Dogs barking at black people

[PrincessWellington]

We are not black. Had a black child in my house. Dogs used to visitors and are fine but we don't have black visitors usually due to area we live. They barked at him - a lot. A coincidence or is it they are registering he looks different?

You said it better than me sleepybum

Until I saw how my (white) friends spaniel reacted I would have poo pooed this idea of racist dogs but their spaniel definitely is.

They also put it down to not being in a very multi cultural area but also now they are tense when they might be in the presence of a black person (sounds awful - thats not how it is meant) and they think that tension is passing over to the dog, and so its now a learnt behaviour.

Their dogs eyesight is not the best, doesn't wander far from owners and can bump into stuff, so that combined with possible not being able to recognise features in a darker skin seems a likely source for their dogs confusion.

In the interest of scientific balance my spaniel doesn't bark at anything. Too busy with its nose on the ground looking for food to be worried what colour the persons face is !

You said it with much less waffle Downton