I grew up with Kerry Blue Terriers who were supposed to turn grey/silver but only one ever did. They were all black.

I had a Field Spaniel and two different lab mixes that were all black. Wonderful dogs.

Yes, I understand that they are the least adoptable but I think that is because that is a dominant color. No other reason.

I have had two tuxedo cats and the one I have now only has white on her toes and is almost totally black. She is very pretty and has the softest fur.

Robyn

Just to do my part - I adopted a totally black cat from my very rural animal shelter. She was a young adult. She's a good cat - if I take a nap in the afternoon she's there to help.

vicky

Two of my dogs are mostly black :)

I think the typical black lab type mixes are the ones that get overlooked a lot. There are an abundance of them, and unless you take the time to get to know each one, I think they could all seem 'the same'. Then you see a red or tan or brown dog in the cage next door, and it seems more interesting and individual.

I have a black cat. He's the most friendly, extroverted cat I've ever met. I agree with weed30 that a black animal just doesn't look as interesting. The black cat superstition may come into play for some people, too.

Raisin:
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You know, that's the same thing my vet told me! She didn't know why this was the case and I don't either. I was surprised to hear this because black Labs are extremely popular here. It came up because I offered to foster a black puppy she had been keeping because after 6 months of featuring him in the local papers and a pet adoption monthly featuring shelter animals, no one expressed an interest and she was going to take him to the county shelter (which is a place many of us wish would just dissolve because of a horrible Director). As it turns out, I fell in love with him and kept him. color>

Both of my cats are black. So is the Dobe and the Chow is a very dark blue. I used to know a lady that would only adopt black Greyhounds since they were the ones that often got overlooked. Last time I saw her she had six of them. I don't really get it, to me a black coat that is well cared for and glossy is about as beautiful as it gets.

Lisa

We adopted a rough tri collie -- she's mostly black with a white mane, white legs/paws, a white tip on her tail and a white blaze, along with some tan. When we found her on Petfinder, I was so excited -- I had had a collie like her when I was a young girl and had only hoped to find one for our family pet. While talking with the woman who ran the rural rescue, I was told that our dog was the last pup in a litter of sables; our Bijou was the only tri in the litter and had been left waiting for a family as all her siblings were adopted one after the other...the woman shook her head and said, "I would have chosen her first!" and of course, I agreed :-) In my collie's case, I think everyone is familiar with "Lassie" who is a sable collie and instantly recognizable -- they see my dog (the exact same breed but different coloring) and ask, "what kind of dog is that?"

Anyway. I love my girl and I'm very grateful she waited for us!!

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Oh, pretty!

My adopted Standard Schnauzer is black and grey. The two LhasaPoos I had previously were both black. Based on my experiences with these wonderful best friends, I think I am biased toward black dogs now.

From when I was a girl, we've always had black cats or dogs...Right now I have 2 black kitties and they are special..It seems black cats have the softest, almost velvet like fur....
I also help with a cat/kitten rescue organization and the whole month of October, we won't show or put any black cats up for adoption...But in general, they are the hardest to find homes for, sad.....

I work at an animal shelter. There are many,many black or mostly-black cats available for adoption. There is nothing unusual about them. They are friendly,clean,smart,all great cats. People just like orange cats and white cats better.

It's interesting you brought this subject up. My co-worker who does cat rescue just pointed this out the other day. Most of the cats up for adoption are either black or tabby. They're the ones that get over looked. A feral mother cat showed up at this co-worker's mother's house and had kittens under her shed. The mother cat and kittens were all black. My co-worker was not happy about that because of the difficulty adopting black cats out. All my cats are some variation of tabby. They may be plain looking, but I think they're beautiful, and very sweet. There's a black cat that visits our back yard from time to time. Supposedly he belongs to someone, but he sure is skinny. His coat, though, is sleek and shiny, very beautiful. I don't know what his owners call him, if they even do call him, but DH named him Panther. I think black cats are beautiful. There's just never been one that adopted me.

Sally

I would guess too that it seems to be the predominant color. Speaking as a person who currently owns a white (never, ever clean) dog, I would pick a black one in a heartbeat!
Fivemonkeys -- beaaauutiful dog!

Since my first dog was a Doberman, (30 years ago) every dog since then has been black.

Most of my clothes are selected for black dog hair. My kitchen floor is black.

There was an article about this in Bark a few months ago. The website for black dogs is called blackpearl.com (I may not have that exactly right) They said in the next issue that the publicity really helped raise awareness. We have a black cat too.
Jen

My Meg was black, and the softest! People were more afraid of her than other dogs. One even called her a wolf and told me to get her out of the park!

Here is a link that might be useful: Megan

My parents last two cats have been all black, and my cat of nearly 19 years was all black. (I have the black wardrobe too, kim!)

When I was looking for a new vet for the old guy, I took him to the doctor that took care of the radio station cat. (Also all black.) While the vet was examining my guy he observed that in his experience, black cats were the most friendly and personable. I started to theorize that they somehow pick up on the black cat superstition and try their best to win people over -- but then I realized the vet was just playing to his audience (I owned a black cat, had a black cat I loved at work....)

I still think there's something to it, tho!

I love black dogs. Goofy Black Lab boys are at the top of the list. My "little" Rottie girl has an unusually dark face. Our most affection cat was a large black tom.

My vet said the darker the dog the more fearful peole are of them. Nobody feared my Fawn Bullmastiff mix, they should have, and everyone crossed the street when I walked my goofy, tall and leggy Black Lab.

I have lived with black dogs most of my life. About the only time I have had other colors are when I went to the shelter and they had one that maybe was on it dead line time and or had been there a long time. I adopted one skinny brown dog years ago, not young, and she had already been adopted and returned. Dogs like that don't usually get a third chance. Some of the pictures of the black dogs that have been posted on this link are just lovely. So black dogs are very beautiful to me, but I have never had a black cat. Most of the cats I have had, have adopted me, or been dumped on me. My vet talked me into adopting an ancient cat. He had been owned by a hoarder, drooled like a freight train and I don't think he was very smart. But he was loving and happy for the remainder of his days that he lived with me. He must have been sixteen or older. A regular sweetheart.
Currently I have a black tri Australian Shepherd, a breed I have wanted to have for years. She is bright beautiful and friendly.

2 adopted babies and both are black. Alex our male is black and even has a black tongue. Had to get glow in the dark collar to see him when he's outside at night.

Here are my new black dogs which most of you have seen before.

Bo is the goofy, mouthy big one. Roxy is the sweet one. One ear is laid back (left), the other one got bitten half off when she was at a kennel. She's still a sweetie and lets Bo maul her. I'm constantly telling him, "Don't eat her face." And telling Roxy, "Quit licking in his ears you
keep them wet all the time."

I've never had a dog with a tail but I kind of like em now.

Black cats are smart and fun!
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I love black cats but am allergic to them. I read that they don't know the reason but many people are allergic to black cats, it may be something in their dander. I have two cats that I'm not allergic to, but my friends Bombay has me itching and my eyes swell.
Donna

LOL my picture got postage stamp size. I did reduce it on photobucket yesterday but it wasn't that small.

Maee is a black lab mix, Skeeter is a black and white McNab. I tell people at the feed store Skeeter couldn't commit on a color but Maee did lol. I had a kitty son named Cinder, he was the most beautiful cat. Too bad people will belive that horse puck about black cats.

Dear departed Sally was a black dog. Rex is brindle, fawn stripes on black... does that count? he positively DISAPPEARS in the shadows or at night.

I've never had a black kitty (my brother does, though!) but that's only a factor of chance, not because it was a concious decision. I had a beautiful, slate grey cat for many years. And I'm particularly fond of the "tabby" and "tiger" color pattern, in whatever palette. I just love cats.

"never was a good hoss in a bad color"

I've always had black dogs (except for my Golden) Color doesn't matter to me .... I love them all .

I stopped at Petsmart for cat food and of course had to check out the cats...Sure enough, out of the dozen or so, all but 2 were black....While I was there, I think I helped talk a couple into taking 2 of the black kittens and another lady was undecided about another one so I gave her my pitch...
Susanjn, your picture looks exactly like my Buddy, a very big, layed back beauty and a former feral...

"Who says black cats are scary?!?"
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I recently lost my sable and white Collie. Last week I went to the Humane Society and they had all black dogs there and one golden mixed type. I wanted the golden and said he didn't belong there with all those scary black dogs. Well, we didn't get that golden one, but we are in the process of trying to adopt a tri-color collie from the rescue. So this dog is mostly black. I wouldn't even give those other dogs at the shelter a second look because I felt that they were mean I guess because of the color. So I'm guilty.

I also adopted a black lab mixed puppy from my local shelter. He was a puppy when I brough him home but four years later he is a 95lbs horse! I will say that as a puppy he had some behaviour issues, but it had nothing to do with his colouring and alot to do with the fact that he was a lab. People don't realize that lab puppies take longer than other breeds to mature. My dog was about 2 years old before the light bulb went on and he realized that he is actually a smart dog. Before that he was a little monster! Now he is a big baby. I wouldn't trade him for the world!

I've always had black cats and am drawn to them first. I have never been able to understand why they are the last to be adopted.

Besides being passed over, I think there's an abundance of black dogs and cats at the shelters due to the color being dominate in the litters.

Color is never an issue for me. The guy below was adopted in January from the Humane Society.
Yes...........that's grass hanging out of his mouth and a little paint on his muzzle! :)

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Our pup is nearly all black. The day we adopted him I would say 6/10 dogs there were black or predominately black.

Being 'another black dog' didn't help his case but I know very well why out little guy wasn't adopted in spite his puppy charm, outgoing personality, basic obedience, crate training, ect: he had a red sign reading NOT RECOMMENDED FOR HOMES WITH CHILDREN on his run. I was told they put the sign on all the herding dogs that come in -though I think a warning about their extreme need for exercise, training, and mental stimulation would be more appropriate! He's a Border Collie and they certainly are not for an average household or an inexperienced dog owner.

We count ourselves lucky to have found such a great dog. :)

My daughter Jill went to the shelter to find the Golden Retriever of her dreams, and came home with this dog. She named him Wolfy (Wolfgang), after Mozart. He's 11 or 12 now. (Not sure how old he was at adoption ten years ago.)

The same daughter found Princeton the cat for me in a horse barn:

And last year we took in a black kitten, along with his mother. We named them Pogo and Annie, respectively. Annie is a calico. Here's Pogo:

We've had other black dogs over the years, and I have a special fondness for black and black & white cats.

Susan

Did somebody say black dogs? Love my guy!

{{!gwi}}

Never crossed my mind. I've always been partial to black cats and dogs or black/white mixed. Perhaps because I grew up with Border Collies and still have them and we had a black cat Solomon growing up. I believe in the UK it's the opposite where having a black cat cross your path is considered good luck?