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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[cripplecreek]

I have a black friend who has a doh that hates white guys in uniform.

[LibWhacker]

It might just be the case that the dogs there are a lot meaner, period.

[Texaggie79]

I wouldn't tell too many about that, unless the dog had a previous owner.

I have come to find that many guard type dogs pick up judgment of people from their masters. My grandad, always would tell me how his dog hated black people, but I realized later that my grandad would egg him on when he saw one.

He ran a shop in the bad part of town, and apparently he thought that training it to attack black people would be good for that part of the city.

But I have seen some dogs that aren't even trained to do it. They just pick up the hostility felt by their masters towards a certain type person, and know to show hostility towards them as well.

The owner can act nice though when they want, but the dog will give them away.

[Blue Screen of Death]

He is a Byrd dog.

[AnAmericanMother]

That's my observation as well.

Dogs are situational, and they're suspicious of anything or anybody that's "different." If a dog has never seen a black person (or a white person for that matter) the "difference" makes him suspicious. Depending on his personality, he may be fearful, or aggressive, or both.

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.) Of course, she's been around all kinds of people since she came home with us at 12 weeks.

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. She gives a good impression of Crazy Killer Dog while bouncing up and down inside the kitchen door so that she can see out the window.

[dwd1]

We all know this is nonsense... The only thing that the dog would be aggressive about is if he can sense the adrenaline or presence of a person that might have aggressive tendencies toward his master/officer or he may have experienced seeing a person attack his master and feel a need to be protective... Police dogs are trained to be very well protective but very controlled and unless the officer issues a command for him to attack, he should not...

Other than that, unless the dog likes his meat medium to well done instead of rare.... :-)

[WL-law]

I wouldn't tell too many about that, unless the dog had a previous owner.

It's not as if I taught him to dislike blacks.

I failed to mention -- my dog was a black-and-tan hound, a.k.a. in these parts as -- a "coon hound". I swear to God.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Next story:

Police Dog Suspended for Humping Female Police Dog On Duty

"He was pawing me and I couldn't get away!" Says Victim

[dwd1]

Not nice....

[AnAmericanMother]

I think certainly what you describe does happen - dog picking up on owner's "vibes" or deliberate training - but that's not the only reason dogs act hostile to folks of a different race.

I've seen it too often for it to be hostility on the part of the owners - besides, you set yourself up for wondering if people hate you every time their dog barks. Instant paranoia.

[ErnBatavia]

Bump

[CasearianDaoist]

Heel Hitler!

[swheats]

This sounds unbelievable. But I do know from personal experience with a dog I got from friends, who are caucasion by the way.

When ever visitors came and they were black, the dog would act afraid and hide. But when white visitors came by he would be up jumping around and very playful.

Wouldn't say it was racists, but it did cause me to say hmmmm.

[TotusTuus]

The dog, a German shepherd named Dolpho, was cleared two years ago of attacking a child because he was black.

I'm just curious. How did they make their final determination?

[dwd1]

You might want to take notice of that line of good taste behind you that you just stepped over...

[WL-law]

Not nice....

I'm not lying. I suspeacted that maybe it was due to his extraordinary "nose", that he could sense something different.

The last draw was when he leaped over the fence to confront a local black man walking past the house. The man called the police, we were warned, etc. The police commiserated with us -- acknowledging that some dogs are just that way.

I now have another hunting dog -- a brittany spaniel -- and have no problems in this area.

[LibWhacker]

My dog LOVES the UPS man, who happens to be black. 'Course it helps that he's a dog lover himself and is really nice to her.

[LibWhacker]

LOL

[Annie03]

I had a dog, years ago, who had a reaction to black people. But dogs can see only black and white. So maybe they just notice something different and become alarmed. I once put on a brown wig (I have blond hair)and a dog who knew me well barked & barked in alarm. Go figure....

[LibWhacker]

LOL!