I don't think poo topics are gross at all - after all, poo can be quite indicative of what's going on w/ your dog's health. There are quite a few of us who are "poop inspectors" on YT, so you're not alone!
Anyway, color and texture can be food related and/or health related. Dark can be normal all the time for *some* dogs - but for others, it can be a sign of something. That said, a dark, "tarry", RUST colored poo is indicative of blood in the stool - blood that came from deeper within. A stool that has more red, lighter colored blood means blood is coming from closer to the "exit".
Higher fat and higher carb diets will often result in lighter and more voluminous poos. Higher protein and more dense diets will often result in darker poos. Raw diets cause the smaller, most dense poos - and usually keep the anal glands emptied as well (bc the poos aren't soft).
So, dark isn't necessarily bad - but it depends on the whole picture too. That's all I got on poo for now - but ask away if you need more!
