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Hi,
I am not a professional dog trainer, but as a parent I had the same situation and this is what worked for me.
After the first time it happened my wife and I were really scared. The “psst” with a light touch on the neck [yes directly copied from Ceaser Milan] has worked greatly. At a different time I set it up directly so the kids would be around the dog and watched closely, when it happened again I did the same thing.
I also have a really comfortable crate which the kids are not allowed to get close to the door to pet her. I taught them that when Bella goes into the crate she wants time to herself and they should leave her alone.
Now when she has had enough play time she doesn’t growl she goes to her crate and everyone lets her be.
I also let the kids walk her and feed her from time to time, hopefully to show that she is at the bottom of the pack.
Again I am not a professional dog trainer, and if anyone has any constructive criticism for me it is appreciated, I am here to learn. I do sometimes wonder if this technique has dropped the confidence of Bella. She is timid not with us but with groups of strangers. You can read my entry in the fear section of the forum.
