My 2.5 year old male growls or snaps at people when they approach him while he is laying in bed or resting. He is growling more and more often. Can he be corrected?

Brutus, our 2 ? year old male mixed breed dog (he weighs about 30 lbs and looks somewhat like a coonhound) is quickly becoming a problem with his growling and snapping. He is neutered. If he is in bed or resting and someone comes up to pet him he may growl or snap. He has growled at me while I was sleeping with him for moving and or petting him. He is growling at my husband frequently for petting him while he is resting. Last night my husband walked into the bedroom where Brutus was sleeping on the bed and said ?hey, what are you doing on the bed? (not meanly but a little loud). The dog jumped down like he was afraid and when my husband tried to pet him as he ran by, the dog snapped at him. He has never bitten me or my husband. He has bitten my 9 year old daughter lightly while snapping at her. The other day frequently when I came up to him during the day his ears went flat and back and he was actually raising his fur! After consulting with the family regarding his behavior he had growled or snapped about 8 to 10 times that day. Usually it is my daughter he is snapping at and my husband second most. It is only recently he has started with me.



This really did start slowly, but it is suddenly really increasing A LOT in how often he is reacting. I can also tell that there are 2 little girls in the neighborhood who come to our house that he doesn?t like. He has not snapped at them. He did once snap at the baby sitter.



He was kind of scary when he was a puppy but then he outgrew it and was so happy and loving. Now besides this I don?t think he seems as happy as he should be. He is happy when we come home if we have been away for awhile, or if someone plays with him or walks him. Otherwise he just doesn?t wag his tail or look happy. Perhaps that is normal for a dog his age.



He is our 1st dog and I am very embarrassed and afraid we have caused him to act like this. Do you think he can be corrected?



Thanks.
Patti