This creature has been reported as looking like a abnormaly large black dog, sometimes as solid as a normal looking dog, othertimes it is etheral or ghost-like. It's eyes are usualy bright like lights, usualy round and red like glowing embers. The creature is often reported to be the saize of an adult bear or a large calf. It's fur often looks slightly shaggy or messy, often it appears to shimmer or glow like parts of it are on fire. It's teeth and fangs are long as well as it's claws.
Odors described during or right after encounters with Black Dogs - Phantom Dogs - Hell Hounds
Usually None are reported but once in awhile there is the foul odor of sulphur. Those that have been close to the creature have reported it's breath gives off a very foul odor.
Sounds - Speech of Black Dogs - Phantom Dogs - Hell Hounds
Often just before being sighted a bone-chilling howl is heard. People who have encounterd the beast on paved roads at night, have reported hearing it's paws or feet hitting the pavement as it runs towards them or away. Othertimes it is completely silent.
There are reports of a demonic growing laugh, and even of the creatures speaking.
Interesting Sighting Details of Black Dogs - Phantom Dogs - Hell Hounds
The creature is sighted at night, usualy near or on places that act like boundaries, like fence gates, bridges, roads, old footpaths. The most common location of sightings are graveyards.
There are some truly frightening reports by credible witnesses of the creature appearing inside buildings. A police officer in South Carolina reported seeing the creature materalize inside his bedroom late one night and slowly walk towards him. The officer prayed to God for help and the beast vanished in front of his eyes. The officer said the creature had an odor he had smelled before near corpses, it was the odor of death.
One of the most terrifying first accounts of an inside encounter occurred in 1577. On Sunday August 4, of that year there was a severe thunderstorm raging, outside of a church located in Bungay, Suffolk (UK). Inside the church a large demonic looking black dog materalized in front of some parishioners. Two of the parishioners who brushed against the creature died immediately, while another person shiveled up as if he had been burned, he died a short time later. To this day the roof of the church bears an eerie weather vane in the shape of a large black dog.
A lot of the folks that have encountered this creature claim that within a year after the sighting, something very bad occurred in their lives, such as the death of a family member, or some other incident like their house burning down, only to find out the insurance was mysteriously canceled before the fire occurred.
There are numerous reports of the creature changing or morphing from the dog shape into the image of a black ghostly woman or walking specter. Sometimes when it appears as the large dog, it will have no head, but in the area will the head should be, the eyes will be glowing, and at other times it is missing a body part or it's body parts may be mixed with a couple parts of some other animal or even a human.
In Britain the creatures has been given different names, one of the first was 'Black Shuck' or 'Shuck'. Shuck can be traced back to the Old English Scucca, meaning Demon. It's German name is 'Bargeist', meaning demon or spirit of the funeral.