# Have you seen WHITE DOG (movie about a "racist" White GSD)?



## counter (Feb 20, 2009)

I searched my local library's online catalog for DVDs about GSDs, and the movie WHITE DOG came up in the search. It's about a White GSD who was trained to "be racist" and they attempt to rehabilitate him. I watched it tonight, and the dog is gorgeous. I've never had an attraction to WGSDs until I saw the dog in the movie. Has anyone else seen it? I never heard of it until I did that library search.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Never heard of it, but any movies with GSD's or dogs in general catch my attention. Where did you find it?


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

I have heard of it but never seen it. He really is a pretty dog.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I haven't seen it, is it worth watching?

Is it just me or does the dog look weird/off when he's snarling?


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

he's a pretty scary looking dog!!!!! sheesh!!! never heard of the movie until now.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

The movie caused a lot of controversy when it was first made. Now it's considered a good movie but back in 1982, not so much. More info if anyone is interested.
White Dog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## BayouBaby (Aug 23, 2010)

I did a YouTube search and apparently it was never released in the US. At least, that's what YouTube said. I am unfamiliar with the movie, but there is a small clip available here:


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I have seen it. 

I did not like the way they made the breed look, in fact that movie really pissed me off for a number of reasons.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Interesting concept but based on the clip it seems a bit too melodramatic for me. The dog chasing down the guy, him crawling on the floor, the fake blood and snarling after he's eaten the guy? YIKES. I mean, that dogs bite work STINKS! It was like he was nibbling on the jacket and we're supposed to believe he killed him? OK. Whatev.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

And whatever they stuck in the dogs mouth to get that fake perpetual snarl is ridiculous.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Must be marbles in his mouth. He looks like a sweet and well fed dog. I think the barking and growling was dubbed.


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

I saw it on tv many years ago. I thought it was ok .


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

Woo now I really want to see it!! It does sound like something Sam Fuller would make!

http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/847-white-dog-sam-fuller-unmuzzled


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I watched it many, many years ago.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Jason L said:


> Woo now I really want to see it!! It does sound like something Sam Fuller would make!
> White Dog: Sam Fuller Unmuzzled - From the Current - The Criterion Collection


That's a really good article. 

I hated that they used the white shepherd because without the seeing the movie you just assume it was a naturally mean dog and the movie really isn't about the dog or the breed. 

It bothers me any time they make a movie using shepherds, whatever the color, or actually any breed. A great movie with a great shepherd or any other breed, sends flocks of people off to the puppy store because they want "that dog". How many of those cute little pups end up in shelters when the owners find out they really didn't buy Rin Tin Tin or Lassie or Bolt or Old Yeller? 

If the dog is bad in the movie it hurts the breeds reputation. 

Personally I wish they would use all mixed breeds in movies so no one breed has to suffer the fallout.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Samba said:


> Must be marbles in his mouth. He looks like a sweet and well fed dog. I think the barking and growling was dubbed.


It was definitely dubbed. At one point in the Youtube clip, the soundtrack had loud growling and the dog was sneezing!


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Chicagocanine said:


> It was definitely dubbed. At one point in the Youtube clip, the soundtrack had loud growling and the dog was sneezing!


:rofl: 
Or maybe that was just one really talented dog.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Neat! I'm going to watch this tonight!


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

Someone would make a movie like this. I don't think I will see it, looks weird, and I would mute the whole thing and fast forward to all the scenes with the dog.

Also someone said they should use all mixed breeds, well if they do that and use mixed breeds in movies like this they will think mixed breeds are scary. And plus they probably need to use certain breeds for certain movies and such.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Jessiewessie99 said:


> Someone would make a movie like this. I don't think I will see it, looks weird, and I would mute the whole thing and fast forward to all the scenes with the dog.
> 
> Also someone said they should use all mixed breeds, well if they do that and use mixed breeds in movies like this they will think mixed breeds are scary. And plus they probably need to use certain breeds for certain movies and such.


I don't believe so, because mixed breeds can look so different. If people are going to develop a fear, they are going to develop a fear of mix-breeds that strongly resemble that dog, not all mixed breeds. Kind of like how people are only scared of german shepherds but not all dogs.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Whiteshepherds said:


> :rofl:
> Or maybe that was just one really talented dog.


Could be! :wild: Hey my terrier mix could bark while holding a ball in his mouth, so maybe this dog's talent is growling while sneezing.  

I really want to know what they used to hold the dog's mouth in a snarl though. His mouth looks really weird in the clip and the photos. Cotton balls? String holding his lips up?


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## Hunther's Dad (Mar 13, 2010)

Sorry, but this one seems like a loser. From the Wikipedia link:

*Budget $7,000,000 (estimated)

Gross revenue $46,509 (United States)
* 
It seems the marketplace has spoken.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Hunther's Dad said:


> Sorry, but this one seems like a loser. From the Wikipedia link:
> 
> *Budget $7,000,000 (estimated)
> 
> ...


I thought it did better outside of the united states, though.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Hunther's Dad said:


> Sorry, but this one seems like a loser. From the Wikipedia link:
> 
> *Budget $7,000,000 (estimated)
> 
> ...


Well that is not surprising consider what Wikipedia says about its release in the US:

"The film's theatrical release was suppressed in the United States by Paramount Pictures out of concern of negative press after rumors began circulating that the film was racist. It was released internationally in France and the United Kingdom in 1982, and broadcast on various American cable television channels. Its first official American release came in December 2008 when released the original uncut film to DVD."

That would explain the low revenue. They only did a few showings in the US before shelving it, and it was not officially released here until two years ago on DVD.


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## counter (Feb 20, 2009)

Yeah, it wasn't even released in the US according to the wiki-history. They deemed it too racially controversial, and different factions threatened with lawsuits.

To the person who asked where I found it, I found it at my local library. I have never heard of the movie and only got it because it had a GSD in it.

The movie is OK, but yeah, it gets corny when the dog is biting the clothing, yet the person becomes bloody and then dies. And yes, I kept thinking about how bad this movie must've made GSDs look. I know that when I walk Nara around people, certain people still fear her, even though she's a big baby and only wants to be loved by everyone. I know it's partially because she's a big dog, but also because of the misconceptions about the breed, and movies like White Dog don't help that situation I'm sure.

The funny thing is that when I first started taking Nara to dog parks at 3 months old, I made friends with the owner of an Australian Shepherd who used to breed GSDs. He swore up and down that GSDs can tell the difference between white people and black people, and that GSDs naturally dislike black people. He was a nice guy, wasn't racist (he had black friends) that I knew of, and we all socialized with dog owners of all colors at the dog park. He also told me that GSDs were the only breed of dog that wasn't color blind. I'm not sure how he tried to tie that into everything, but that's what he said. I was a brand new dog owner and didn't know everything about GSDs, but I knew that what he was saying didn't sound right. It went in one ear and out the other. Nice guy though. We were friends for a few years before we moved from VA to OR, and we still email and keep in touch, sending updated info and pics of our dogs.


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## Mike K (Jul 18, 2010)

Now you can see it too
White Dog DVD Movie


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

GSDs don't hate black people. My GSDs could careless if you were black, white, purple as long as you petted them and played with them.lol


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

counter said:


> He swore up and down that GSDs can tell the difference between white people and black people, and that GSDs naturally dislike black people.


This of course isn't true, but he wouldn't be the first person to believe it.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Hey I just noticed today that this movie is now available on Netflix Instant Play, if anyone is interested in watching it. 

Netflix: White Dog


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## ChristenHolden (Jan 16, 2010)

I've already put it in my queue its #30 something. But I'm cuious now from the reviews I doubt we will like it but hey the price is right lol.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

ChristenHolden said:


> I've already put it in my queue its #30 something. But I'm cuious now from the reviews I doubt we will like it but hey the price is right lol.


Yeah that's true! 
I just watched the first 5 minutes or so and I was already making remarks (about what a bad idea the woman lifting up a strange, injured, large dog was) so you're probably right but it's basically free entertainment since I don't even have to get a disc in the mail for it so what the heck.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

I watched it. It was pretty terrible heh. And not even in a good it's-so-terrible-it's-funny kind of way.


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## ChristenHolden (Jan 16, 2010)

Finally watched it. It was ok. BEAUTYFUL DOG. The fake snarle was so stupid. I give it 2 stars


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## GSDolch (May 15, 2006)

BayouBaby said:


> I did a YouTube search and apparently it was never released in the US. At least, that's what YouTube said. I am unfamiliar with the movie, but there is a small clip available here: YouTube - Samuel Fuller's White Dog



It was, I remember watching it on TV when I was younger. lol

was a good movie for its time (as far as the looks) all in all I still think its a good movie.


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## RogueRed26 (Jul 15, 2010)

I saw this film as a kid. This was when I first learned dogs were trained to be racist. The church scene frightened me. Overall, a good educational and moral film about change.


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