Wow, the battery test worked fine and i was able to isolate the problem,: – It’s this one power supply (by IK — came with their Capture Reamp)  that has no issues with other pedals , but makes the Black Dog whine……Thanks for suggesting that, I hadn’t tried other power supplies as that one was fine with 4 other pedals i tested…
So now i really feel like a NUBE , but am happy to know what’s going on!
One plus : i grabbed an Agile p90 les paul just now that i rarely play to test the pedal, and the BLack Dog sounds GREAT with it — nasty and raw , but great….though that tone stack in the Black Dog is a bit strange and i have to keep the treble pot set to OFF…..Did they change anything in the tone of  V2?  –
–Thanks again!