Police DOG Suspended Over Charges Of RACISM [Racist Dog Alert?]

AP ^ | 2/4/04

[11th Earl of Mar]

Pa. Police Dog Suspended; Bit Black Child

ASSOCIATED PRESS

MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. (AP) - A police dog has been suspended while investigators try to determine whether the animal has something against black children.

The dog, a German shepherd named Dolpho, was cleared two years ago of attacking a child because he was black. But Dolpho was removed from duty on Monday after biting another black child.

Dolpho attacked a 14-year-old black girl on Jan. 28 during a crime-prevention demonstration at a school but did not break the youngster's skin. The girl's parents said a white student petted the dog without incident before he attacked their daughter.

In 2002, town officials ordered a two-month investigation to determine if Dolpho was singling out blacks while on patrol after the dog escaped from police vehicle and bit a 9-year-old black boy playing nearby. The dog was taken off duty, retrained for two months and returned to the force.

City Councilwoman Wanda Jones Dixon, who is black, complained about the dog in 2002 and renewed her request that the animal be retired from the police force or put to sleep.

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[dwd1]

I will check my shoulder for a chip but I think any reasonable person could draw the same conclusion. It is not one of those things that bothers me very much but I felt that at least he should explain what he meant.... I try to look at what as well as why...

It was as I stated before the use of both expressions together that gave me a bad vibe...

As an IT professional, I can assure use setting switches for master and slave drive operation is not something I worry about...

Someone putting all the files on their black employees on the slave drive and all their non-black employees on the master drive... :-)

Slave for a day is one of those "Let's mess with 'em a little things" where no one means anything by it and most people aren't offended.... Being a slave for 5 years (Sorry, that's marriage!) is a different issue....

You may find that women as well as minorities are trying to send one simple message... "Think before you speak!"

And those in the majority are trying to send a simple message also... "Don't take it personally or too seriously" I think it depends on how much time a person spends on the giving or receiving end of such interactions as to how their attitude goes and whether they walk around with a Pentium on their shoulder....

[ican'tbelieveit]

I am a woman, and I suggested you think and possibly google "coonhound" before assuming that it was in conjunction with being a black slur.

[Ichneumon]

You might enjoy "Poodlevania" and "The Dominant Dog", two online books by writer Michael Finley, about his psycho poodle Beau, and dogs (and the dog/human bond) in general. In fact, I recommend them to all dog lovers, Finley is a wonderful writer and a great observor of human/dog nature.

The books can be read online, or downloaded as .lit "eBook" files and read via the free Microsoft Reader application.

[dwd1]

Let's review here... On one post, someone mentioned the fact that they had a dog that did not "like" black people... That is how this began and in my opinion, became less than cordial. I am very familiar with all sorts of dogs but my concern was specifically with someone that I felt was engaging in a less than polite play on words...

However, I have no problem with the use of the word in it's proper context... I thought I gave the person an adequate chance to explain because I thought the expression and context could cause misunderstanding...

If you look at my posts, hopefully, you will see this...

[dwd1]

"Grey" hounds would most likely discriminate against the elderly.... :-)

[Texaggie79]

Ya, you are right. It is just the fact that you have never had a black person in your home that the dog reacts in such a way. That the dog, in all it's life, never came into contact with a black person. But you yourself, are around them often because you are not racist.

:-D

j/k

[dwd1]

There is a point to be made that dogs are territorial but they are also protective... Most dogs reflect their training and their experiences....

I do not think not being around someone different is enough... I think there has to be a hostile act or perceived threat or challenge in which case the dog is relying on his experience or a hostile or nervous reaction which would stimulate a protective response

But, with negative and/or positive reinforcement from the owner, behavior can be shaped in any direction....

[cyborg]

thanks!

[ican'tbelieveit]

Nope, you immediately accused them of stepping over an acceptability line.

To which I find offense that you were so quick to take it that way. It is people jumping to those type of conclusions that end up with a dog being accused of being racist, such as this story is discussing.

[dwd1]

I apologize for offending you... It was not my intent...

By the way, you understand he could meant it exactly as I thought.... I appreciate your optimism in humanity and your stating that I should give people the benefit of the doubt... I will work on that... However, I don't think I need to do all the work... If I had a pet, child, or anything else that seems to have aggressive tendencies for no apparent reason (I don't think he gave one), I would take corrective measures...

[dwd1]

As I stated before also, if you read my posts, I do not think the dog is the problem...

[cyborg]

A dog does not know 'race' and human beings do not know 'race' either since most of it is made up political crap. A dog that attacks only black people was taught to attack black people.

[Texaggie79]

exactly. Just as my grandfather praised his dog every time it growled at a black person.

[dwd1]

I worked with thouroughbred horses (In Muleshoe, TX) when I was a kid. A guy would work them out and then I had to walk them to cool them off. For a time, they sensed my fear but I remember the owner of the horses presenting them to me and the fear went away.... I have always loved animals and I think they are wonderful if raised and trained properly...

I was thinking about a case last year in CA where a dog killed a lady and the defense tried put the blame on the dog and the lady who got killed....

The courts did not buy it...

[CSM]

"I had a dog that I had to give away last year -- because he was hostile -- ONLY -- to black people."

Actually this is quite common. The dogs that belong to white people are generally more hostile to black people. At the same time, the dogs that belong to black people are generally more hostile to white people. The dogs aren't racist, they just aren't familiar with the people of the opposite color and find it threatening. They see it as a person that is not normal and therefore would prefer to protect the owner from the not normal person.

At least that's what my dog sez!

[CSM]

"I've got a Chocolate Lab who loves EVERYBODY, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in her sight (who knows, they might have something good to eat.)"

Boy, do I know exactly what you mean. You need to post pics!

"She doesn't like the UPS man who delivers to our house, though. I think she thinks he's carrying packages away rather than delivering them."

My chocolate has grown to love every person that delivers something to the house. At worst, she gets to tear up the cardboard box, at best she gets some treats in the mail!

[CSM]

Great dog. What's her name?

[CSM]

"Has anybody got any advice how I can train my dog just to bite Democrats?"

I tried to train mine to "take a clinton" in the backyard, that never took. I had to revert to "take care of business" when I wanted her to go in a hurry!

[AnAmericanMother]

Her real name is Sumo's Co-Doz Brown Bombshell (I didn't name her - the breeder did.) We call her Shelley. Or Shelley the Belly. Or Shelley of the Nine Paw Pads, Labrador of Doom (courtesy of my daughter the LOTR fanatic.) The only thing she dooms is her dinner, though.

Shelley pics (I don't have to be asked twice!)

[AnAmericanMother]

Now, what's your Choc's name, and do you have pictures?