Title: Black dog syndrome

{{Short description|Alleged animal adoption phenomenon}}
{{distinguish|Black dog (depression)}}
[[Image:tuxedomix2.jpg|thumb|right|150px|A rescued BBD (Big Black Dog) from [[Atlantic Canada]]]]
'''Black dog syndrome''' or '''big black dog syndrome''' is a [[phenomenon]] in which black dogs are passed over for [[pet adoption|adoption]] in favor of lighter-colored animals.&lt;ref name=latimes2008/&gt; [[Black cat]]s are similarly reported to be subject to the same phenomenon.&lt;ref name=latimes2008/&gt;

While earlier studies found evidence for a lower adoption rate for black dogs, other studies found that they are adopted more quickly than dogs with lighter coat colors. This has led some experts to dismiss black dog syndrome as a 'myth'.&lt;ref&gt;{{cite web |last1=Binkley |first1=Collin |title='Black dog' theory tested |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/jun/20/black-dog-theory-tested/ |website=www.spokesman.com |publisher=Associated Press}} &quot;There's no firm science to support the existence of Black Dog Syndrome, and some studies have dismissed it as a myth. Maryann Regan, director of shelter operations at the Animal Rescue League of Boston, said she doesn't see widespread bias against black dogs.&quot;&lt;/ref&gt;&lt;ref&gt;{{cite web |title=New Study Finds No Evidence For &quot;Black Dog Syndrome&quot; |url=https://www.newswise.com/articles/new-study-finds-no-evidence-for-black-dog-syndrome-but-bully-breeds-black-cats-need-help |website=www.newswise.com |language=en}}&lt;/ref&gt;

==Theories==
Initial research at one location identified a longer period experienced by black dogs before adoption, but subsequent studies considered to be more robust (as conducted in a larger number of geographically spread shelters) have shown that when shelter visitors video-recorded their walk through the adoption area, they spent equal amounts of time looking at every dog, regardless of coat color.&lt;ref name=&quot;believein-badrap&quot;&gt;{{cite news|url=http://doyoubelieveindog.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/black-dog-syndrome-bad-rap.html|title=Do you believe in dog?|author=Cobb Hecht|work=doyoubelieveindog.blogspot.com.au}}&lt;/ref&gt; Other studies have suggested [[brindle]] dogs may be more likely to experience longer delays before adoption than black dogs.&lt;ref name=&quot;believein-badrap&quot; /&gt; Coat color bias seems evident, but may change depending on geographic location.

Some people believe that during the pet adoption process, potential owners associate the color black with evil or misfortune (similar to the common superstition surrounding [[black cat]]s), and this bias transfers over to their choice of dog.&lt;ref name=latimes2008/&gt; Additionally, many shelters feature photo profiles of their dogs on the shelter website. Because black dogs do not photograph well, lighter-colored dogs have an advantage with potential adopters browsing the site.&lt;ref name= latimes2008/&gt; A study done by the [[Los Angeles]] Animal Services challenges some of these claims, saying that a full 28% of adopted dogs are black.&lt;ref&gt;{{Cite news|url=http://latimes.com/style/la-hm-black6-2008dec06-story.html|title=Black dog bias? – LA Times|last=Nakano|first=Craig|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=2018-01-16|language=en-US}}&lt;/ref&gt;

However, appearance, in general, does play a role in potential adopters' selection of shelter dogs. In a 2011 study by the [[ASPCA]], appearance was the most frequently cited reason for adopters of both puppies (29 percent) and adult dogs (26 percent).&lt;ref&gt;[http://www.aspca.org/Pressroom/press-releases/041812 Why Did You Choose Your Pet?] April, 2011&lt;/ref&gt;

==History==
The issue has been gaining media attention since the mid-2000s.&lt;ref name=fratkin2013/&gt; Tamara Delaney, an early activist against black dog syndrome, developed a website called Black Pearl Dogs in 2004 to address the issue by educating the public about its existence and showcasing individual dogs available for adoption.&lt;ref name=people2007/&gt;&lt;ref name=hipp2006/&gt;&lt;ref&gt;{{cite news|work=Dogs Today|date=February 2007|last=Cohen|first=Hsin-Yi|title=Blacklisted|pages=6–15|accessdate=21 January 2014|url=http://www.blackpearldogs.com/files/Black___White.pdf}}&lt;/ref&gt;

==Scientific studies==
While many shelter workers claim the phenomenon is real, its acceptance is disputed, and quantitative analyses are limited.&lt;ref name=latimes2008/&gt;&lt;ref name=oregonlive2013/&gt;

===Shelter studies===
A 1992 article in the journal ''[[Animal Welfare (journal)|Animal Welfare]]'', found that color was not a major factor in adoptions at a [[Northern Ireland]] shelter; black-and-white coats were most prevalent among adopted dogs, followed by yellow, solid black, gold, and black-and-tan coats.&lt;ref name=&quot;LepperKass2002&quot;/&gt;&lt;ref name=wells1992/&gt;&lt;ref name=deleeuw2010/&gt;&lt;ref&gt;{{cite journal | last1=Posage|first1=JM|last2=Bartlett|first2=PC|last3=Thomas|first3=DK|title=Determining factors for successful adoption of dogs from an animal shelter|journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|year=1998|volume=213|issue=4|pages=478–482|doi=10.2460/javma.1998.213.04.478 |pmid=9713528 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13570922 |url-access=subscription }}&lt;/ref&gt;

In 2008, the general manager of the Los Angeles Animal Services Department reported that twelve months of data on the intake of 30,046 dogs showed that slightly more black dogs were adopted than non-black dogs.&lt;ref name=latimes2008/&gt;

A 2013 study of dogs' length of stay (LOS) at two New York [[No-kill shelter|&quot;no-kill&quot; shelters]] determined that canine coat color had no effect.&lt;ref name=oregonlive2013/&gt;&lt;ref name=BrownDavidson2013/&gt; The study noted that coat color's effect on LOS may be localized or not generalize to traditional or other types of shelters.&lt;ref name=BrownDavidson2013/&gt;

A Masters thesis analysis of 16,800 dogs at two [[Pacific Northwest]] shelters found that black dogs were adopted more quickly than average at both shelters.&lt;ref name=oregonlive2013/&gt;

According to a 2016 study published in ''Animal Welfare'', black dogs were actually more likely to be adopted than dogs with lighter coat colours.&lt;ref&gt;{{cite web |title=Black Dog Syndrome: FACT OR FICTION |url=https://www.lowcountrydog.com/top-stories/2017/10/2/black-dog-syndrome-fact-or-fiction |website=Lowcountry Dog |date=2 October 2017}} &quot;Christy L. Hoffman, a PhD and Professor of Animal Behavior at Canisius College conducted a study in 2016 trying to figure out if BDS is really a factor in adoptions. She investigated the role of color, age, sex, and breed on the outcomes of the adoption of dogs in two animal shelters in the United States over four years of adoption records (nearly 16,700 dogs). This study proved black dog syndrome is a myth, and the data actually showed that black dogs had a shorter time span spent in the shelter than dogs of other colors.&quot;&lt;/ref&gt; This casts doubt on the existence of black dog syndrome, and author Christy Hoffman suggests that other breeds (such as pit bulls and other bully dogs) are more likely to be overlooked than black dogs.&lt;ref&gt;{{cite web |last1=Greenwood |first1=Arin |title=Here's What You Need To Know About 'Black Dog Syndrome' |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/black-dog-syndrome-study_n_56698faae4b009377b23ef4b |website=HuffPost |language=en |date=10 December 2015}}&lt;/ref&gt;

===Studies based on images===
A 2012 report in the journal ''Society and Animals'' on a pair of studies recording participant rankings of pictured dogs of varying attributes along eight different personality traits did not find a bias against black dogs. In the first study, using four types of [[poodle]]s (large black, small black, large white, and small white), 795 participants ranked black poodles as more friendly than white poodles. A second study with eight different breeds, including a black [[Labrador Retriever|lab]], suggested that the personality ratings of participants were based more on stereotypes of the breed than on color. It concluded that &quot;in general, except the [[Golden Retriever|golden retriever]], black labs were perceived as consistently less dominant and less hostile than other large breeds, contrary to the assumption that large, black dogs are viewed negatively.&lt;ref&gt;{{cite journal|last1=Woodward|first1=Lucinda|last2=Humy|first2=Sonya|last3=Milliken|first3=Jennifer|title=Give a Dog a Bad Name and Hang Him: Evaluating Big, Black Dog Syndrome|journal=Society &amp; Animals|volume=20|issue=3|year=2012|pages=236–253|issn=1063-1119|doi=10.1163/15685306-12341236|url=https://zenodo.org/record/896891}}&lt;/ref&gt;

A 2013 study published in the journal ''Anthrozoös'' displayed photographs of dogs colored either yellow or black, and with floppy ears or pointy ears.&lt;ref name=fratkin2013/&gt; It found that &quot;participants rated the yellow dog significantly higher than the black dog on the personality dimensions of Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Stability.&quot;&lt;ref name=fratkin2013/&gt; It also found significant differences in ratings based on ear size, indicating &quot;that people attribute different personality characteristics to dogs based solely on physical characteristics of the dog.&quot;&lt;ref name=fratkin2013/&gt;

==See also==
* [[Pet adoption]]
* [[Black cat#Adoption and Black Cat Day]]
* [[List of cognitive biases]]

==References==
&lt;references&gt;

&lt;ref name=wells1992&gt;{{cite journal|last1=Wells|first1=D.|last2=Hepper|first2=P. G.|year=1992|title=The behaviour of dogs in a rescue shelter|journal=Animal Welfare|publisher=Universities Federation for Animal Welfare|volume=1|issue=3|pages=171–186|doi=10.1017/S0962728600014998 }}&lt;/ref&gt;

&lt;ref name=&quot;LepperKass2002&quot;&gt;{{cite journal|last1=Lepper|first1=Merry|last2=Kass|first2=Philip H.|last3=Hart|first3=Lynette A.|title=Prediction of Adoption Versus Euthanasia Among Dogs and Cats in a California Animal Shelter|journal=Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science|volume=5|issue=1|year=2002|pages=29–42|issn=1088-8705|doi=10.1207/S15327604JAWS0501_3|url=http://www.animalsandsociety.org/assets/library/78_jaawsleeper.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401052756/http://www.animalsandsociety.org/assets/library/78_jaawsleeper.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-04-01|pmid=12738587|s2cid=28384989 }}&lt;/ref&gt;

&lt;ref name=hipp2006&gt;{{ cite news | last=Hipp | first=Deb | date=March–April 2006 | issue=35 | title=Black dogs face a hard choice at shelter: don't judge a dog by his color | work=The Bark | url=http://thebark.com/content/black-dogs-face-hard-choice-shelter | accessdate=21 January 2014 }}&lt;/ref&gt;

&lt;ref name=people2007&gt;{{ cite news | work=People | date=11 June 2007 | volume=67 | issue=23 | title=Dog Discrimination? | last=Smolowe | first=Jill | url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20061132,00.html | accessdate=21 January 2014 }}&lt;/ref&gt;

&lt;ref name=latimes2008&gt;{{ cite news | last=Nakano | first=Craig | title=Black dog bias? | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=December 6, 2008 | url=http://www.latimes.com/features/la-hm-black6-2008dec06,0,6461430.story | accessdate=21 January 2014 }}&lt;/ref&gt;

&lt;ref name=deleeuw2010&gt;{{cite thesis |last=DeLeeuw |first=Jamie |date=2010 |title=Animal shelter dogs: factors predicting adoption versus euthanasia |url=http://soar.wichita.edu/bitstream/handle/10057/3647/d10022_DeLeeuw.pdf?sequence=1  |degree=PhD dissertation|publisher=Wichita State University |access-date=30 May 2024}}&lt;/ref&gt;

&lt;ref name=fratkin2013&gt;{{ cite journal | last1=Fratkin | first1=Jamie L.| last2=Baker| first2=Suzanne C.| title=The Role of Coat Color and Ear Shape on the Perception of Personality in Dogs| journal=Anthrozoös| volume=26 | issue=1 | year=2013 | pages=125–133 | issn=0892-7936 | doi=10.2752/175303713X13534238631632  | s2cid=144553212}}&lt;/ref&gt;

&lt;ref name=oregonlive2013&gt;{{cite news | title=Pet Talk: 'Black cat syndrome' may be more myth than reality | last=Balas | first=Monique | date=23 October 2013 | work=OregonLive | publisher=Oregon Live LLC, Oregonian Media Group | url=http://www.oregonlive.com/pets/index.ssf/2013/10/pet_talk_black_cat_syndrome_ma.html | accessdate=21 January 2014 }}&lt;/ref&gt;

&lt;ref name=BrownDavidson2013&gt;{{cite journal|last1=Brown|first1=William P.|last2=Davidson|first2=Janelle P.|last3=Zuefle|first3=Marion E.|title=Effects of Phenotypic Characteristics on the Length of Stay of Dogs at Two No Kill Animal Shelters|journal=Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science|volume=16|issue=1|year=2013|pages=2–18|issn=1088-8705|doi=10.1080/10888705.2013.740967|pmid=23282290 |s2cid=5187332 }}&lt;/ref&gt;

&lt;!-- &lt;ref name=lum2013&gt;{{ cite journal | title=Exploring the &quot;Black Dog&quot; Syndrome: How Color Can Influence Perceptions of Companion Animals | first1=Heather C. | last1=Lum |first2=Nicole |last2=Nau |first3=Kymberly |last3=McClellan | journal=ISAZ 2013 Conference Abstract Book | publisher=International Society for Anthrozoology | year=2013 | page=55 | url=http://www.isaz.net/conferences/2013%20ISAZ%20Abstract%20Book_FINAL_Revised_9July2013.pdf }}&lt;/ref&gt; --&gt;

&lt;!-- &lt;ref name=kogan2013&gt;{{cite journal|last1=Kogan|first1=Lori R.|title=Cats in Animal Shelters: Exploring the Common Perception that Black Cats Take Longer to Adopt|journal=The Open Veterinary Science Journal|volume=7|issue=1|year=2013|pages=18–22|issn=1874-3188|doi=10.2174/1874318820130718001|doi-access=free}}&lt;/ref&gt; --&gt;

&lt;/references&gt;

[[Category:Animal shelters]]
[[Category:Bias]]
[[Category:Dogs as pets]]
[[Category:Syndromes in dogs]]