New dog growling at kids - what to do?

I would throw a good chewing bone in it and leave him alone.

 Dogs need quiet time also.  Don't be afraid to give it to him.  He'll be much calmer for it.

Just find something that he considers "special"...maybe a food filled kong or something...and when you put him in it... give it to him.

Just save that something special for crate time only. Don't allow him access to it outside of the crate.

BTW. It seemed like you were leaving him out in the yard at night? Or did I read that wrong? Anyway, he probably shouldn't be unattended as he doesn't know where "home" is yet and for awhile..

Yeah, we let him come in and out the first night, through the doggie door.  We didn't want him to pee in the house, and we didn't think he'd get out.  We had the gate blocked by a bunch of buckets, but they weren't heavy enough and he just moved them.  Now we've blocked up the area with cement blocks and he hasn't tried to get out since!  He seems to know this is home, or at least that he's got it pretty good here - too good to just leave! 

We came home this afternoon and he was so excited to see us - even the twins.  They were happy to see his butt wagging so hard it looked like he'd shake it off.

Hi there!  I have a somewhat similar situation.  Mylo, a 2 year old Newfoundland neutered male, is a beautiful, big (170 plus pounds) and mostly very sweet dog.  He is my favorite of all our pets, and we have a lot; four other dogs, one very passive older Malimute, two Yorkies, and a rescue female Great Dane. 
Mylo has never bitten me and rarely growled, and when he has I have rebuked him severely.  It isn't a problem with me since as the eldest male in the house, I am clearly "alpha" over him.  My wife and kids are another matter.  His size is intimidating to them, and I suspect it doesn't result in the same rebuke such bad behavior would get from me.  Anyway, he is rather unpredictable in that he will be nice one second, and another will growl, or even nip to bite.  (not breaking the skin, so not a "serious" bite, but more like he is trying to pull rank as the "alpha" dog, IMHO)  For example, if he doesn't want my wife to pet him, he growels, and might even bite, as he has on three occasions.  The kids also have to be careful of him in the hall way at night, because being totally black he is hard to see for one thing even as big as he is, but also he has the same aggressive behavior when he is asleep.  This is somewhat unsettling because we have become use to the Great Dane "talking", which sounds just as bad but clearly is just complaining (we have had her for about 4 years now and she has never bitten).  When we have encountered a growl, I try to get my kids/wife to put him on his back and scold him as we have been told by other sources.  Is this the best method for a Newfoundland and is there a better one?   Am I reading this correctly about the "alpha"?  I have heard Newfies need a "den" or some place that is their private place to prevent the aggression from a sound sleep.  Is this true?  Any information would be greatly appreciated.  There are no trainers within 40 miles due to our location.

You should probably start a new thread on this.

You are treading on dangerous ground by having your wife or children rolling the dog.

Someone could lose a face.

ORIGINAL: Mylo

Hi there!  I have a somewhat similar situation.  Mylo, a 2 year old Newfoundland neutered male, is a beautiful, big (170 plus pounds) and mostly very sweet dog.  He is my favorite of all our pets, and we have a lot; four other dogs, one very passive older Malimute, two Yorkies, and a rescue female Great Dane. 
Mylo has never bitten me and rarely growled, and when he has I have rebuked him severely.  It isn't a problem with me since as the eldest male in the house, I am clearly "alpha" over him.  My wife and kids are another matter.  His size is intimidating to them, and I suspect it doesn't result in the same rebuke such bad behavior would get from me.  Anyway, he is rather unpredictable in that he will be nice one second, and another will growl, or even nip to bite.  (not breaking the skin, so not a "serious" bite, but more like he is trying to pull rank as the "alpha" dog, IMHO)  For example, if he doesn't want my wife to pet him, he growels, and might even bite, as he has on three occasions.  The kids also have to be careful of him in the hall way at night, because being totally black he is hard to see for one thing even as big as he is, but also he has the same aggressive behavior when he is asleep.  This is somewhat unsettling because we have become use to the Great Dane "talking", which sounds just as bad but clearly is just complaining (we have had her for about 4 years now and she has never bitten).  When we have encountered a growl, I try to get my kids/wife to put him on his back and scold him as we have been told by other sources.  Is this the best method for a Newfoundland and is there a better one?   Am I reading this correctly about the "alpha"?  I have heard Newfies need a "den" or some place that is their private place to prevent the aggression from a sound sleep.  Is this true?  Any information would be greatly appreciated.  There are no trainers within 40 miles due to our location.

Max is in the doghouse...

We were lying on our bed cuddling - me, Max, the 2-yr old and my husband.  Husband leaned in to Max's face to kiss him and Max stuck his nose right in husband's ear.  He made a low, quiet growl - so low and quiet I didn't even hear it.  It made my husband angry and so of course he yelled at the dog.  Max went very submissive, grovelling on the ground and showing his belly.  Didn't matter...husband wanted him to go outside for a while, so that's where he is now.

Does that sound like an agressive growl, or a playful one?  He wasn't showing any agression at the time, just cuddling with us.  But my husband said it sounded like a bad growl, not a good one.  Since I didn't hear it, there's not much I can say either way.

Max is very submissive, an Aussie/border collie rescue dog.

Aussies and Border Collies are both breeds that tend to be "reserved with strangers", and they tend not to be very trusting of things that they were not socialized to as puppies.  Also, submissive dogs are often anxious dogs, and will be less inclined to tolerate the same level of attention as some others without getting nervous.  Growling is a warning and should be heeded, but the good news is that the dog that warns you with a growl is not the dog that just jumps to the bite.  Still, it is important to have the dog see the kids not as peers, but as benevolent leaders, just as you are.  I would like to see you take a positive training course with the twins in attendance. 
Good book for you:
The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller
Living With Kids and Dogs Without Losing Your Mind by Colleen Pelar
http://www.livingwithkidsanddogs.com/

Mostly seconding what everyone else has said.

I would not worry about who's "alpha." The dog is so new and that is a scary place to be.

I understand that your old dog was quite tolerant, but it's not fair to expect new dog to take anything from kids, especially after being around only a week. I know you know this, but it's important to keep in the front of your mind IMO. Habits are habits. If I had a home where kids are accustomed to "doing whatever" and laying on top of the dog, I would develop a bit of a blind spot for the kids' behavior and think more about the behavior that threatens *me* (the growling dog), even though the more threatening behavior is the kids' attempts to lay on top of the dog...

In fact, I would look at this as an opportunity to teach the kids that even though Mocha didn't seem to mind this behavior, it's not okay to lay on dogs or do any other "whatever" to them. First of all, it's a lesson in empathy. Dogs don't deserve the punishment they take from kids. And there is also a safety consideration. IMHO, kids who grow up in these households where there's this really tolerant older dog who lets them "whatever" wind up being the ones who get bitten in the face over at a friend's house, because most dogs hate "whatever."

And yeah, thank your dog for growling instead of going right to snapping. Don't punish growling, unless it's your child growling back at your dog. That's a recipe for disaster.

ORIGINAL: pyccku

Max is in the doghouse...

We were lying on our bed cuddling - me, Max, the 2-yr old and my husband.  Husband leaned in to Max's face to kiss him and Max stuck his nose right in husband's ear.  He made a low, quiet growl - so low and quiet I didn't even hear it.  It made my husband angry and so of course he yelled at the dog.  Max went very submissive, grovelling on the ground and showing his belly.  Didn't matter...husband wanted him to go outside for a while, so that's where he is now.

Does that sound like an agressive growl, or a playful one?  He wasn't showing any agression at the time, just cuddling with us.  But my husband said it sounded like a bad growl, not a good one.  Since I didn't hear it, there's not much I can say either way.

Your husband is not helping.   You really need to get your whole family more educated on dog training and behavior so that Max can get off to a good start.  First, keep him off the beds and furniture for now - this doesn't have to be forever, but he needs to understand that the humans control the resting spots.  And, keep your two year old's face (as well as hubby's) from being at the same level as the dog's mouth, frankly.  Banishing a dog does not teach him anything except that you are unpredictable. 
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not to be suggesting this applies to all of that breed, but border collies tend to not appreciate children and prefer their space.

definitely listen to janet_rose she's awesome and knows her stuff []. crates are happy places! they like the plastic enclosed ones.

i get the impression that he is laying near you when the kids approach him. try letting the kids call him to THEM if he wants attention instead of entering his personal space, let the kids entice him with a toy or treats. if he wants nothing to do with them, fine maybe next time. don't push a grouchy dog. [:@]

Fisher and Spiritdogs have great points here: Max isn't Mocha and he's new and he has no idea, yet, how to trust and if he should trust.
 
It's OK to take a step back and work with him through a positive training class. It takes awhile to build a bond and that's so hard to do when you miss your old dog so much. You know how it is--it took me a LONG time to even understand the puppy I got several months after my good old dog died. Even now I still wonder at her sometimes!
 
Just give him time. He will probably love kisses someday but for now--everyone needs to stay out of his face. To dogs, having a face in his face is considered rude and they SHOULD growl for rude behavior--just like we'd say, "Hey, you cut in line" if we had to.  Granted, we don't want them to growl at us, but for now, Max just needs to figure out who's who and what's what. Try a positive training class--you'll learn a TON and you'll never regret it and then Max will have an avenue for clear communication between you all.

What's really weird is that Max loves to get really close to my face - he lets me kiss him, play with his nose and mouth, do pretty much whatever I want.  He will come lay down with his head right up next to mine and nuzzle right under my chin!  He's definitely MY dog, and he follows me around constantly. So far, I'm the only one he hasn't growled at.  It's hard to tell the kids to stay out of his face when they see how he loves cuddling like that with me, but that's what they have to do.

We are going to get a crate for him tomorrow night.  He's picked a spot near the front door that seems to be his "leave me alone" area.  We'll stick the crate there, and let him have his place for alone time.

From what I've heard, herders can be one-owner people. I need to go back and see if Mocha was a herding dog, too. It's such a massive adjustment though, isn't it? It's like getting the new roommate in college--and then, in time, things click.
 
Good luck tomorrow with the crate! I bet he will like having a safe spot to get away to while he sorts out his new "roomies" and home!

ORIGINAL: pyccku

What's really weird is that Max loves to get really close to my face - he lets me kiss him, play with his nose and mouth, do pretty much whatever I want.  He will come lay down with his head right up next to mine and nuzzle right under my chin!  He's definitely MY dog, and he follows me around constantly. So far, I'm the only one he hasn't growled at.  It's hard to tell the kids to stay out of his face when they see how he loves cuddling like that with me, but that's what they have to do.

We are going to get a crate for him tomorrow night.  He's picked a spot near the front door that seems to be his "leave me alone" area.  We'll stick the crate there, and let him have his place for alone time.

Have you ever thought of becoming a two dog family?  At some point, your kids may benefit from having a "huggable" dog, like a hound.  Hounds are also great with BC's and Aussies, because they are good "pack dogs" and don't obnoxiously enter other dogs' personal space like the Labs or Boxers might.  Your dog may be keeping close to you to get away from your husband (perhaps a bit too loud - herders can be sensitive), or your kids (invading his personal space).  Sorry to say this, but this is precisely why herders are usually not a good bet for novice owners, or for families with small children.  Your first experience with the dog you lost was an anomaly.  Most Aussies are herdy, guardy and intense.  Yours seems to have been a Golden Retriever in an Aussie suit.  Now you have the real deal, so you must either learn to appreciate him for who he is, and manage him safely, or find him a new home before he bites in self defense.  I'm hoping you can manage him, since he seems like a nice dog.  But, please, take our advice about classes and learning.  Your hubby is reacting like most novices, and it will not bode well for the dog.  He should go to class, too.  (You can tell him it's to manage the kids while you handle the dog. [])

You're right, Spiritdogs. My Walker hound was bombproof and perfect with people. I can't believe how much I lucked out with her--she was perfect for family.

Husband leaned in to Max's face to kiss him and Max stuck his nose right in husband's ear. He made a low, quiet growl - so low and quiet I didn't even hear it. It made my husband angry and so of course he yelled at the dog.

Your husband yelled at Max for softly saying "You're scaring me.  Please don't do that".   The dog was not the one that needed to be punished.  The appropriate doggie response would have been to yawn to say "Calm down".
 
Now your husband is going to have to work even harder to show Max that he is safe!!  To top that off Max may be wary about warning him.
 
Your hubbie needs to learn that not all growls are threats or challenges.  Sometimes a growl even means "I am having fun playing".
 
This is a real sore point for me, because one of my favorite breeds is the Basenji - a breed that is not as domesticated as most other breeds.  If you can't handle a scared dog cowering in a corner snarling like a wolf, you don't want a Basenji.  In that situation the Basenji snarl is a "I'm scared and I will defend myself if I have to", but it is in no way a challenge and the dog should not be punished for it. 
 
I think your husband should read
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