My dog is going to a one on one (well, I will be there too) with a behaviorist next week.  I went to a seminar this week that she does before all classes/consults.  Several things she said at the seminar were true about my dog.  I was hoping to get some more insight into these things so that I can know what to ask her/mention to her when we see her one on one.  I don't want to miss anything, I am really hopefull that she can help us, but I want to give her the info that she needs.

Ok, first thing - I have had my dog since he was a baby (10 weeks).  He was so good, so very easy to train.  He was my first dog, and I stupidly missed a big sign.  When he was about 3 months old, he growled at a baby.  I thought he just didn't know what a human baby was yet.  The behaviorist said that if a dog displays a bad behavior before the age of 1, they are a time bomb.  Well ... my dog is sort of a time bomb, only I know what to look for (his body movement changes) before he goes off, so I have been able to avoid anything really bad (biting, etc) happening.

Second thing - She said that dogs who were very good since puppyhood, and very easy to train, don't get many commands (true w/my dog).  Since they are allowed to pretty much do what they want, they get confused and start to think that *maybe* they are pretty high up on the hierarchy.  Again, this is my dog ...

His behavior now is that he growls at kids.  Sometimes it can come out of nowhere.  It is only slightly dependant on age.  For example, if a 3 year old just walks by, he will growl, but for an 8 year old he only growls if they try petting him.  There are some adults he growls at too (mostly men), but he has growled at women too.

One question I have is this - Does this sound like an environment problem (ex: never been accustomed to kids) or a bad gene that he got?  Also, what do people think of medicating him to keep him more relaxed in these situations?  I am reluctant to medicate him because he is so mellow already!  If it is a bad gene though, is medication going to be something brought up by the behaviorist?

Also, I know that he can never ever be trusted with kids.  Really, I would prefer he just ignore them to what goes on now (growling).  I do not have unrealistic expectations (ex: that he will LOVE kids).  I wonder though what is the most I can expect from him in regards to children?  Has anyone been through a similar situation and been able to correct it?

Thanks for any advice or insight :)

Ok.

I have a suspicion, and i could well be wrong, that this behaviourist is going to tell you that your dog has 'dominance' problems or 'is dominant'.

I am NOT a behaviourist, and im NOT an expert, BUT..... from the detailed post you made, it sounds far more to me that your dog just isnt comfortable around small children.

Id be really interested to hear what the behaviourist says, so please register and keep us up to date on what happens.

My own guess, and it is just that since ive obviously never met your dog, is that he has very little experience of small children, and they frighten him.
IF this is the case, then please do NOT punish him for growling at kids, this will only teach him to STOP growling, it will NOT teach him that kids are good, (in fact, the opposite since if he is punished in anyway every time he growls at a kid he will just associate kids with being punished)...... what can happen, when the dogs warning sign, ie the growl, is taken away, is that the dog will then just bite, no warning, just bite.
And im sure i dont need to tell you where that can lead!

So, no i dont think its got anything to do with the dogs genes or anything like that, i think its all to do iwth not being socialised with children (and if you havent got any, then its not easy to borrow someone elses), or possibly a scary experience iwth a small child sometime.

If i were y ou, id go and see what the behaviourist says, but keep an open mind!

Em