Perhaps the kennel can offer some cultural sensitivity classes?

pscatespscates
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,55010,00.html"; target="_blank">http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,55010,00.html</a>;



:eek:







Man...

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    Racism defies the laws of physics!



    <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
  • Reply 2 of 14
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Actually, there is a bit credence to this. I've seen it with my own dog. He more often barks at hispanic and black people...but seems to be able to make the distinction between some other darker skinned people. I've never seen him bark randomly at my Indian neighbors for example. It's probably scent related more than visuals related.



    If he sees a dark-skinned person far away though, he does zero in on that person and slowly approach him to check him out though...so visual recognition does play a role.



    I can't speak for the dog in the story though, I only know my own dogs. My other dog is dumb as a truck, she'll bark at me sometimes if I approach her from far away. Dogs are supremely near-sighted animals.



    [ 06-11-2002: Message edited by: Eugene ]</p>
  • Reply 3 of 14
    noahjnoahj Posts: 4,503member
    Interesting, they say that the dogs can see in white and grey. I thought it was only yellow?



    If they can see white and grey then a black man would appear dark grey? And a white man white I assume. So it is is possible that the dog could be prejudiced against those that look grey in it's eyes....



    Anyhow, Dogs are not capable of racism. This dog made a mistake, and if my dog did the same these same Cops would be at my door to take it away and charge me with a crime. This dog is not above the law. Nor are the police. The outcome should be what they are pushing for, but not for the reasons they are doing so.
  • Reply 4 of 14
    cdhostagecdhostage Posts: 1,038member
    I think the dog attacvked the nearest moving object.



    Perhaps the family is right in that the police had no control over the animal - perhaps they should be paid back for pain and damages.



    But the dog is a good police dog. They cost a great deal of money to raise and train.
  • Reply 5 of 14
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Is the humor in this escaping everyone except me and 'rat?



    <img src="confused.gif" border="0">
  • Reply 6 of 14
    noahjnoahj Posts: 4,503member
    No, I see the humor, but the larger issue of the dog attacking a child is what concerns me more. If it were a single instance it would be a warning flag, however this has happened more than once according to the Article. I would be interested to see statistics on K9 units and how often they attack the wrong person. If it is not too usual then this dog may be more of a problem than a solution.
  • Reply 7 of 14
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    Dogs are color blind in a similar way as humans that are have red-green colorblindness. They can still differentiate colors, and they could definitely tell shade differences between black and white skins. Not to mention that there are other differences between races aside from skin color - although I don't buy the "smell" theory.



    Dogs also have less cones overall in their retinas, and less of a concentration of cones in the center. So things look blurry to them. Imagine using your peripheral vision all the time. But that, along with the reflective surface, allows them to see better in the dark.
  • Reply 8 of 14
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    How, exactly, would a dog come to be racist?
  • Reply 9 of 14
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    He's probably a registered Republican too, don't you think? I mean...
  • Reply 10 of 14
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    [quote]Originally posted by groverat:

    <strong>How, exactly, would a dog come to be racist?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Probably some chocolate labs getting promoted over him in the department. Or maybe a gang of chihuahuas kept stealing his water bowl. You know, over time, things like that can really affect a dog's outlook on others.



    Maybe he was just raised that way. His parent's may have had him and his litter in the deep South, and they simply grew up with their parents saying stuff like "you ought not to mix with dogs that are different than you" and stuff like that.



    It happens. Sad but true.
  • Reply 11 of 14
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    And just when we thought we were making such progress against racism...



  • Reply 12 of 14
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />



    I can't believe some of you are actually taking this serious.



    This is ludicrous and bullshit like this is getting out of hand.
  • Reply 13 of 14
    ferroferro Posts: 453member
    Ok let me clear some things up here for you...



    The incident that occured with the dog and the young black boy was in of itself not an isolated incident... from the article the dog has had several experiences which led either observers or victims of the dogs behavior to make a compliant or file charges (the dog history wasnt very detailed).



    It is completely possible that the dog has developed a tendancy to attack dark skinned people, either thru experience, i.e. - percentage of people being arrested which really relies solely on the location and district or Scent (if a dog can sniff out "cancer" I am sure that a dog can tell other differences as well)... could also be possible but I have never heard of any testing of that...



    to say that a dog is racist:

    ---

    rac·ism (race-izm)

    n.

    1.\tThe belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

    2.\tDiscrimination or prejudice based on race.

    ---

    then I would apply this too the second definition only... as in experience too...



    dogs are also very visually reactive... if you run, an animal will run after you... when you run you identify yourself as prey... to an animal this is almost irresistable... if I get excited and run towards my other dog or make any subtle attempt to indicate any action of violence or defence my other dog will co-operate and assist in a "pack-like" reaction... I know this first hand... there are soo many variables that could change the outcome of the situation... plus the is alot we dont know about what went down in the past to create this reaction in the dog if it is a learned behavior... did the child happen to run in the wrong direction? was the child between the true bad guy and the cop or maybe too close?



    ------------------------------------



    © FERRO 2001-2002
  • Reply 14 of 14
    cdhostagecdhostage Posts: 1,038member
    Maybe the dog was horny and expressed his love via a tender bite to the thigh... anybody else read Douglas Adams?
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