Can't visit friend as her dog is racist

I have a black dog and lots of other dogs don't like him and their owners often say they just don't like black dogs. The theory is that being black makes it harder for other dogs to read their facial expression due to black absorbing light. Never heard of disliking humans of colour but while unlikely could it be something similar, i.e. they find it harder to read facial cues (as well as just not being used to people of colour)?

I am asian and I can say I have also been a victim of chihuahua racism. But in the end she fell in love with me and wouldn’t leave me alone 🤣

This is ridiculous

It is a socialisation issue, it very much depends on who the dog was introduced to and was around when they were growing up. If predominantly white people then when they see a black person they are startled and react accordingly. It’s the same if a dog never met people wearing high vis jackets or a hat or just something different to what they are used to, the first time they see it, it will startle them. This is why socialisation is so key when a puppy is younger and those dogs that were pups and were unable to be properly socialised during lockdown are easily startled. I have a black friend who got a puppy during lockdown and when she started to have visitors who were white the dog was not impressed, however time and further socialisation has meant the dog is fine with everyone now.

The dog is not racist. The dog is a dog which means it has tiny intelligence and sees any unusual (to it) human as a threat. The greater variety of human skin colour the dog encounters the more it will habituate to difference. By meeting the dog and reinforcing positive behaviour (treats etc) you might be able to cure it of its ‘racism’. But this is not your problem and imo it’s your friend who should sort her dog out.

my small dog Is like this but only with black males for some reason, he's perfectly fine with black women and girls absolutely no idea why as we live in a very multicultural area where we mix well with all races. it can be embarrassing at times and I have had people call my dog a racist.
He also hates hi viz and postal workers.
dogs can be strange.

Dogs see white and black, so they may get confused with darker skins. But they get used to it, so no worries

🙄

My friend's parrot hated people with long hair.

My dog is a guard breed. Hates anyone with glasses and especially if wear a hat. Not actually racism obviously it’s when they can’t see eyes properly. Other dogs hate mine because she’s black and her eyes are dark. Your friend could train it. Muzzle it too.

My dog was also racist to my DH’s friend for about a month. DDog (who is also black) now loves him. It just made us all laugh at the time.

Our dog, who is the soppiest, friendliest boy, was bred by a Muslim family and adores Asian men. As a puppy he would always go to them above everyone else.

He loves everybody, but we have noticed over the years that he will bark at black people if it's not outdoors (with plenty of neutral space around him, he's fine, but indoors on "his" territory he reacts like this). He settles as soon as they get close (he's a CKCS and is about as threatening as a wet sponge), but it's mortifying. Friends, workmen, visitors... 🤦🏻‍♀️

I'm not sure, I think most cats hate everyone equally

We live in an area that is very diverse, and my own family has dark skin. But both our dogs have sometimes - though not always - responded badly to black people (barking, getting agitated, etc), especially if they are wearing dark clothes. I don't understand why this is happening and it is very embarrassing. I don't know whether this post is a wind-up, but my experience is genuine.

I wouldn't describe the dog as racist, many dogs react to people they are unfamiliar with, or associate with a bad experience. My dog hated men in woolly hats. Parent's dog hated people wearing face masks (bad vet experience). Gradual exposure can help. Watch 'Sitting With Dogs' on YouTube. He demonstrates great techniques for building a relationship with anxious dogs.

@CaliforniaCookie My old dog did not see any dark people nor disabled people until quite old. It had a terror of people in wheelchairs and a dislike of dark people, even friends of mine.

There is a whole episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm dedicated to this issue. Essential homework.

Proving that Cats are superior to dogs! 😸

OMG. What was your dog like with old, fat lesbians?

My parent’s dog was like this. But she eventually overcame it, fell in love with my husband and he became her favourite person ever.

Actually I would disagree! We had a dog from a puppy as a children - a Jack Russell and that was a racist dog. It was just horrible to have to contend with! We lived in a very multicultural area and its reaction to persons of colour was nasty and embarrassing. I cannot imagine that anything happened to it in the twelve weeks before it became our family pet…

This isn't a wind up. Dogs can be naturally cautious when they see something that sticks out, as in not normally around them. We had a freak out with a guy who had his baby on his shoulders, a guy with a camera and on crutches. She got used to it fast once she realised it's not a threat, though.

This won’t be a wind up. Dogs are not good with novelty so if they’re not used to seeing people of colour that will be a novelty. The same with people in hats or hoods or whatever. It can easily be counter conditioned- my dog was racist but now he’s not.
Just give the dog space and your friend could treat him for being in the same room as you (just not too close)

When I got my pup I went to a puppy training course and the instructor warned us about this. Some breeds can't recognise features on darker skin and it makes them immediately scared and hostile. I thought it was good to have a heads up as it can of course be embarrassing. What did make me laugh (privately) was when my dog recently saw a white man with a long dark beard and a shiny bald head and she went absolutely mental. She didn't know what he was.

lol…my late husband had an op which damaged his vocal cords. He was left talking very husky, bit like Lee Marvin.

Dogs used to go absolutely berserk at his voice for some reason.🙄

I don’t think that made them disablist dogs.😉