in books, movies and folklore as diverse as "The Hound of the Baskervilles," the "Harry Potter" series and "The Omen."

Even the common sign "Beware of Dog" depicts a big, black dog, teeth bared and gums dripping. The notion that the animals are menacing is so pervasive that Winston Churchill famously called depression "the black dog."

People are often wary of dark dogs because it's difficult to read their expressions, said Paul Nicosi, the dog behavior specialist at Bide-A-Wee animal shelter in New York City. Without defined eyebrows, a playful grin might be construed as an angry grimace, he said.

"There isn't a lot of contrast between black eyes and a black face, so people can't get a handle on how the dog is feeling," Nicosi said."

[Jessika]

It has amused me because I described Zebra in my head as a horse with black and white stripes, so I didn't really fit either category!

That's actually pretty interesting, because now that I think about it, I say "black and white striped" also

[3muttsandaboston]

I completely believe it! Little gracie is a very very sweet little dog she has the sweetest personality of any dog you will ever meet but she is black she would have been put down if I hadn't got her when I did she had already been there for 2 weeks (they usually keep dogs 3-5 days) Also if i'm walking my dogs down the street everyone wants to meet Maggie but never Lucy or Gracie.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

I have heard of it......these people have clearly never met "our" Raven