Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions written are completely honest and my own.

I loved this book. Seeing those adorable faces and learning a little about each dog was balm for my soul. My Frankie was a black dog I rescued 15 years ago and was the most photogenic little Lady I ever met. Her eyes were so expressive and her ears told tales for days. She passed last year and I'll never forget the joy and love she brought to my life. I will be buying a physical copy in her memory.

This is a powerful work of photography, containing the portraits in studio of dozens of individual mostly black dogs. The studio has been set up with black walls and floor, so the faces of the dogs are foremost and there are no distractions. We see character, dignity, quirkiness, steadfastness, loyalty, affection, in these faces.
The keepers of the dogs have each written about their friend, how they got him or her, the impact this dog has made on their lives. Many dogs came from shelters or were otherwise rescued, and a number are certified therapy dogs.
The photographer tells us that he has always seen more black dogs left in shelters than other colours, even others of the same breeds. Some people are more afraid of black dogs, perhaps, or associate them with guard dogs or working dogs.
I enjoyed this read and I am sure the book would delight many dog lovers.
I read an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

Received an ARC for review from NetGalley — enjoyed this one a lot. The photography was very soulful, you can see the personality and variety of the dogs shining through so easily. The blurbs about the dogs from their owners were sweet.

I am the owner of my very FIRST dog and it's a pitbull mix. He is brindle patterned but he's mostly black. This book was so adorable and all the dogs are BEAUTIFUL ❤️ I wish I had a physical copy because the photography was so good, wonderful lighting. I enjoyed hearing others take pride in their dogs and share how they became apart of their human families.

This book is a delight! Fred Levy has done an amazing job with this top tier coffee table book solely featuring beautiful, adorable, just wanna give them head scratches and tell them they're a good boy black dogs. One line specifically resonated with me: it's hard to get a good picture of your black dog. Levy has created a beautiful book here, and I very much enjoyed the opportunity to review it.

Do you love black dogs? Do you have a soft spot for these gorgeous, soulful creatures that are often overlooked in shelters? My family adopted our first black and tan dog when I was 12 and he was immediately mine. When I got married, he came to live with us and passed at 18.5 years. I knew that I would always have a black or black and tan dog and have had at least one for over 30 years. Black dog syndrome is very real and these gorgeous animals are sadly often overlooked. The stories and the pictures will tug at your heartstrings and make you feel so lucky to be loved by a black dog. They really are the sweetest, gentlest and most wonderful of dogs.

I received an advance copy of this book for free, and am a leaving an honest review of my own volition.

Exceptional Photographer Fred Levy creates a world of warmth and wet noses for beautiful black dogs. He understands the heart of the black dog who is so joyful to be your companion. His photography, personal story, along with the many other beautiful stories and photographs in this book had me laughing and crying. The Great Danes and Lucy were very special to me reminding me of my black dogs.

A reprint of a 2015 book that highlighted something I knew nothing about – that for some reason(s) unknown there is a great struggle to get black dogs adopted from shelters. It could be the simple fact that they don't lend themselves to the ideal profile photo, but all the same, they're collected and rehomed last. This then is the results of a blog where the creative tried his best to prove that black dogs in the studio can make for a dazzling, charming portrait, of heart and character and everything else a dog might wish to share – with the portrait matched to the testimony about said heart and character etc from the mutt's human.

So these pooches can tell when people and other dogs are ill, or give succour to those in care – and to first responders at the Boston Marathon bombings. There's a fair bit of black Lab DNA on these pages, but a couple of Pulis as well, and of course a fair bit of white and brown coming into things at times, too. All told it's a pleasant book – an inessential one and no mistake, but a pleasant one, whether one be a fan of dogs, the whole rescue industry, or pet photography. I guess for the former this is just a kind of gift book idea, and only the latter audience will find great purpose here – but then dogs don't all get to be of great purpose; sometimes just having them round is more than enough. Whatever the colour.

A gorgeous celebration of black dogs. what's not to love?! Lovely photos and stories behind each dog. Really enjoyed this, great to dip into.

This book has beautiful photography done by the author and covers such an important topic when it comes to dogs and adoption. This project is something that many people would love and being able to read the joyful stories of black dogs and their owners makes for a fun and joyous read.

Black Dogs: Stories of Love and Friendship is a beautiful photo book highlighting black dogs. Black dogs are often are overlooked due to “not being photogenic” but Fred Levy blows that assumption out of the water as each of these photos is stunning. Also having the stories of the owners with each photo made this collection extra sweet. A perfect coffee table book for dog lovers.

I received a copy of Black Dogs: Stories of Love and Friendship by Fred Levy via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Black Dogs is a gorgeous photography book featuring black dogs of all shapes and sizes. It also includes each dog’s story from his or her owner.

All the dogs in Black Dogs are rescue dogs, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Black Dogs will go towards The Black Dogs Project. The project aims to help save the lives of black dogs in shelters, and help find them loving homes instead. According to the blurb for the book, “that black dogs are frequently the LAST dogs to be adopted and the FIRST dogs to be euthanized.” This is absolutely horrifying and I’m so glad this project (and this book!) exist.

I have a black dog myself, Ginny. I can’t imagine life without her, I’d be much iller and much more lonely. Reading the stories of other black dog owners in Fred Levy’s book, I felt a real connection to the book, even though I didn’t rescue Ginny. (I tried rescue first though, I promise.)

The book is enjoyable to read, and it also works as a gorgeous coffee table book. The photography is beautiful, and so are the dogs!

The text is easy to read, enjoyable and well-edited. I loved Black Dogs!

4 out 5 stars

This was such a gorgeous book. The black dog problem is something that a lot of people run into, and I am glad to see someone who cares about them so much, and is able to photograph their beauty. This is a book I would love to have on my coffee table.

A visual and photographic story of love to the dogs I love best. The only on I missed being able to be a part of this project is a Giant Schnauzer in winter AND summer coat.
The photographs by the author are lovingly detailed, clear, and work so very well with each story.!
Well suited for reading WITH anyone of any age, including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected eGalley proof on NetGalley Reader from Quarto Publishing Group – becker & mayer! | Epic Ink via NetGalley. Avail Mar 11, 2025
#BlackDogs by Fred Levy @quartobooksus #BeckerAndMayer #NetGalley #goodreads #bookbub #librarythingofficial #barnesandnoble #waterstones ***** Review #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #childrensbookcouncil #picturebooks

Publishing date: 11.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC. My opinions are my own.


This was a very cute book. Filled with pictures of and stories from black dogs. I have always loved black dogs very much, and this was right up my alley.

Yes, a lot of the stories are similar ... but I did find it worth my time to read through them and get to know these dogs and owners on the surface. It really shows that even if there is plenty of stigma against something, someone will love it regardless.

I would recommend any dog lovers to try this little book out. It is 50% pictures and 50% text so it is a very quick and light read.
4 stars, did exactly what it needed to do, but I wish there were even more dogs.

TLDR: Stories and photographs of black dogs

I'm an animal lover through and through so I couldn't pass up the chance to read this book and view the beautiful images it contains.

It was interesting to learn a bit about the hardship black dogs face and it's certainly something I'll take into consideration the next time I adopt. The stories were all heart-warming and the photos stunning. I appericated that the relative metric measurements were included in brackets next to the imperials one as it made the information more accessible for me. I also enjoyed that the dogs inside were of all shapes and sizes, not just the little 'cute' ones.

An easy book to flip through and just read a few stories here and there, it would make a great coffee table book.

Black dogs are often the ones that are overlooked for adoption in animal rescues. This 'black dog syndrome' inspired Fred Levy, a professional photographer, to his Black Dogs Project. He photographs black dogs in the studio and creates beautiful portraits. The resulting stunning photographs of gorgeous dogs are featured in this beautiful book, accompanied by owner-written text about what their dog means to them. A beautiful present for any animal and photography lover!

Oh. My. Gosh. I have black cats (it just happened that way) and I cannot get good pictures, but it never occurred to me that it was anything but my terrible camera skills. This photographer is a true artist, bringing out the beauty and personality of every black dog in this gorgeous book.
You get to learn their stories, too, how they came to find their families and all they went through. My favorite was probably the dog who was so excited he pooed coming out of his cage but his family immediately knew he was perfect.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for letting me read this.

5 stars! 6 stars! ALL THE STARS!!!!!

This one needs a little explanation, because it’s more than just gorgeous pictures of the best dogs who are also gorgeous. All 50+ dogs here are black, the author/editor here is the founder of the Black Dog Project. Black dogs are most often left in shelters and least often adopted because they are difficult to photograph well and because, as with black cats, some people and cultures feel that they are bad luck. Fred Levy wanted to help change the luck of black dogs in one shelter so he hired a professional photographer for the black dogs there and a movement was born.

So here we have portraits of black dogs, all these with homes, many rescues, with a bio from their people. I own a copy of THE BLACK DOG PROJECT, but I THINK (I hope) these are different dogs, even though it seems most of the photos were taken awhile back. Anyway, as the person of one black dog (my precious Sidney Marie, now 16!) she does not photograph well, and is often a shapeless black lump with glowing eyes. Ah, but when you DO get a good picture of her….this rescue from our local animal shelter is the most beautiful princess in the world! Or, we think so, anyway! So, if you are ever sponsoring a pet at your local shelter, please consider a black dog (or a senior pet). PSA over. This is a lovely book.

Such an adorable list of stories and pictures of the most beautiful (black) dogs and as a dog "owner" I couldn't but love this book. Every story is heartwarming and getting to know how many furry friends were rescued and now live a life full of love made me happier. Tears guaranteed and tissues needed but surely this is a very recommended book!