Labrador retrievers are known for their friendly, outgoing, and sociable personality. Their bond with their owners is very special. Their loyalty towards their owners will always remain priceless. But some owners complain their Labradors are biting them for no reason.
Do Labrador bite their owners?
No, Labradors don’t bite their owners until and unless the owner teases them, doesn’t consider them their family members, and punishes them every time for their small mistake.
Mostly, Labrador bites their owners due to their way of treating them or showing dominance. But in some other cases, like one happened in Panchkula, Haryana on October 21, 2017. Now let us move on the biting case that happened in Panchkula. On October 21, 2017, firecrackers filled up the sky and ears of the people as well as the labradors. One of Jeevan Ram and other one of Bobby Singh. As soon as the sound of firecrackers reach the labradors ears, they acted weirdly and bit their owners that reside in sector 2 and sector 10 on that Thursday night. On that Thursday night. Three cases of dog bites were registered in civil hospital but two of them were of labradors.
Why do Labrador dogs bite?
Labradors are generally known for their loving and friendly personality but like any other dog breed they can bite due to some common reasons. These reasons include:
- FEAR OR ANXIETY
- Sudden movements: Sudden movements caused by the owner can make Labrador to react aggressively and defensively.
- Loud noises: Loud noises such as the noise of firecrackers, speakers, and horn can make them anxious and lead to biting.
- PAIN OR ILLNESS
- Medical issues: If Labrador is in pain and a person or his own owner touch the sensitive area or the bounded area, more chances of biting can be seen.
- Chronic conditions: Chronic conditions such as dental pain and cancer can make Labradors more prone to bite their owners.
- RESOURCE GUARDING
- Food: Labs are food lovers. So, if a lab feels his food being threatened, he will bite more aggressively. This only happens when their bond with their owners is not good.
- Toys add other possessions: Dogs have an excellent bond with their owners but if not treated well, they don’t build trust on their owners in fact they attack and bite them, if they touch their toys or other belongings.
- IMPROPER TRAINING
- Lack of obedience training: Labradors without basic obedience training is like a bird without wings. So, if the Labrador is not trained, there will be more chances of biting.
- Reinforcing bad behavior: If an owner accidentally reinforces the bad behavior such as growling, barking, or even biting, the result will be a lot of biting.
- OVER STIMULATION
- Too much activity: Excessive playing and activity can lead a playful Bite.
- DOMINANCE ISSUES
- Pack order: Just like any other dog, a Labrador can perceive themselves as the higher authority in the pack and can bite to prove it.
Why do some dogs bite their owners, but not strangers?
Labs do well with their owners. But if a lab is biting his owner can be because of teething, play and if the rules of the owner doesn’t suit the Labrador well. Now let’s talk about these actions in detail:
- Teething: If a Labrador is nibbling {biting slowly} and is a puppy, the point is that is teething age is going on.
- After playing: After an exhausting play, a lab is most likely to nibble the owner.
- Owner’s rules: If the rules of the owner don’t suit the Labrador well, he will most likely bite the owner and show dominance.
How To Stop Your LABRADOR BITING
Labrador is mostly loving dog breed but if a Labrador is biting too much, you should follow these steps to avoid it:
- Veterinary Check-Up
- Rule Out Medical Causes: Run regular medical checkups to identify the underlying problem that triggers the Labrador to bite.
- Professional Training
- Behaviorist: Consult professional trainer or behaviorist and take training schedule and guidance.
- Positive Reinforcement: Make sure you train them by using positive reinforcement and don’t punish them for their mistakes.
- Consistency
- Training Commands: Consistently train them with your words and hand signs.
- Set a routine: Set up a routine of your Labrador and be consistent in your training process.
- Managing Resource Guarding
- Training Exercises: Use training techniques and establish leadership over them to manage the resource guarding.
- Controlled Feeding: Feed your dog in a safer environment and feed the controllably.
Do dogs ever bite their owners when they’re angry or upset at the dog?
Yes, dogs bite the owner when their owners are angry and upset at them. This is because dogs can sense the moods of their owners. But some other reasons can be if they feel threatened or if the owner doesn’t consider them their family members, punish them every time for their small mistake, puppy playful biting, showing dominance and teething.
How To Train Your Aggressive Labrador
Mostly labs are friendly dogs but due to some consequences, they can be furious. But training them the best way can help reduce the furious level, here are some training tips that can actually reduce the aggression of Labradors:
- Identify the causes
- Establish trust and leadership over them
- Be consistent in training
- Use positive reinforcement
- Socialize them properly
- Give basic obedience training
- Take help of professional trainer and get the training schedule
- Track changes and adjust the strategies accordingly
Do dogs regret biting their owners?
In ancient times, people used to believe that dogs regret if they bite their owners accidentally or purposely. And this is the right point. Dogs do regret biting only if their bond with their owner is special. But if the owner teases, punishes and not considers them as their family members, they don’t regret biting. In fact, they do it purposely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
In the end I would like to conclude that Labradors are generally friendly dog breeds and do well with their owners. But there are some factors that lead them to bite their owners such as teething, showing dominance, resource guarding etc. You can control the aggression level by establishing leadership over them, be consistent in the training schedule and run regular health checkups to avoid any problem in the body. The Labradors bite is dangerous as they have a bite force of 230 psi.
Check on another articles to make your lab a good boy.
Stay tuned for next articles. Bye. Have a nice day!