I saw the original film in the 80s. The dog's original owner paid black men (specifically winos and the like) to beat the dog. The dog began to associate blacks with beatings. When Kristi McNicol gets the dog she discovers its history and attempts to reform the dog. She hires a black trainer who meets with success or so we assume until the final shot of the film which leaves the viewer unsure of the trainers success. Hope this helps. ---- Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite http://www.tcf.ua.edu/ScreenSite