my dog, doesnt like black people. she always barks and growls at them. the funny thing is she is a chocolate lab.
I think my dog is racist... WTF?
- Thread starter macneill
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macneill said:
Train him otherwise.
I think that's part of the problem. The dog sees someone who looks different and maybe smells different and maybe is distrustful of dogs and the dog barks.
I'm really not sure the last two are true, but maybe.
Train him otherwise.
yooper
SILVER Star
When I was a little kid we lived in Liberia, in West Africa. We had a really great German Shepherd that loved to scare people for fun. She could definitely smell fear, and most of the local bush people were afraid of her, especially after she got a reputation. She was an excellent watch dog because of this behavior: the local "rogues", which was the local word for burglars there, left our house alone completely while we had that dog. Otherwise we were a frequent target for burglary, being rich Americans.
There is a bad B-grade Kristy McNichol movie about this subject, called White Dog, where a white German Shepherd had been taught to hate black people and in the end went berserk and almost killed its trainer, who was white. Before seeing this movie I had no knowledge that people trained dogs this way.
There is a bad B-grade Kristy McNichol movie about this subject, called White Dog, where a white German Shepherd had been taught to hate black people and in the end went berserk and almost killed its trainer, who was white. Before seeing this movie I had no knowledge that people trained dogs this way.
PabloCruise
SILVER Star
O-k, I'll chime in...
I used to have a German Shepherd. CO is pretty white, especially Fort Collins.
One day I was walking on campus and a couple of football players came out of the student center walking my way. When they got near myself and my dogs, the shepherd just started staring at them in the most blatant way, almost tripping, and almost tripping me. It was pretty obvious he was staring. I wanted to ask him if he had never seen a black person before - but he probably hadn't.
Real smooth! Funny.
I used to have a German Shepherd. CO is pretty white, especially Fort Collins.
One day I was walking on campus and a couple of football players came out of the student center walking my way. When they got near myself and my dogs, the shepherd just started staring at them in the most blatant way, almost tripping, and almost tripping me. It was pretty obvious he was staring. I wanted to ask him if he had never seen a black person before - but he probably hadn't.
Real smooth! Funny.
NorCalDoug
problems solved daily...
Agreed.Gumby said:
Dogs are used to seeing what they're used to seeing.
If raised in a white household, the dog thinks that's normal.
If raised in a black household, the dog thinks that's normal.
Socialize the dog and it will learn.
yooper said:
LOL, I've seen this movie (I sort of had the hots for Kristy McNichol a quarter-century ago). "I know what that is--that's a white dog!" [said in the same voice LF would say "white devil"
]Ahhh, but the movie was more about the trainer trying to overcome the dog's programming.
Macneill, I think you should Netflix that one, if you can.
Take notes and get back to us on your progress. 
macneill said:
I would use a friend. I would think a black friend might want to help un-racist your pooch.
A stranger might get a little freaked out.Where I live now, I would admit I would be hard pressed to find a black person I know well enough to ask. Naperville is fairly homogonous.
Gumby said:I would use a friend. I would think a black friend might want to help un-racist your pooch.
Where I live now, I would admit I would be hard pressed to find a black person I know well enough to ask. Naperville is fairly homogonous.
NTTIAWWT!
Gumby said:I would use a friend. I would think a black friend might want to help un-racist your pooch.
Where I live now, I would admit I would be hard pressed to find a black person I know well enough to ask. Naperville is fairly homogonous.
I would wait until after the second beer when asking a friend to help un-racist your dog.
BTW, I am laughing out loud at un-racisting a dog. Thanks Gumby.
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Not to hijack, but last week when i went downtown to a driveshaft shop. The place is in a really bad part of town. Homeless people everywhere, kinda dark. Anyways, the fella said they had been broken into 13 times in the past 3 months. I told him he should get a guard dog. He said he has. He had two pit bulls that he got from a place that raises dogs for this purpose. What surprised me was when he told me they both got stolen! I mean, how can you steal a guard dog that is supposed to attack theives?
stinkyfj60
SILVER Star
concretejungle said:
Its a common problem with Pit Bulls, regardless of what the media and haters say, these dogs are naturally people friendly. Enough that they get stolen... I know of guys who were dog fighters, and had champion fighting dogs get stolen all the time cause the dogs were so friendly. They had to get Doberman's to guard the Pits
training
This can be trained out. Dogs can make quirky connections
and display irrational behavior that is perfectly rational to them.
Take poochie to school. Let a pro help. You will not regret having
the puppy "schooled".
Speaking of odd behavior: I once was staying in a hotel on
business and had my Boykin along with us. There was a strip
club in view from the room window. My dog was fascinated
by all the comings and goings there and stayed glued to the window.
Suddenly he started growling then barking. I rushed to silence him
and when I got to the window I notice two policeman standing outside
the strip club. My dog was "on guard and growling " even as I scolded
him to hush. A few minutes passed and the dog got quiet. I went to the
window and saw the ploicemen walking away down the block.
WTF? I could only figure he sensed the "unwelcome visitors" vibes
or the nervous police or the uniforms or something. I never
heard him growl at anybody before or after, but he was ready to
tear somebody a new one that night.
This can be trained out. Dogs can make quirky connections
and display irrational behavior that is perfectly rational to them.
Take poochie to school. Let a pro help. You will not regret having
the puppy "schooled".
Speaking of odd behavior: I once was staying in a hotel on
business and had my Boykin along with us. There was a strip
club in view from the room window. My dog was fascinated
by all the comings and goings there and stayed glued to the window.
Suddenly he started growling then barking. I rushed to silence him
and when I got to the window I notice two policeman standing outside
the strip club. My dog was "on guard and growling " even as I scolded
him to hush. A few minutes passed and the dog got quiet. I went to the
window and saw the ploicemen walking away down the block.
WTF? I could only figure he sensed the "unwelcome visitors" vibes
or the nervous police or the uniforms or something. I never
heard him growl at anybody before or after, but he was ready to
tear somebody a new one that night.
Dogs pick up on their owners vibes, no? Whereas we think they have this great instinct to pick up on danger etc from others, but in fact I've heard they're intuition and subsequent responses are keyed to the owners behaviour.
Even the slightest tension you exhibit in anticipation to another encounter could be picked up by the dog, and he might behave with the same behaviour exhibited before. So from now on you could be wondering if he is acting on his own, or re-acting to something in your behaviour ... pre-pre-pre-incident indicators, so to speak.
TY
Even the slightest tension you exhibit in anticipation to another encounter could be picked up by the dog, and he might behave with the same behaviour exhibited before. So from now on you could be wondering if he is acting on his own, or re-acting to something in your behaviour ... pre-pre-pre-incident indicators, so to speak.
TY
Next time it happens, just kick the little fxxxer and yell "Bad doggie!"
NorCalDoug
problems solved daily...
Hey Macneil...
I think there's a barbershop in Lafayette, LA where your pooch would be quite happy...
I think there's a barbershop in Lafayette, LA where your pooch would be quite happy...
Doug is right.
what is normal to some is not normal for others.
Human babies are similar.
It is just a matter of socialization. My baby stared in amazement at the first black friend of the family she saw when in the grocery store. Now she thinks nothing of it. She still is wary of people wearing glasses or hats.
My old rottie went beserk until my friends took off their caps.......
Socialize.
what is normal to some is not normal for others.
Human babies are similar.
It is just a matter of socialization. My baby stared in amazement at the first black friend of the family she saw when in the grocery store. Now she thinks nothing of it. She still is wary of people wearing glasses or hats.
My old rottie went beserk until my friends took off their caps.......
Socialize.
