[Byron-Hill]

I have had this question burning in my mind for the last several years. I have a black lab named Lexie. Lexie is my third dog. She is the most gentle dog I have ever seen. My grandchildren now play with her but it wasn't always so. One of my youngest grandchildren took to Lexie so much that he tried to ride her like a horse. Grandson and dog stood eye-to-eye at that time. I see this fear phenomenon wherever I go - to the park, walking down the street or at my mother's nursing home. It almost never fails - the very instant another black person sees my dog they are literally griped with an irrational fear and immediately gasp or at least change their direction very quickly. Absolutely no amount of coaxing will change their feelings. Even when they see my frail mother hugging my dog from her wheel chair while Lexie wags her tail and licks her hand, they remain afraid and will not go near the dog. This does not apply to all the black people I encounter. I am almost stunned when one comes up to my dog and pets her. Usually, they have a dog of their own at home. In the park, kids (usually females) 30 yards away will scream and run the other way even if Lexie is playing with her ball and TOTALLY ignoring them. I often wonder if THEY even know why they are afraid. White kids, on the other hand, come up to her and ask me if she bites while simultaneously extending their hands to pet her. Again, this is not across the board but almost always the case. In any case, there is a clear distinction between the way Whites and Blacks react to my dog's presence. Back at the nursing home, 99 percent of the White residents can't wait to touch her and remark about how 'beautiful' she is. In contrast, about 89 percent of Blacks head for the hills at Lexie's approach. I have since made it my goal to research this phenomenon and try to understand it.

User Detail :  

Name : Byron-Hill, City : Calumet City, State : IL Country : United States, 

[Author]

Posts