A black dog is the name given to a being found primarily in the folklores of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often said to be associated with the Devil, and its appearance was regarded as a portent of death. It is generally supposed to be larger than a normal dog, and often has large, glowing eyes.[1] It is often associated with electrical storms (such as Black Shuck's appearance at Bungay, Suffolk),[2] and also with crossroads, places of execution and ancient pathways.[1][3][4] - Halil from Bookmarklet

The first appearance of Sirius Black in the HP movies looked a lot like this. Subsequent appearances had him looking just like a large wolfhound... - Spidra Webster

The Grim!!! *dramatic swoon* - Heather

I wonder if the big black wolf in Never Ending Story was partly inspired by this folklore too? - Halil

*bump* cos of the cats post, that's why ;-) - Halil