BIG BLACK DOGS...    rarely make it out of a kill shelter & often grow old & die in a no-kill shelter

    May sound discriminatory, but knowing a little about genetics explains this sad fact regarding our big lovable black dogs.  First of all, if there is any black predominance of the "black gene" in a breed, there will be a predominance of black colored pups in a litter.  Consequently, if a yellow lab mother had black in her heritage (they all do), she will as breeders call it usually "throw" several black pups.

    The second dilemma is the public choice!  Most people choose their pet with a variety of reasons in mind.  Color is one of the first.  Unfortunately "black is not always beautiful to the chooser" if there is a different color available.  I have no answer for this statistic, other than "trend".  Yellow labs are more often adopted than black, regardless of the fact that black labs were the original color of the breed.  This fact is true of nearly all of the breeds, therefore, unfortunately for the dog, the black puppies simply don't get chosen. 

    I was recently at a Walmart parking lot, taking pictures of all the parking lot puppy peddlers & noticed a lady with a sign that said "LAB PUPPIES for SALE",  I approached the suv that she sat in with about 6 or 7 lab pups(about 4 mos.) & asked her how much they were.  She quickly said..."I am asking $75 for the yellow ones & $50 for the black."   So you see, no matter what, if momma yellow lab has black pups, many of them will end up in shelters waiting for euthanasia.  YOU MAY NOW ASK...so HOW DO WE STOP THIS DILEMMA?  One simple solution that each & every dog owner can become a part of is the spaying & neutering of their pets.

                              I won't stray. I settle down sooner. I am not as destructive. I am not aggressive. I won't mark my territory. I won't be guilty of causing unwanted puppies. All around, I will become a better member of the family.