Black Dog

The Black Dog is a fierce, frightening dog, well-known in the stranger side of Puffish folklore legends. Known for possibly being a subspecies of the friendly, and very contradictory to this creature, Norfolk Terrier, this dog is hard to spot - but danger is never too far whenever the unusual sightings happen, as, aye, these creatures do exist, no matter what the scientists say.

In-Universe Explanation
Nobody is sure whether the Black Dog is a subspecies of the Norfolk Terrier, but it is entirely possible. There are many theories as to how the creature came to be, but the most popular is this - a few young, inexperienced Norfolk Terriers were frolicking and playing at the edge of their terrier-settlement, but as a blizzard came along, they tumbled and ran further and further away from their home. Lost, they found and cowered under a berry-bush, and decided to eat the berries as well, as they were hungry. They tasted nice, and they were safe too - or so they thought. The berry-bush was actually a mutated belladonna plant, and this caused the young terriers to dangerously mutate as well, creating the fierce Black Dog.

Another explanation for its existence is that, one day, a group of terriers decided to emigrate to another area. Unfortunately, night fell, and they got lost. They settled down, exhausted, in full view, and quite soon the creatures of the night came out - in short, potential dangers. One variety of these creatures were some ghosts. They wanted to have a pet for themselves, and saw the Norfolk Terriers. Seeing this as their perfect opportunity, they captured them, and somehow made them into ghostly versions of the terriers they once were. However, something went badly wrong. Instead of being faithful, loyal ghost-dogs, they became living, fierce creatures.

BoF Explanation
Some time after Director Benny spammed his approval button and accidently approved of the idea for Norfolk Terriers sent in by one of the workers, a massive glitch, possibly due to a hacking walrus, happened at the BoF. Everything was in chaos. A random video-gamer saw this as his chance to get something into the universe, so he hacked his way in and added the idea for Black Dogs (he loved video games of the "horror" genre). Thanks to the glitch, this automatically got approved, and once the massive glitch was over, Benny was at his wit's end to try and get the new creature deleted, alongside Norfolk Terriers. Unfortunately, by this time, they were woven tightly into mythology, rendering deletion impossible without making a huge mess. He did manage, however, to make sure they weren't seen very often, which was a good enough compromise for him..

Mythology
Folklore has it that if you see a phantom hound with a black coat and blazing eyes at night, bad luck or even death is close at hand. This huge dog has demonic eyes, and it appears only at night, terrifying lone travelers. It is said that you will feel an unnatural chill before you see it appear. Tales of Black Dogs are especially rife in Puffle'and, though some experts think immigrating Viking penguins brought these stories with them from the United Penguin Islands. The most famous of these myths is "Knight Boris and the Black Dog". It is about a knight named Boris, who saves a duchess from a frightening Black Dog who is planning to eat her; the same duchess then tames and keeps it as a pet.

Outside mythology, folklore states that these dogs are often linked with huge, empty houses, especially when they are guesthouses. One of the most famous incidents of these was when a black dog, known by many, as the "Black Shuck", visited the guesthouse of Puffthburgh, in Stuffolks, in 1577, and killed three puffles and destroyed half the guesthouse. This incident is used by many penguins and puffles to prove the existence of Black Dogs to the doubters, who are usually scientists.

It is one of the most detailed legends in Puffish history/folklore, with many having different interpretations. Some describe it as having one eye, and having either jet-black fur or ethereal dark blue fur. It has also been described as skinny, but very tall. Others describe it as small, with amazing powers. Another version says that it is medium-sized, plump, and having green goo coming out of its mouth, with red eyes. In 2014, some remains fo an unknown animal was sighted near that exact guesthouse that the Black Shuck once invaded. Some say it is the skeletal remains of the beast, while others, especially the aforementioned scientists, beg to differ, as they say it is an extinct animal. Either that, or they say it is a massive hoax from the discoverers to get fame and money.

Sightings/Sighted
Most tales of Black Dogs come from Puffle'and, where they are most likely have originated, and even Freezeland, but there have been many sightings since in the United Penguin Islands, and as even as far in the Eastern USA. An explanation as to why it has to be in the two aforementioned areas is that one or two Black Dogs stowed away on a boat, legendarily called the "H.M.S. Boris" after the myth, and drove the penguins on board into the lifeboats; with nobody left to steer it, it eventually drifted to Antarctica. Finally having found land, they jumped onto shore, and began to wander the area, frightening travelers, students, puffles and whatnot on their travels.

Length
There are many interpretations as to how long it is. Some say it is a mere twenty centimetres long; others say it is a couple of inches. The most trusted and agreed-on estimate, however, is that it is very likely to be 6 feet long, in comparison to other objects and animals.

Weight
Obviously, it is unknown, as nobody has ever managed to safely go and weigh the creature without being scratched and/or injured by the creature's fierce, sharp claws and teeth, as they are not tame. Another reason why not even the experts cannot weigh them, is because they are very swift and agile.

Habitat
Tundras, Boreal Forests, Grasslands, etc.

Country
Puffle'and, USA, UPI, and Freezeland

Diet
Penguins, puffles, Norfolk Terriers

Appearance
As mentioned above, there are many interpretations as to what it exactly looks like. One thing is for sure, however - it resembles a creature, or more specifically a dog, much like a Norfolk Terrier. Speaking of it, in accordance to one of the most accepted versions of how the creature came to be, many say it is a ghostly version of the terrier, and many who have them as pets are keeping them safe, as they do eat Norfolk Terriers too.