Me again!

All going well with Teddy.  Have nearly sorted house-breaking (never like to get too cocky with that one!), he is great with other dogs and children and then today happens.  Long story short, he was chewing on a pigs' ear and really enjoying himself.  He'd taken it outside, then back in, then out etc and i was getting the feeling that he was trying to find somewhere to enjoy it all by himself with no interruptions.  Then he was under the kitchen table and my 6 year old went straight up to him to give him a pat and he growled and then bit her.  I was doing the washing-up and didn't really get what was going on til it was all over and my daughter was crying.  He hadn't drawn blood but it's quite worrying really.  So what do you think i should do?  Stop the children going near him when he has something like this?  Not give him treats like this atall?  I was actually a bit nervous of taking it off him, but offered him a bit of cake and he swapped quite happily.  Is it really unusual for a puppy to behave like this?  I didn't tell him off as was slow to react to it all and felt he wouldn't know why i was telling him off as was too late.

Many thanks in advance

Haven't you taught your children to leave him in peace when he has food or a long lasting treat.

He cannot tell them to keep away & leave him alone, he can only growl & snap, it's instinctive. There would be no point in telling him off for reacting in the only way he can.

You can go down the you(not the child)holding the treat whilst he chews it & swapping it for something of a higher value & then giving it back & againm holding it as he chews it. If he has a crate than give him the chew to finish in there safe from small hands giving him unwanted attention.

> So what do you think i should do?  Stop the children going near him when he has something like this?

My children are told to never go near the dog when he is eating, even though he has never shown any signs of food guarding and actually prefers somebody to hold a chew for him to chew on.

Kids can't help but pat a dog when they walk past, they often aren't even aware of doing it! so one can never assume a child will leave the dog alone (this from sombody whos toddler was snapped at, years ago, by my own dog when he was eating - :( ). Vigilance is the key.
If you want to give your dog treats, make sure he has somewhere he can go to where he will not be disturbed by the kids.

>I was actually a bit nervous of taking it off him, but offered him a bit of cake and he swapped quite happily

Swapping is PERFECT :)

>I didn't tell him off as was slow to react to it all and felt he wouldn't know why i was telling him off as was too late.

You're right, he wouldn't know why he was being told off and it would probably make him worse with guarding food, well done for not telling him off :)

Thanks mastifflover, you're always very kind with your advice.  Think i have learnt my lesson with this one and will put him in his crate to enjoy a treat from now. Reassuring to know it's intinctive dog behaviour too and maybe only to be expected.