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.