# Dog question



## robiland (Jan 20, 2008)

Not sure if this is the best place to ask this question, but here it goes.

I have a Chocolate lab. He will be 6 on Oct 31. He has been a fantastic dog. He has as awesome drive to hunt and to please. I couldnt ask for more of him. He has never bit anyone or been aggressive towards anyone ever. Always goes up to people and likes to be pet.

Well, The 1st week of August, I went to California for a week and had my neighbor and the grand kids watch him and feed him and played with him the entire time in our yard. Played on our toys/tramp sand box/playhouse and all that jazz. They said he was great. Well, last week the other neighbors on the other side had a friend over and went to pet him through the fence (not uncommon at all) and he bit her on the hand. 1st time ever. Then a few days later, a friend was over and I was petting him over a smaller 4 foot fence and my friend came and to pet him also, after like 1 rub on the head, he lashed out and bit him on the arm. 

Has anyone ever seen this before? What could have caused this to happen? Any ideas? What can I do to make sure he doesnt do it again? I need him for hunting, hes the best dog ever. 

Thanks, 
Landon


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

http://www.drjeffnichol.com/?p=1195

Pain?
Psychological changes?
A visit to the Vet may be in your/dogs best interest.


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## robiland (Jan 20, 2008)

Thanks Fowl
I havent noticed any of the items mentioned in the article, but now I will look. 

I woke up today and took him on a 4 mile run. He pulls me almost the whole way. Hes seems to be ok, But I will now look more closely.

Thanks!


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## Buckfinder (May 23, 2009)

Í have a 5 year old chocolate lab that has never bit anyone and has never shown any aggression toward anyone. He did however bite my neighbor when he stuck his hand through the fence to pet him. My guess is that he caught him off guard and this happened when I wasn't around so I'm not sure how it all went down.


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## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

Kids should always be watched around dogs. One of my brothers has kids that have no respect for animals, they were raised in a household where it was perfectly normal to tease their little yap dog until it was practically having seizures from being so scared. My nephew tried teasing my dog one time and got barked into a corner, then I caught him trying to intimidate the dog a couple times after. Not domination, but intimidation like slowly trying to put his hand over the dog's eyes or walking slowly toward her and putting his arms up to scare her. He was going to get mauled despite being told to stay away from the dog. Now the dog and him are never in the same room at the same time.

Try walking your dog on a leash over to see the kids that were watching him, dogs automatically act out more when on the leash in my experience. If they were doing something to him that he didn't like, he'll certainly react.


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## Trooper (Oct 18, 2007)

Is the trouble always around the fence? He may have had a bad experience there once- someone or something poked him maybe? The cure is to have a million good things (food, pets) happen through the fence until he gets over it. Dogs are slow to forgive sometimes, so it might take a lot of kibble through the fence.


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## mjensen1313 (Jul 29, 2015)

Trooper said:


> Is the trouble always around the fence? He may have had a bad experience there once- someone or something poked him maybe? The cure is to have a million good things (food, pets) happen through the fence until he gets over it. Dogs are slow to forgive sometimes, so it might take a lot of kibble through the fence.


My thoughts exactly; something may have happened near the fence while you were out that you may not be aware of yet.. If this has never happened in the past, it seems to be a recent 'learning'.. positive reinforcement until it is 'un-learned'.

I have a black lab, about the only thing she'll do is lick you to death..and pounce on you.


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

Have you had his eyes checked. Sometimes when a dog is loosing their sight the will get startled easy. 
Also sound like he has had a traumatic experience that has to do with a fence. Maybe neighbor kids?


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## Utmuddguy (Aug 25, 2013)

not really that uncommon for a dog to become more aggressive and less tolerant of children and strangers as they get older. I don't trust any of my dogs with strange children and with my own child play is supervised. There's two types of dogs those that bite and those that will bite under the right circumstance.


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