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[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]

Keep your “snappy” dog who nips away from me and mine.

I’m sorry your kids can no longer be fully comfortable in their own home. [/quote]

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