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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My behaviorist vet says growling is very polite.  She told me never scold growling, because you don't want to create a dog that skips the warning growl and goes straight into attack. Dogs only have so many ways to communicate. Growling is scary for humans but the dog doesn’t necessarily mean it to be.

The best kind of reactive dog is the one that barks or growls the moment he starts getting uncomfortable and then keeps his distance. He's making his boundaries crystal clear, he's starting at the lowest level of escalation, and he's heavily telegraphing a desire to avoid conflict. He might be loud and unhappy, but safely navigating his issues is easy.

This is exactly what OP is describing.

The worst kind of reactive dog is perfectly fine right until he isn't and stands his ground the entire time. You can't predict a dog like that. He's also leaving you no choice but to play chicken about which one of you is more dangerous. Unfortunately, training away a dog's signals of discomfort and then "dominating" him is a fabulous way of producing such a dog.[/quote]

She also called him snappy and he has a bite warning at doggy daycare.  (I can't imagine what doggy daycare would agree to take a snappy dog.  I hope ours wouldn't.)[/quote]

OP here. He does have a bite warning at daycare. For new staffers because we know he’s fearful of new people and when he’s anxious, he gets snappy.

However, there are a few mediating factors. 1.) He’s never actually bitten or even seriously nipped anyone. 2.) Going to daycare has really helped his human-reactive behavior. He’s been going for about six months. He’s taken a liking to all of the staff and they tell us that they genuinely love having him there because he’s actually an easy dog when he’s outside with other dogs and we pay extra for him to be outside as much as possible. He’s also very sweet and docile with caregivers he knows and feels comfortable with. Fortunately he absolutely loves going and since it’s become his favorite place, he has very positive associations with the people who work there. He warms up quickly to new staff, probably because they know to let him come to them rather than vice versa. They also seem proud when they “win” over the snappy dog with a bite warning in their file. They all say the same thing to us (we were warned about him but he likes *me*) lol.

I do honestly see improvement in him.[/quote]

Oh, OP. Why can’t you see what is right in front of you? [/quote]

Does it make a difference that the daycare says they see enormous progress in him too? He’s a rescue who was traumatized. I don’t think it is surprising if it took a while for him to warm up to us. But he is now.[/quote]

Hey op you aren't going to get a pat on the head from these pit bull haters. I have two dogs who have pit in them but, very little.  thank you for rescuing this dog and taking such good care of him!  Plus educating your children on how to be kind.[/quote]

It’s blowing my mind that people are criticizing her for teaching the kids how to interact with dogs safely and respect their boundaries.

Do you guys ever go on “Dog Tok” (dog TikTok)? Lots of stitches of videos on there where behaviorists look at other posters’ videos (usually of kids supposedly doing “cute” things like putting stickers all over a dog or trying to ride a dog or hug a dog) and point out what the dog is really trying to communicate through their body language. Turns out that dogs spend a lot of time being uncomfortable around humans and trying to tolerate it. I bet posters in here are doing it too if they are pooh poohing OP teaching her kids how to pet a dog respectfully.[/quote]

OP is somewhat correctly teaching her kids to respect boundaries and she is also at the same time risking the safety of her kids. Some is what she’s doing is outright incorrect, like allowing her kids to play tug of war or giving the dog the preference of its own room (insanely bad training). And even for the stuff she is doing correctly, what she describes is indicative of a dog that is dangerous. Just because idiotic parents on TikTok film their kids behaving badly with dogs doesn’t mean OP is doing the right things. OP can be doing some things right AND the dog can still be dangerous. These are not exclusive facts.

I get that you don’t have much experience with dogs and are idealistic about rescue. That comes across loud and clear. But that doesn’t change the dangerous  facts of this situation. [/quote]

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