Growling isn't such a bad thing! It's a warning. Better that he growl first than go straight to the bite to let you know when he's not happy. That said, your dog needs some training for starters. No guarantees that things will work out perfectly, but all dogs need to learn, and once he understands the rules he'll be calmer and know what's expected of him.

Enroll in an obedience class (doesn't matter if he knows how to sit and come and lay, he needs more than that, he needs the socialization and working with you). At home start teaching him 'leave it', and 'drop it' for the counter surfing and taking food from the children's hands. If he knows some commands already, institute NILIF (nothing in life is free). Make him sit/shake/lay down before he comes in or out of the house, receives his dinner or any treats. Have the older children train him too, with you supervising of course.

Grabbing a dog's collar is very threatening. Just don't do it. Your instinct to get the leash was a good one. Use the leash when you need to move him.

Training, consistency and time in your home will make a big difference. Training isn't one class, it's every single day of his life :) Meanwhile, make sure that the children give him plenty of space. The children should call his name and ask him to stand before they approach him. Have you read any books about children and dogs? Brian Kilcommins 'Childproofing your Dog' is one that might be helpful. Also 'Living with Kids and Dogs' - I can't remember the author.

Good luck.

Your new dog was reacting to YOUR emotions. He probably felt threatened. I suggest you leash walk your dog three times a day, it will help your dog learn who is boss. Make certain you dont allow his food stealing to continue. I suggest feeding him just after everyone else eats three times a day, smaller meals. That will help him understand his pecking order.

I think your new dog is trying to determine his status in the house. He has not yet accepted you as leader and is testing. IMHO, I do not think that this behavior means he is aggressive, rather it seems to be normal dog behavior.

I know his growl surprised you, but in the future be sure to correct him and do not back down. Since he is new to you, I would use a food-reward to get him to come in...teach him "Come!" and when he gets up, praise him, but do not give him food until he comes all the way to you.

Recently, I finished an obedience class with my 2 year old dog and collar-grabs were actually a taught exercise! The trainer said this is often an issue with rescues. So, I would also recommend you take him to a class like this. Be sure to tell the trainer you have a rescue, and he/she can give you some special guidance on dealing with those issues.

C'mon folks----does the pack leader back off when a pack member growls at them????

By releasing the collar twice when he growled, you just demoted your standing as pack leader a bit.

Dogs react to the world as their instinct dictates. The age of this dog---and the change of living place----dictates the dog begin to try for supremacy. He was relaxed, and you challanged him(looking at that situation from his side). He simply won that challange.

You got him to go out---but you did so by another act entirely---the next time you challange him in the same way, he will growl again---and may get more resistant.

Of course, if you always use the leash, and never grab the collar---no problem.

But, what happens when one of the kids grabs the collar?
] You need to fix that problem----next time, reach for the collar more slowly. Calmly say NO(not loudly, just firmly) if he growls---but do not pull your hand back. You may need to remain with your hand in position until he relaxes. Then move slowly for the collar again---repeating the above until you take the collar. Hold the collar for a bit, release it and repeat.

No praise---this is not a trick you are teaching---this is dominance. Pack leaders require submission---they do not reward it.

In my opinion you need to take this dog to a trainer. You should research trainers in your area and find one that uses positive reinforcement and is experienced in dealing with dominant dogs.

With no disrespect to anyone posting here, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for readers here to completely and accurately assess the situation. Everyone has made some great suggestions, but no one here really knows if this is a potentially dangerous situation or not. As you realize, the potential for problems with young children makes this a serious problem. Please see a trainer to find out how to work with the dog.

Cynthia gave good advice which will in all likelihood be quite effective. The suggestion to consult a trainer is also great - it's always best to get some hands-on help.

As far as handymac's advice - I've done it. The difference is that I am a trainer and I'm willing to be bitten...and I have been...and I guarantee that you will be if you ignore a dog's warning signals. I'll point out that backing off and trying something new is MUCH different than backing off and giving up. Giving up means that the dog has "won" - grabbing a lease and reapproaching the situation safely and getting the desired behavior means that you "won"

Until you can get some real help, put some new rules in place.
1. Train your kdis. Kids don't walk around with food. Quite easy to do and just think of the crumbs you're keeping off the carpet :-) Kids don't discipline the dog. EVER. They should never grab a dog by its collar. They should never bother the dog while it is eating. They should not attempt to retrieve socks, Legos or army men that the dog has claimed. The dog gets to destroy items that are laying around the house and you get to pay for obstruction surgery. Prevention is a good thing! Kids and dogs are wonderful things and I think that every single child should gow up with a dog in the family. HOWEVER, kids do not have the stature (physical or emotional) to be a pack leader and to think otherwise, even with a "bomb-proof" dog, invites disaster. When kids are middle-school aged, sign them up for an obedience class with their faithful companion so they learn how to relate to dogs. Until then, do not allow them to be in a situation they cannot handle, whether you own a Pomeranian or a Pyr.
2. Counters are free of goodies. Floors are free of goodies. My dogs have eaten butter. they have chewed pencils. This is not a dog problem. Dogs eat whatever they can find. My job is to make finding it impossible until I have effectively trained them that counters are off-limits.
3. Dog wears a tab leash (something short and light.... a piece of clothesline works just fine) in the house. You do need to have the dog listen to you. You don't need to grab the dog by the collar. MANY dogs do not react favorably to being grabbed by the collar, especially dogs from an unknown background.

There is loads of good advice already posted above on dog/child interaction and pack leadership.

I just wanted to add one thing based on our adoption experiences. Keep prospective on the transition your dog is going through: new house, new pack, new rules.... It is an uncertain time for a dog, especially one that has just 'lost' his family and is trying to figure out how he fits into a new one. It's a time for the entire household to be very consistent with him about everything and help him understand what is expected of him in different situations.

Example while people eat dinner, tell him where he is supposed to lay down, sit or wait, don't just let him anxiously wander around guessing or causing mischief. Little things like that reinforce you as the leader and by telling him what his role is and he can be successful at doing it.

Though our pup is on the submissive side of the scale and likes to please, but he still spent the first 2 months here testing the waters and challenging us. After the 3rd month he mellowed considerably. I do believe it was at that point he turned a corner in bonding with us and accepted this as his home. Now he gets this gleam in his eye and thumps his tail as if he is proud of himself when he does what's expected of him (ex. sitting by the door while I get my shoes, running into the living room and jumping on his bed -not the couch-, sitting and shaking for guests not jumping on them).

Be patient, be safe and I hope you all have many happy years ahead. :)

Consulting with and using a trainer is excellent advice---but there is one bit of training some trainers neglect----training the owner to use the training correctly. A trained dog is only as good as the person handling the dog at the moment.

I once watched several recruits training to handle military guard/attack dogs for prison work. The recruits were being graded on their inate ability to control a trained, experienced dog. It was kind of funny----in almost every case the dog controlled the human.

That is an extreme example of my point, but all the training in the world is not much good if the owner cannot use it as well.

It's really rather a moot point. No good trainer would neglect giving the handler instruction. Obedience class or instruction is for the handler...so that the owner learns how to train the dog. That's why I don't operate a board and train - and I should becasue it's extremely lucrative. In pet situations, it's the handler who needs the instruction, not the dog.

Consulting with and using a trainer is excellent advice---but there is one bit of training some trainers neglect----training the owner to use the training correctly. A trained dog is only as good as the person handling the dog at the moment.

Obedience classes ARE for the trainer. The actual training is done by the owner at home with the dog. The classes help with socialization for the dog, and showing results of the work done at home based on what the dog's owner has learned in class.

I think handy just likes to throw stuff out, whether it's logical or not. A non-confrontational leadership protocol as Cynthia suggested, training the kids and using management tools as Shroppie suggested, the possibility of a honeymoon phase as suggested by northy are all excellent. Best to immediately implement these suggestions and put in a call to a real trainer.

Ok, maybe I should have said that owners should go to a trainer and do what the trainers say. I see lots of pet owners complain that the trainer did not train their dog----when the owner will not implement the training provided by the trainer.

There are good trainers, so so trainers and people who masquarade as trainers.

I guess I speak a different English than some here----I do fine in a classroom or OJT training---so it is a mystery to me also.

something could have happened at his past home, that might have caused his reaction as well, you never really know.. just a thought.

I see lots of pet owners complain that the trainer did not train their dog----when the owner will not implement the training provided by the trainer.

Well you'll certainly get no argument from me there ;-) That's the bane of my existence! If a trainer can take the dog and within a session have the dog sit, down, heel, stay or come .... then the dog gets it and the problem lies in a communication breakdown between the dog and its handler.

And there are certainly varying degrees of trainer competence as well. However, most training failures occur because the handler fails to put in the hours necessary to proof behavior. I can show someone how to train their dog in a couple of sessions, but if they're unwilling to follow through, practice, practice, practice, honestly assess where fault lies, make changes in their approach and not give up, it's almost worthless...almost. The moment when a handler "gets it", when I see the light bulb switch on and the dog really starts to perform with and for the handler makes it worthwhile.

I'm on my soapbox as I just finished an 8 week course and had 3 handlers just not getting it. One wants to learn and will be returning to my next class (participants are always welcome at any future class free of charge for the life of the dog) One is lucky that she has a dog with a great disposition and doesn't realize how much sheer joy she's missing out on because she will not follow through and mistakes permissiveness for "love" and the last going to to another trainer that I am paying for just so I can salve my conscience as i was unsucessful at persuading him to re-home the dog. He's not going to get it, will never get it and it will be always be the "dumb dog"'s fault. Couple that with my own dog, who came to me as a last-chance foster with some major, life-ending issues and who had gone from a very dangerous dog to a certainly has the potential to hurt someone dog to an OK dog to a pretty decent dog well on her way to a fabulous dog and the exalted status of best-dog-ever, losing a battle with OS before she turned 6 and I'm a little disillusioned and not real patient right now

Rcivok, get someone in there who can help you. It's doesn't have to be expensive or long-term.... maybe 3 in-home sessions including a follow-up ... but you'll benefit from a hands-on demonstration and from learning management techniques that will keep you (and your family) safe while you change the behavior.

we had a dog like that once. as sweet as could be, but if you even looked like you were going to touch his ears he would growl, if you DID touch them he would bite and bite hard. took him to the vet thinking they were sore, nope not the problem. i talked to tehlady we got him from and her reason for getting rid of him was that he bit her kid. i went past one day and saw her kid inthe yard with their new dog, he had the dog by the ears dragging him all over the place. that was when it clicked what the problem was.

so i had to slowly get him to trust me and in just a couple days i had him letting me scratch his ears. i never had a problem with him again, though he never would let a kid near his head. he never bit anyone again, but he sure put a good show.

my wife's cousin sent her lab to training and he got kicked out. the guy takes the dog in for 8 weeks. rules are YOU have to show up every day for a 1 hour class with the dog. she missed going 2 days in a row and the trainer called and told her to bring a check for what he did so far and pick the dog up. no excuses are accepted other than a death inthe immediate family or your own hospitalisation! tha tis the only type of board and train program i support for home pets.

a good friend refuses to have any formal training done, says she has paid 3 times for a dog to be trained and not once has the dog done what she told it. i asked her was she doing what the instructor showed her, and she said she never went! the instructor could make the dog do just about anything, but it would not obey her.

Oh, the poor puppy. He was probably terrified that you were going to leave him outside, in the cold. I am glad you did eventually put a lead on him and go outside together. He is facing a huge transition in having a new home and family and changes in his daily routine.

His new environment has unfamiliar sights, smells and sounds and he could be a little frightened and insecure. Also sounds like he is showing exploratory behavior which is healthy and normal. With time he will eventually adjust to his new home and develop a beautiful relationship with his family.

Make sure he has his own area where he has his food and water bowls. I would try to feed him the same time as your family. You and your family at the table, and the dog at his own doggie dining area (preferably in the same room). Making him wait to be fed could result in further "counter surfing". Once he is on his schedule he may not be tempted to "steal" food.

Oh, always supervise your children around the dog, as they are very young and you don't want them to tease him. Living a happy life with the dog is all about consistency. Take him and the kids for walks, play games  hey, now you have five kids!

"Oh, the poor puppy. He was probably terrified that you were going to leave him outside, in the cold." - That was my first thought too. You do let him sleep inside when it's freezing outside?

One of my 3 terriers growls. It's just his personality. He's never bitten anything or anyone, and he loves children. I sometimes call him my little dimwit, though he's really smart. His growling usually happens when he's awakened from sleep.

I agree with the advice about training, etc., being the pack leader, etc., I agree with robm, essentially. The other thing is to make sure you love on him enough. Make a point of it, and get him used to having you check between his toes, in his ears, etc. One of these days he'll get injured or sick and you'll need to be able to examine him. This comes in handy very often when I'm walking my 3 dogs. They'll get something between their toes or something will get stuck in their fur. They're used to having me check them out so it's not a big deal. Yes, I walk mine all at the same time and we walk nearly every day, except not in rain, etc.
-Hal