To think my dog is racist

[HarryTheHungryHippo]

Our usually very calm and laid back dog has a tendency of barking at people who are either black or Asian. It doesn't help that's he's a big dog and so comes across as intimidating when he barks. This isn't all black and Asian people just sometimes (he's done it maybe 7times in his life and he's 7) but he has never done it to anyone white. I used to think maybe it was that he didn't like hats/headscarfs/hoods up because the first few people were wearing these but he's done it since to some young girls wearing neither and a man who again wasn't wearing anything on his head.
I can't think of anything else it could be and it's not like I can explain to a dog that racism is wrong. Is there anything I can do to stop this?
Will be back later, have to take ds swimming

My GSD goes mental at anyone wearing a hoody, anyone with curly hair, men who get too close to me and her when out walking, spaniels and any one who knocks on our door when it is dark. She actually made us aware of someone in our front garden about a week ago by constantly growling at the front door...she may be touchy but I do love her for guarding abilities :)

I wouldn't worry; my dog was a massive ageist, she hated any man with white hair.

My dog doesn't like people who he sees as not what he expected. For example, if someone with dwarfism turns round he takes fright and barks as he backs away, like he was expecting a child (my best guess). He goes cautiously towards transvestites or people in body paint in the same way he does someone with a toddler on their back who first appears to have two heads. It is so obvious they are being investigated, especially if a group of people want to pet him but he only eyes one suspiciously (face tattoo, say).

I am amazed he has such a strong idea of what a human should look like when he bounds up happily to old English sheepdogs and Yorkshire terriers (much more varied than humans, surely).

Well he's an animal and so imo doesn't know right from wrong or the whole concept of prejudice. I think maybe if the people look different or have a different scent perhaps this may explain it, more like a little fear than anything. Maybe reassure him when in the presence of black and Asian people and I think pretty soon he'll change, hope so. Good luck.

My parents have got a very racist Bassett hound!! They live in a very rural, totally non-multicultural southwest village. They went to Bristol to buy a car..... The dog went mental, they were soooo embarrassed!!

I've encountered lots of racist dogs in South Africa. They bark at white people in the townships, and at black people in the naice white suburbs. I think it is because white people look and smell a bit different to black people and vice versa.

It was very odd to observe, and somehow summed the place up.

I'm sure I was told that if they get fussy or scared at things (when puppies, for instance) you're supposed to ignore it and carry on as normal. Apparently, if you make a fuss of them in any way, it re-inforces the behaviour.

Are you Larry David? There's an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm about a racist dog so maybe it's quite common.

My dog hates hoodies and people in hats.

He also hates Dalmatians, which the vet says is a common dog-hate, the spotty effect looks ghostly to them apparently.

I think it's about unpredictability.

It is quite common - my dog was scared of an Asian friend of mine but was absolutely fine with a white friend who he met at the same time.
A dog trainer once told me it's because the baring of teeth and wide eyes are signs of aggression in dogs. In darker skinned people the white of teeth and eyes are more obvious due to the contrast and the dogs then react to the perceived threat. Might be utter bollocks but I can kind of see the logic behind it.

My dog likes everyone, but hates hanging baskets.

I used to have a dog who hated poodles. All of them. Big or small. No idea why.

Ahaha! I also knew a racist dog once...didn't realise that other dogs were too!

My dog doesn't like black men. Black women and children no problems,other men fine,black men and he goes berserk.

And mobility scooters but that's because he was hit by one.

my dog hates big black dogs, shes such a bigot.

My in laws have a rescued shitzu cross breed of something think poodle(small dog)
He has what I term little dog syndrome and will bark and be aggressive to pretty much any dog that is bigger than him.
They live in a high populated ex pat/retired community Spain and there are tonnes of dogs,there's never a quiet dog walk.

I was barked at the other day as I was pushing a Liddle trolley bloody snob

My dogs are exactly the same. I think it's because they never see black/asian people I live in a white area (on a little island and everyone is white except the owners of the indian restaurant!)

The one time we had the dogs on the mainland they were barking at people who weren't white!