Wed, Apr 25th 2012, 12:16 GMT

Most likely this is out of fear. Kids can be scary to dogs. They're loud, they make sudden movements, they can be rough when handling the dog, etc. Children need to learn to respect dogs. If a dog feels threatened, it *will* bite. That's really it's only defense. DO NOT correct a dog for growling, it's a warning to be taken seriously and if the dog comes to feel that it will only be corrected for giving a warning it WILL forgo the warning and go straight to biting. Learn dog body language and behavior and learn to know when the dog is getting frightened or agitated. The main thing is this: kids should ALWAYS be supervised by an adult when they are around dogs. If the dog growls, this needs to be taken seriously, and they need to be separated for a while. And then some individuals just aren't good with kids. Since he's still a puppy, though, I doubt this is the case. If the problem seems to go deeper than this, your best bet is a behaviorist. (Not a trainer, a behaviorist.) You may be able to Google up one for your area, or try calling the animal shelter as some of them can direct you to the local pet-centered businesses.

ANSWERED BY

Gray Dawn Treader
1 dog found this answer to be helpful.

Wed, Apr 25th 2012, 07:27 GMT

Luckily your dog is still a puppy so this VERY undesireable habit can be broken with patience and work. First off, it's important to see why your pup is doing this. Are the kids playing too roughly? Is it only happening around food and/or toys? Something that I would start with right away is possitive association training. Get out the the treats and when the kids enter the room or give him/her attention, you immediately treat. This should only be done with you in the room and with constant supervision. Another thing you can do if he/she isn't food aggressive is have the kids feed and water her, possible taking them on walks as well if they're old enough to hang on to the leash. It's important for your dog to not only bond with them, but acknowledge them as alphas as well. I hope this helps! Remember that he/she is only a puppy and that it can take a while to make him/her realize what is and isn't ok. Let us know how it goes!

ANSWERED BY

Bailey
2 dog found this answer to be helpful.

Our 10 week Boston Terrier has snapped at our children aggressively... not playfully. What to do? Answers at Dogster Answers.