Get support from professionals

Thank you for being so honest about this. Some of what you describe also deserves a look from professionals. This is not a judgement on you or your dog: dogs almost always show this kind of behaviour because they are afraid, feel crowded or are in pain.

Here’s how you can go about it:

Have your dog checked by a vet. Pain is a common cause.
Get support: from a vet specialising in behavioural medicine or a qualified dog trainer (list below).
Pay attention to safety in everyday life (tips below).

You can still practise with Kroki as planned: small, calm steps are good for every dog. Only the situation in which it happened, for example at the food bowl or when being left alone, is best practised together with professionals. This is not a diagnosis.

Until then

Children and your dog stay apart (baby gate, door closed) and are never together unsupervised.
If your dog is guarding something right now, don’t take it away from him. Swap it instead, or let him keep it.
Avoid the situations in which it happened.
Don’t tell your dog off for growling. Growling is an important warning.
If it’s about being left alone: make sure your dog is, as far as possible, never alone (family, friends, a dog sitter). Don’t tell him off for what happened while he was alone, and don’t use anti-bark devices. Both make the stress worse.

Where to find help

These directories are run by the organisations concerned. We don’t recommend any individual people.