Labradors are one of the most sociable and friendliest dog breeds in the world. And the whole world knows it. They are friendly with everyone including children. So, that is why they are in the list of top friendliest dog breeds for family with children.
Do Labradors bite children?
Yes, Labradors can bite children. Sometimes while playing, if they are not interested in children, or sometimes if there’s pain in any part of the body and then the child teases them. But while playing, they nibble (bite gently) the children. But there’s no harm in that. But then also I would recommend that owners should supervise them while playing.
Sometimes, they bite under some circumstances. While playing with children, they can bite them gently due to over – excitement. Or sometimes, as everyone knows, small toddlers or children treat Labradors like a toy, so that is also why Labradors bite. This didn’t mean that Labradors are not tolerant, they are but when this goes on for a long period of time, they can bite.
Why does Labrador run after children?
While playing, some children yell and run in front of Labradors which leads them to run and catch them as they consider children as a prey. This can lead frustration and unhappiness in Labradors and thus they can bite children aggressively. But sometimes labs love to run and catch the children.
How often do Labradors bite children?
Labrador’s bite is not considered as common occurrence. But like any other dog breed they can bite children under some circumstances. These circumstances include:
- Fear: if a child teases or hurts the dog, the dog may react in fear and defensively.
- Resource guarding: if a dog feels threatened about his resources, he can bite.
- Pain: a gentle lab can bite if there is pain in any body part.
- Lack of socialization: socialization plays an important role in the overall development of the Labrador as if not socialized properly, he can bite children and others.
How to train a lab to stop biting children?
Training a Labrador to stop biting children can be difficult and time-consuming but by following these tips can help you to train them easily and faster.
- Socialization: Early socialization can help your Labrador to behave well and patiently towards children.
- Positive Experiences: Make sure your lab interacts with children calmly and if so, reward them with their favourite treats and toys.
- Mouth Awareness: If your dog bites hard while playing, say ouch and leave the room. This teaches them that biting can end the fun and not to bite during playing.
- Provide Chew Toys: If your lab is a puppy, provide him chew toys so that it can satisfy your puppy biting needs and he does not ruin your furniture.
- Praise and Reward: When your lab stops biting during play and chooses toy over biting, praise and reward him with his favourite treats and toys.
- “Leave it” Command: After training your lab basic obedience training, train them “Leave it”. If lab shows aggression towards someone, this can help prevent the biting incidents as if you say leave it, the dog will leave it and move forward without showing aggression.
- Always Supervise: Never leave your dog and children unsupervised especially when your dog is still learning to interact with children. This can cause biting incidents.
- Calm Environment: Ensure that the environment is calm, i.e., not full of noises while interacting with children. If it is not calm, your Labrador may get over- excited or anxious and can bite children.
- Avoid Punishment: If your Labrador bites do not punish them instead say ouch and leave the room or distract them with their favourite treats and toys that can avoid biting.
Top 10 dog most likely to bite a child
- Pit Bulls
- Rottweiler
- German Shepherd
- Mixed breeds
- American Bulldog
- Mastiff
- Siberian Husky
- Labrador Retriever
- Boxer
- Doberman Pinscher
Labrador Retriever Bite Statistics
According to Forbes, children from the age of one to four are most likely to be the victim of dog bites. This is because they treat dogs as their toys. They pat them roughly, sometimes pinch them, and even teases them. Most of the times, dogs can tolerate these things but sometimes due to illness or pain in body part, they can’t tolerate and bite children. So, owners should teach children about how to interact.
Secondly, the odds of dying from the dog bites are one in 53,843. If any dog breed bites, there is less chance of dying from the dog bites. Some of them also don’t need any medical attention.
Are labs aggressive with kids?
No, labs are good with the children due to their sociable nature. But sometimes they get over excited while playing and can gently bite the children. Or sometimes if they are in pain and the child teases them the Labrador will bite aggressively. So, owners should supervise them while playing and teach children how to interact with Labradors when they are in pain.
Why are Labradors so tolerant of children?
Labradors are known for their friendly and patient temperament, and due to this they are best suited for the families that have children. This also makes them highly tolerant of children. There are some few reasons that makes them highly tolerant. These are:
- Companionship: In early years, Labradors were used as hunting dogs but over a period of time, They have been selectively bred to have a friendly and calm temperament which makes them good companions and very tolerant of children.
- Calmness: Labradors have an inherently calm and relaxed temperament. They are not aggressive from the start and due to this point they are good with children.
- Gentle mouth: Even though Labradors are medium to large sized dog breeds, they have gentle mouth. If children will put their hand in their mouth, then there will be no harm.
- Loyalty and protectiveness: Labradors are known for their loyal personality add if they sense any danger around children and their owners they will react defensively and will not move until the danger has gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
At the end, I would say that Labradors are the friendliest dog breeds that you will ever find. Sometimes Labrador dogs bite due to pain in their any body part, if not socialized and trained properly. Owners should run medical test and socialize and train them properly to avoid biting incidents. Owners should also teach children how to interact with Labradors as children can tease them. If owners want to train their labs properly, they can get training tips and schedule from the professional trainer in their local area.
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