All of us who love dogs tend to think and defend with conviction that dogs do not feed or propagate prejudices, the difference between humans.However, there are real reports about some dogs that are aggressive or extremely suspicious in the presence of people of other ethnicities other than their owner, which can lead to the thought of whether a dog can be racist.
As you may know, racism is a sensitive and complex issue and, more than that, it is a sad and violent reality that is marked in the history of Brazil and so many other countries, unfortunately it is still strongly present in the structural base.Therefore, in this article by Animal Expert, we will explain the possibility of dogs exercising racism consciously or unconsciously.The purpose of this text is to ask whether prejudice and discrimination are part of the social interactions that dogs establish with each other and with Human Beings understand now: is there a racist dog?Is this a myth or a truth?
- If you asked me to express my opinion.
- I would say that there are no racist dogs.
- But dogs that equate racist behaviors that “absorb” mainly from their guardians.
- But also from the society or community where they live and are educated.
- The purpose of this article is not simply to express my opinion about what they call a ‘racist dog’.
- So I suggest that we think together whether a dog can be racist based on a basic analysis of language and social interactions between dogs.
Therefore, we can consider whether the ethnicity or color of a person’s skin really influences a dog’s behavior towards them and their susceptibility to aggression.
If we look at the social behavior of dogs, you can see that vision is not the priority when it comes to knowing another individual and identifying their characteristics, mood and “intentions”.Dogs communicate mainly through body language and, during social interaction, are always attentive to the postures, gestures and facial expressions of their interlocutor, mainly using their sense of smell to know the identity of the other dog.
Therefore, when a dog meets another dog in the street, before feeling it or getting too close to it, it will take a few minutes to observe the posture of the other dog, the position of the tail and the ears, the look and attitudes like they try to get closer. If the other dog shows signs of calm, indicating that he is calm and has no intention of getting involved in a conflict, he will move on to the next step which is sniffing.
Many people wonder why one dog smells another’s anus or offers its tail to sniff, as it is a completely normal routine in social interactions between dogs and means that these two individuals exchange information to get to know each other better.dogs produce certain substances with a very characteristic smell that conveys the chemical identity of each individual. When a dog smells another’s anus, it feels this unique and unique smell through which it can collect information such as sex, age, fertile period, mood and health, among other data that informs you about who this individual is with.
In this sense, it can be said that the color of the fur or the origin of the other dog does not have much (or no) relevance in social interactions between dogs, that is, there is no idea of animal bias.it is what the individual expresses through his body, either through chemicals or through his attitudes and gestures.
If dogs don’t care about the ethnicity or color of the skin, why don’t dogs like certain people, reacting aggressively or suspiciously in their presence?Well, there’s not a single reason that can explain this behavior, the language and behavior of dogs.complex and varied, and the same attitude can have several possible causes.
When we say that a dog seems racist refers to a different and negative behavior compared to certain ethnicities, as we have seen, it is not because the dog judges the ethnic traits or the color of a person’s skin, because this type of analysis is not part of the language and social interactions between dogs.But then why is this happening?
To understand why a dog may seem racist when it encounters a person of different ethnicity than its guardian, it is necessary to analyze the context of this encounter and the education that has been provided to each dog, as well as observe the body language.of the guardian and the person who “doesn’t like” the dog.Here are the main reasons:
If during an encounter with a person of another ethnicity the dog perceives a change in the behavior, posture or mood of its guardian, it may react strangely or negatively.This does not happen because the guardian has “taught” the guardian that the dog is racist, but because the dog perceives that the presence of that person causes discomfort or distrust towards his guardian, through the observation of his body language, then the dog can interpret the presence or proximity of that person as a possible threat to the welfare of its owner, , being able to adopt a defensive-aggressive posture.
This can also occur when the tutor proves that he is afraid in a certain context involving another person, in this case the dog will also notice changes in the metabolism of his caregiver, since the body releases hormones to prepare for a possible confrontation or the As a result, the dog can react more aggressively because the dog perceives that its guardian feels unsafe.
In both cases what motivates the aggressive reaction of the dog is not the ethnicity or trait of a particular person, but the behavior and thinking of his own tutor, so it can be said that there are no racist dogs, but dogs that assimilate racism.of their owners.
The dog will also easily interpret the postures, gestures and facial expressions of people who approach their guardian, if they perceive negative emotions, such as fear, stress, anxiety or defensive-aggressive attitudes, can also react negatively to protect their favorite human.
For example, many dogs suspect or react negatively when they encounter drunk people, as they tend to make sudden movements, take irregular steps and speak out loud, which can frighten or alert the dog.It’s not a prejudice, it’s not a racist dog, but the natural exercise of his survival instinct.
The socialization process teaches the dog to have positive relationships with other people and stimuli around him, which is essential to develop self-confidence. If a dog has not been properly socialized, it can act negatively towards unknown people and animals, a bad socialization can promote the development of various behavioral problems in dogs, such as aggression, in addition to preventing them from enjoying a healthy life and with positive social security.
In more severe cases, the dog can show possessive behavior towards its guardian, preventing anyone from approaching, this happens when the dog sees its owner as such an important resource for its well-being that it is afraid of losing it and uses aggression to prevent it.that no one deprives him of such valuable good. It is called resource protection and is a relatively common behavioral problem in dogs, which needs to be treated properly.Therefore, if your dog seems to be possessive with you, toys or food, we recommend consulting a veterinarian specialized in canine ethology.
Imagine that a dog has never had contact with a person of a certain ethnicity and that this encounter happens suddenly, as overnight.Although not very common, the dog can act strangely in this first interaction for fear of the unknown.If we add to this the fact that the dog has not been socialized properly, it is very likely that its reaction is negative.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to socialize your puppy from puppy and introduce him different animals and people, in order to promote sociability, however, if you have decided to adopt an adult dog, you will be glad to know that it is also possible to socialize an adult dog with positive reinforcement, patience and a lot of affection.
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