Black cats are supposed to be unlucky, but they're no match for the legendary black dog. This giant ghostly dog appears to people in rustic churches and lonely mountain paths, bringing bad luck and even death to those that encounter it. This horrific dog's jaws constantly drool a stinky saliva, and its claws can burn through the flesh of victims.
Ghost Dog: In most stories, the black dog is a huge beast, about the size of a young cow. People have tried to kick this brute and have even thrown axes at it. The dog is a ghost, however, and weapons pass through its body with no effect.
Burned: Though it's an apparition, the black dog can inflict real and horrible injuries when it attacks. These dog's slashing claws leave scorching burns on victims or anything else it touches. A church door in Blythburg, England still bears the scars of an alleged black dog attack.
Strike Three[]

A church door still bears the claw marks of the dreaded black dog.
Legend has it that in the steep Hanging Hills of Connecticut, the black dog often first appears as a small, friendly pooch. Seeing the dog once is actually good luck, but things change if you see it again. In the late 1800s, W.H.C. Pynchon told friends of seeing a black dog while climbing the West Peak. During the second climb, he saw the dog again. His climbing partner fell to his death that day. Years later, despite the protests of his friends, Pynchon went back to the West Peak. Nobody knows for sure if he saw the dog, but his body was found at the bottom of a cliff.
Demon Eyes: A feature of the black dog that witnesses can't agree on are its eyes. Some say the beast's eyes glow red with fire, others say the dog has empty, black pits in its skull. They seem to agree that the dog is sent to Earth by the Devil himself.
Scared to Death[]
While walking home on a misty evening, a man decides to take a shortcut along a cliff-top path. Suddenly, shivers run up and down his spine, and the shadows around him seem to take odd shapes. Out of nowhere, a ghostly black dog charges at him. The man is so frightens [sic] that he jumps back-forgetting that he's on the ledge of a cliff. The black dog calmly watches the man fall to his death.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The "Scared to Death" section says "frightens", when it should say "frightened".
- The black dog is featured on several Monster Mania cards:
- It is first featured in If Looks Could Kill on Monster Mania 56.
- It is then one of the suspects on the Monster Mania 63 card, A Monster Special, one of the mysteries investigated by the Weird n' Wild Detectives.