Black Dogs and Lower Adoption Rate

Didn't YOU just ask her to let it go???  And you're bringing it back up AGAIN?
 
I personally don't think that looking at pictures on the internet and guessing the temperment of the dog is terribly productive and I do NOT think it can carry over into "real life" with a real dog.  I think it can be dangerous to encourage others to do so, but that's JMHO.  However, you did miss the mark on Willow.  And the more you defend your position on your judgement the more it sounds like a personal attack on this girl that you are now trying to justify.
 
Willow is a sweet girl with a gentle soul.  To ME thats what she looks like in her pictures.  To you she looks alpha and agressive.  All just a matter of opinion, BUT that should serve to show our lurkers that you can NOT judge the temperment by the appearance of any dog.  Not on appearance alone.

Yes I was wrong in my assessment of her. No it was not a personal attack. I've said several times the reason I even mentioned that she looked unapproachable. I don't need to explain myself any further.

So, black dogs and adoption rates...
 
I have heard this about black dogs and it makes sense to me, particuarly after reading Stanley Coren's book How to Speak Dog. Though I don't remember (and can't find) him mentioning black dogs specifically, he does talk about facial coloration in relation to dogs' abilities to communicate. I think that people just can't read dogs' faces as well when the fur is black... and also, the whites of the eyes stand out more on a black dog - which may create a false impression of aggression (dogs' eye will bulge a little when the dog is showing aggression).
 
This is Coren on the importance of eyebrows -
 
[D]ogs do have evolutionary precursors to our eyebrows in the form of markings that accentuate the movements of the muscles around the eyes. These can assist in communication. In many dogs, different fur colors show up as spots near the eyes. According to folk tradition, the dogs with the highest degree of psychic ability are the "four-eyed dogs," which are light-colored dogs with a dark spot over each eye, or black dogs with light spots over each eye. These dogs are supposed to have special psychic abilities, such as the ability to see demons, devils, or ghosts. While I can't attest to their mystical talents, it is likely that they gained this reputation because their expressions were easier to read than those of other dogs. The contrasting-colored spots make the movements of the muscles over the eye much more visible.
 
He goes on to describe how dogs with uniform color and especially black dogs will often have a growth pattern in the fur that creates the illusion of eyebrows. My black dog has this, and it does make his expressions more easily legible.
 
My personal feelings on the issue are, unsurprisingly, that I love black dogs. I think their fur looks so soft and touchable, while white dogs look coarser to me - that's only an association that I'm sure is untrue at least 50% of the time. []

Yay - back on track!  That was actually a pretty intriguing excerpt from Coren's book.  When I think of black dogs with colored eyebrows, I immediately think of Doberman (how could I not!?!), Rottweilers, Manchester Terriers, Dachshunds.... all can be intensely focused dogs.  I wonder if the "psychic" ability in folklore is more in tune with the alert (and in some cases protective)characteristics we prize in these breeds today.  ie, the dog "knows" when there's an intruder before we do... might be the psychic characteristic folklore equates to....  Mmm, fun discussion there!
 

that is sad..but very true..it happens with great danes a lot..Have a look at a dane rescue website..the majority of the dogs will most likely be black, no one wants a "plain" color dog..i think its pathetic , should coat color really be # 1 on your list when rescuing a dog?? i think not..its sad.  I have a black dane , i happen to love black dogs!
heres an article written by the ohio dane rescue on balck danes in rescue [linkhttp://www.ohiodanerescue.com/tales/blackisbeautiful.htm]http://www.ohiodanerescue.com/tales/blackisbeautiful.htm[/link]

Personally, I think black dogs are the most beautiful of all. If they were available..I would have chosen a black pomeranian instead of the cream one I have. But I still love my cream one.[]

I always knew that Grady had something special about him.  []
 
I love his eye dots, they make him comical.  I love my black dog & have always been drawn to black dogs.

ORIGINAL: miranadobe

Yay - back on track!  That was actually a pretty intriguing excerpt from Coren's book.  When I think of black dogs with colored eyebrows, I immediately think of Doberman (how could I not!?!), Rottweilers, Manchester Terriers, Dachshunds.... all can be intensely focused dogs.  I wonder if the "psychic" ability in folklore is more in tune with the alert (and in some cases protective)characteristics we prize in these breeds today.  ie, the dog "knows" when there's an intruder before we do... might be the psychic characteristic folklore equates to....  Mmm, fun discussion there!

 
When I was younger I always said I wanted a black horse, a black dog (a black wolf hybrid with blue eyes--yes, I know better now), and a black cat.  None of my animals are black, but it wasn't really on purpose.  If Sally had been black, I'd still have her--heck, if she was purple I'd still have her.
 
Just as an aside, I read once that early Muslims were encouraged to kill black dogs with brown eyebrows--it was supposed to be a sign of evil (no offense intended, just a bit of trivia).

There are signs up at both our local shelters stating that big black dogs are the last to be adopted,especially males.I called another local rescue group a few months back to see if they could help us place some of our fosters and they were only willing to take one of them,the one that wasnt black!In fact when she asked me what color the cocker lab mix was i told her black and she made this noise (like disgust) and said it figures.
Needless to say i didnt let her take any of them and who would have guessed! The 2 black ones have been placed! The other one is still here!
Personally i like the big ones! And we have 4 extra large black dogs 3 males.
I do tend to trip over them in the dark though!

I wonder if it really does have to do with black dogs being less noticeable. I was at the SPCA last week and I walked up and down the aisles twice looking at all of the dogs. Well, I went back to get my husband and show him a certain dog and happened to notice another one that I didn't even SEE before. It was a Boxer/Lab mix that was solid black other than white front feet. He had a beautiful smushy muzzle and the sweetest personality!  If I could have adopted any of the dogs there that day, he would have been the one, but I almost totally missed him.

At the shelter I put on the application, the 4 dogs I was interested in.  The dog I really wanted was black with brown feet.  They said noone had applied for him yet.  So I got him.  He is fantastic.  I recently learned that big black dogs are last to go .  So i would adopt another next time.
 
People do ask me if he is a shepherd, my vet thought he might be belgian tervian. 

I was the lady on the block with the 2 big black dogs!  Oh my!
Of course when a child got bitten by a dog in my neighborhood, my name came up. 
It was a "sting" operation.  The dog warden, police officer, parent of the bitten child,  (with the child), all pulled their cars in and acrossed my driveway; I was "trapped!"  I took my black lab mix out to meet the people, and she jumped up on the officer and licked him.  Gotta love Katie!
I always have had black dogs, drawn to them I guess, except for the present black and white.  She is the/an exception.   

I love my black beauty!!!!!

I have found that black greyhounds are also among the last to be adopted. . .however I find them stunning looking when they are young and so dignified looking when their muzzle turns grey with age. 

This is my beautiful black foster, Lucy Lu, who has been placed sucessfully in her new home for a month now.  I miss her so much, but am so happy that she found a place to really shine!