Black Dogs

There’s something about a big shiny black dog that just appeals to me. Maybe it’s because they appear to be somewhat mysterious and less readable in their facial expressions than a lighter coated dog. Perhaps I love the breeds that are dark coated-the Shepherds, Rotties, Dobermans and Black labs-big, loyal working dogs that demand attention by their mere presence.

Or it may just be that no matter the breed-pure or mixed-my family always seemed to end up with a black dog!  Whether we chose a pooch from the pound (we had several of those) or a stray found us (we had even more of this variety as my sisters and I regularly carried goodies to lure them home) they were invariably dark furred.  I was in hindsight to have learned at an early age that “black is beautiful.”

Not so lucky are the big black dogs that find themselves stuck in shelters.  They are, by all accounts, the first to be surrendered and the last to be adopted mainly because they are black. Instead of choosing a dog based on personality and good solid family fit, many folks unconsciously pass over black dogs due to the harboring of negative superstitions about them, or they look big and scary and may have a bad reputation. They also do not photograph or “show” very well in a poorly lit kennel.  Let’s take a page from David Letterman’s bag of comedy tricks and ponder the upside of adopting a big black dog.

By Cinnie Frith, Brookline Volunteer

10 Reasons to Adopt a Black Lab

  1. They are so easy to find in a snowstorm!
  2. If you like to wear jeans a lot, black fur doesn’t really show up as much as yellow!
  3. Black and white photography is so much fun!
  4. Their coats are so shiny and their teeth look whiter on a black background!
  5. You and your new black Lab will make a great fashion statement, as all the new hot collars look great on a black background!
  6. You never know if they’ve been rolling in mud!
  7. Makes a game of hide and seek in the dark oh so challenging!
  8. More likely to scare off a bad guy before they lick the intruder to death!
  9. You look so chic and accessorize so easily with a black Lab. They match that little black dress or black pants that go with everything!
  10. Walking a black Lab makes you look 10 lbs. thinner!