Sara here's something that is free and worthwhile. http://www.sonic.net/%7Ecdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm

 Quote: Lynne Barrows

Sarah, perhaps your original post was misunderstood. Do you mean that the dog sometimes growls in her crate when there is no food in there with her (which is what I gathered from your first post), or she ONLY growls when there is food in there with her?

ONLY when there is food invovlved - never just a random growling - ever. Perhaps that clears things up? Off to take a look at some of the links ppl posted - thank you!

Sarah;
Thanks, that changes things for me also. Sometimes kids carrying food can cause issues with dogs. Hence, the caution.
Roni

 Quote: Norman Epstein

Sara here's something that is free and worthwhile. http://www.sonic.net/%7Ecdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm

Read it, and in all honesty even before the bite I was doing most of these things but since I've absolutely been doing them. She's confined to one room of the house when she's out of the crate, she's learned (very quickly too) to wait at the top/bottom of stairs until the human using them is off of them. She does not go through doorways before me (I say 'me' cause she pretty much follows me when I leave a room). We're working on teaching her that the back of the house (girls bedrooms) is absolutely off limits even if the gate is left open. In all honesty if I was pressed to 'label' her - overall she's rather submissive. What struck me while I was reading was Ed's description of how a dog should greet you - I will pay closer attention to how she greets others but I KNOW when my husband and I come home she absolutely exhibits that kind of 'shrinking' behavior. In her crate when we approach her she squishes her face up against the crate itself and makes this pathetic grimace that almost seems to say 'please love me, please' - it's what I would coin a submissive face, but I'm hardly a professional.

I really appreciate all your thoughts, you're too cool!