Has your dog ever acted differently around people of a different race?

Question

I have 2 dogs and I'm white. The older one we took to our black friend's house since we first got her. She is fine around all races. However, our younger dog was never around another race and he saw a very dark black man in Pet Smart and really started barking! I was very embarassed, we both knew why he was acting that way because he didn't bark at any white people. The next week, I had him out again and he reacted this way to a black family while in a parking lot. I'm certainly not racist and I'm not trying to be funny or anything but I don't want my dog to be! I'd like them both to be therapy dogs. How can I get my one dog used to black people? I could take him over to my friend's house but I'd be embarassed if he started acting this way. I assume that he is just barking to the dark skin because in both instances, the man and the family were rather dark skinned. He needs to get used to ALL types of people if he's going to be a therapy dog. HELP!!!

Answer 1

I think your dog reacted this way to a person of another race simply because, in his experience, people are white. Dogs are pretty quick to figure out what is the "norm", and in his world, white has been the norm up to this point.

Dogs also sometimes react this way to men with beards, people wearing hats or sunglasses, babies in strollers, kids on bikes or skateboards, people in wheelchairs, etc. if they are not used to seeing them. This is why socialization is so important. The dog needs to be exposed to people of all colors, in all shapes and sizes, on legs and on wheels.

Perhaps your black friend would be understanding if you explained the situation? If so, that person could be helpful to you and your dog. In any case, make sure you take your dog out in public often, to get him used to seeing many different people. Good Luck!

Answer 2

"The older one we took to our black friend's house since we first got her. She is fine around all races. However, our younger dog was never around another race and he saw a very dark black man in Pet Smart and really started barking!"

You hit the nail on the head right there. The first dog was socialized around other races, the second dog was not.

Dogs pick up on things that are "different" and many feel they need to alert you to it. You dog may have a similar reaction if the dog had never been around someone with facial hair, or someone wearing a large hat, etc. and then saw a person with those features one day.

In your situation, the dog isn't seeing "race", per say, just that the person looks different than what the dog is used to.

You can still work on socializing the dog around other races. (The best time is when they are puppies though.)
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Answer 3

I also have 2 dogs, one of which has a problem with black people. I have no idea why either, I have plenty of black friends, neighbors, and even his veterinarian is black. It is up most embarrassing to experience this, because I don't feel this way about any race. So I know it isn't something that he has sensed from me, so not sure where he picked this problem up. I have found that lately he has gotten better, if it is somebody that he knows that is black and has gotten used to them. Still however if he doesn't know the person its the same old thing. I first detected this problem when I took him to a dog friendly park and he got off of his collar. There were a group of children playing, 1 child was black. He started chasing the black kid around in circles, I just wanted to die. I don't know why he does this, but he is like your dog. Makes no sense. Good luck!

Answer 4

Don't be embarrassed. There's no need to worry about your dog being racial. I have a pit bull that barks at me when I have a towel rapped around my head, after washing my hair. However, I don't think she's racist against Iraqi people...LOL (I couldn't resist.) Dogs are funny creatures sometimes. They notice, or pick up on things that we normally don't. Chances are it's not the persons skin that your dog is barking at, but something about them that is different. Humans are so close minded, and color orientated, we automatically assume it must be the color of their skin. I would suggest getting a darker skinned friend to come over, and slowly ease your dog into being comfortable around him. Have the person talk sweetly, pet, love, and reward your dog with treats, when the dog behaves acceptably.

Answer 5

It feels like you're blessed with distinct dogs. These dogs know that someone is older considering the fact that of body language. Elderly persons transfer in a different way. Body language is how animals communicate. It can be the equal means that they comprehend to lick your tears or bark at a man or woman that makes you uneasy. This is the reason puppies are so high-quality. Congrats on discovering some just right ones.

Answer 6

Yes one of my Shepherds did this with our friend. Anyways our friend understood due to her dog didn't like me at first. Anyways what we did was got together more often, we brought treats with us and made friends with he dogs. It took time and then once they got better we went for walks with the dogs and still gave treats. Both after a while made the dogs sit first before giving treats and while walking we traded leash's and went several feet from one another, treats in hand we gave sits, downs, and on. The dogs are great know and I personally think it's color due to these two dogs never seen a lighter or darker person. They both got over it, you can also find a dog trainer that can help, look for a positive motivation teacher. Your dog, (like ours) was scared. I've seen this in other dogs as well.

Answer 7

Some dogs are more sight oriented than smell oriented. I have one chihuahua who barks and notices every change in family members, and acts like they are strangers when they approach if their hair color is different, they have on a hat or glasses. She just doesn't rely on her nose, she relies on her eyes. Your dog might be the same. She had just not been exposed to many African American people. She saw them as different.

Don't be embarrassed by your dog. It is a dog. Anyone can understand that. You can't reason with it. You just have to expose it to different people to help her overcome this.

It's ok. She will learn.

Answer 8

Yes all dogs tend to do this. People that eat differing foods have a different smell & dogs are very pack oriented... meaning they get used to the smell of their pack members & consider those with a differing smell to be a threat to their territory. Humans are just other pack members to a dog.
This is not a skin color thing, it is a smell alien to them. When I lived close to the Mexican border, my dogs would become very aggressive to the illegal aliens, but were tolerant of Hispanics that were raised in the US. Therefore I suspect the different smell is what set them off.

Answer 9

My black Labrador was just old enough to know he shouldn't jump up. The first time he met my big very dark African American friend he nearly tackled him. He absolutely loved him and kept staring, sniffing and wagging his tail. It was weird and then we finally figured it out. It was his first black human he had met. Most of his litter was black and he had white brothers. Now he got to see humans had white and black brothers too.

Answer 10

yeah....that happened to me
in fact asian farmers usually
tell white people not to go near their
cows or cattle and horses because they
might react violently.....
i my self don't know the reason why...
but i think animals have races to..
hehehe
may be there is also animal racism for some unknown reasons.......
my dog usually don't react about differents
races but when it comes to the
farmers cattle they go WILD