Posts tagged "black dog"

Columnist Robyn Todd talks About Exercising With Her Pet at MarloThomas.com
Izzy, a standard poodle, is the apple of her owner's eye. But even when you love your dog more than almost anything else in the world, taking charge of 85 pounds of excitable poodle isn't always so easy. Columnist Robyn Todd writes on the Marlo Thomas website about the pains and pratfalls of exercising with her peppy poodle.

Communicating With Your Dog
Remember in "Up" how Dug the dog wore a special collar that translated his thoughts into human speech? Wouldn't it be cool if that device was real? Sadly, the technology to turn that magical wish into science fact may be weeks or even months away. Until then, you'll have to rely on body language and other forms of non-verbal communication to understand what your dog is thinking. But according to Zootoo, chances are you're close enough to your dog that a lack of language is hardly a barrier to you understanding each other.

Denise Richards Rescues Ailing Dog
Luke was suffering from a broken leg, and he was this close to being put down. Fortunately for him, Hollywood star Denise Richards ("Wild Things," "Drop Dead Gorgeous") was on hand to rescue the ailing pooch. Richards wasn't about to let a few health issues get in the way of saving the lucky dog's life. People Pets has a photo of the adorable mutt posing with his new hotty owner.

Black Pet Syndrome
Halloween is fast approaching, and that means black cats are about to be the toast of the pet population. During the rest of the year, though, black-coated dogs and cats prove less popular than those of other colors when it comes to adoption from rescues and shelters. Petside.com debunks several of the myths that may have led to the stigmatization of pets with dark fur.

Ever heard of "black dog syndrome?"

Apparently, it is a problem experienced by shelters and rescue groups across the country -- black cats and dogs always seem to be the last to be adopted. Tennessee-based animal rescue group A.A.R.F. (All About Rescue and Fixin') held a special adoption event for black dogs and cats on Saturday, Sept. 12, to call attention to the issue and to find homes for some of these dark horses, er, animals.

So why are black animals so hard to place?

There are many theories. Jennifer Farley, executive director of A.A.R.F., tells Paw Nation: "I have heard a variety of comments in regard to black or dark animals in general: 'Spooky,' 'creepy,' 'scary,' 'I can't see its eyes,' or even 'I don't trust that dog.'"

"I read somewhere that humans are attracted to specific colors -- they catch our eyes and we are drawn to them," Farley explains. "I believe this is also true when it comes to animals. If you put a black cat with small, yellow eyes in the same crate as a bright calico with lots of colors, people will typically spend most time focusing on the calico." Farley also hypothesizes that black animals are hard to see in their dark crates within poorly-lit shelters.

After first hearing about black dog syndrome, Farley realized she didn't have any pure black pets herself and promptly adopted two. She tells Paw Nation, "I think that if we can raise awareness, maybe people like me will open their eyes and think first about the larger black dogs the next time they're adopting a pet."

According to Farley, the adoption event this past Saturday went fairly well: "We moved every black kitten we had." But they were only able to find a home for one black dog, out of six, and no black adult cats. Farley tells Paw Nation, "It broke my heart. Although people looked at the black dogs, they still looked right past them. Next weekend, I think I will tie custom printed balloons to everyone's collar explaining how black dogs die in shelters. Maybe that will get some attention, or we are going to have to get even more creative."

Sounds like it's time for some black magic.

Check out A.A.R.F's adoptable pet list to see if you can help a dark soul find a bright new future.

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