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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Dogs have "levels" of cues they give off when they feel stressed/threatened.  It is probable that pup has been giving off these cues for a while and they've been ignored, so they've escalated to something that gets a response.  If she is still giving them off though, it's beneficial to know how to read them.

Lip licking
Yawning
Panting
Ears pinned back against the head
Sniffing
"whale eye"--whites of the eyes showing
Avoidance--head turned trying not to look at you

Any of these signs and it's time to toss dog a treat and give her time to relax on her own.  In the mean time, I would keep DD away from dog until you are comfortable reading dog's signals.  Lots of dog incidents happen while the parents are watching, because they don't know what they're watching for.
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Have you ever met a dog? They spend pretty much all day doing some variation on the warning signs you have posted. [/quote]

PP here. Yes, I'm a professional dog trainer. There is a visible difference between relaxed and stressed behaviors. If you can't see the difference, it's well worth a couple hundred dollars to have a professional help you learn to read your dog.
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NP.  I have to say as a Beagle owner, between sniffing and panting, my dog sounds like she spends the day in an aggressive state....which I don't think she does.  I think you need to refine this advice.  I think growling is more indicative of low level aggression.  When my dog growls I give her a "time out."  She has never gotten to the snapping stage.[/quote]

PP here again.  Of course, dogs sniff and pant!  The question is what setting is this happening in?

Take dog on a walk, dog sniffs all over to find the perfect pee spot.  Good sniffing.  Place dog in a sit/stay, bend over the dog repeating, "Sit. SIT. SIIIIIIIIIT!" and dog gets up and sniffs aimlessly to get away from the situation.  Stress sniffing.

Dog goes outside in the sunshine, runs around for a while, and comes back panting?  To be expected.  Child hugs the dog, dog looks away, ears pinned and begins to pant rapidly?  Stress panting.

Nowhere did I imply (at least, I didn't mean to!) that these are aggressive behaviors.  They're NOT!  They're showing that the dog is uncomfortable with what is going on, and they are appeasement behaviors meant to make whatever is happening that is stressing the dog out stop.  Most people are oblivious to them, because they are often very subtle.  If they are ignored, however, the dog is forced to escalate to something that DOES get attention--a low growl, air snapping, and eventually teeth to skin when they feel really threatened and their other options have been ignored (or worse, chastised.  Don't yell at your dog for growling, or they'll stop growling and you won't have any warning!)

Some really good reading on the subject:
http://www.dogsandbabieslearning.com/ She hasn't written in a while, but the archives are a WEALTH of amazing knowledge and suggestions.  She is a big advocate for ambivalence between child and dog until the child is fully able to comprehend appropriate interaction.

http://www.doggonesafe.com/Signs_of_Anxiety Repeats a lot of what I listed before, but with a great video at the bottom showing how subtle these cues can be if you don't know how to look for them.

http://www.livingwithkidsanddogs.com/stress.html Good photos so you can see what different states of anxiety/stress look like in a dog.

Most of us have dogs that are saints.  We don't know how to read them, so we put them in stressful situations repeatedly out of ignorance.  Learn to read your dog!  It will make you more confident in monitoring child/dog interactions, and help improve your relationship with your pup.[/quote]

Beagle owner here.  Thanks for this, very helpful.[/quote]

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