Dog and infant interaction

Question
I have an 8 year old dog named Kobi. According to the papers from the animal shelter, he is a Golden Retriever and Rottweiler mix. We got him when he was less than a year old. He's very active but not agressive, usually taking the follower position with other dogs and myself (he has had some dominance trials with my husband). Recently, we had a baby girl. Before we brought her home, we brought her hat into the house and let Kobi smell it, then left it in his dog bed and around the various rooms so he would associate her smell with family. We have always put her in the lead over him; feeding her first, putting her first in order on walks, etc. He's been great with her as well; he watches her play and alerts us when she cries, and licks her frequently. Recently, she started to become more vocal; babbling and squealing at Kobi which he usually returned with licks to her face or hand. When she started to crawl, he was nervous-acting and pranced around her, but that was it. Then, this week, he's given her warning growls with no behavior on her part to cause them. (She's not allowed to pull fur or touch him unless we are ther to guide her hand and teach her the correct way to pet an animal). I am worried. We will not allow agressive behavior towards the baby, but also don't want to have to get rid of our dog. Do you have any advice for me?

Answer
I'm unsure what you mean by "he has had some dominance trials with my husband".  Trying to obtain dominance over a dog by forcing the dog over on its back, standing over it, etc. does NOT WORK and creates an element of distrust in the dog toward the human.  "Dominance" is obtained by fair, consistent leadership using positive reinforcement training and dog psychology.  "Pack leaders" do not coerce in order to lead; the "pack" follows by acquiescence.  Dogs are not wolves; true dominance in a domestic dog is quite rare and usually confined to guarding and herd guarding breeds (Akita, Chow Chow, Rottweiler) and very rare in first generation mix (such as is your dog.) When aggression begins in the dog (I've seen literally hundreds of aggressive dogs) it is almost always fear related; there are sporadic rank opportunists (dogs "promoted" by their owners) and rarely true "dominance" aggression.  It appears to me from your description that your dog may be demonstrating fear aggression.  He is unsure what to expect from this baby.  He may also be attempting to control the baby's movement, being alarmed and confused by her sudden change of behavior (not accustomed to her crawling around, etc.)

Children do not need to be fed first, greeted first, etc., as one might do when one has two or more dogs and one is attempting to establish rank in the clearly more dominant of the dogs.  Children are usually perceived as extremely low ranking (due to the lack of pheromones) in the perception of dogs that are well socialized to humans.  Babies are often objects of anxiety for a dog because of their smell, sudden erratic movements, vocalizations, unexpected behaviors (grabbing tail, poking, etc., all normal innocent behaviors in any young child)  Your dog appears to have habituated to these things, but whether or not this is the actual case I cannot tell because I can't see it from here.  Kobi may be anxious about the baby's crawling and toddling and his growl may be a warning to her.  I can't see THAT from here, either.  But I do know that a growl directed at anyone, let alone an infant or child, is a dangerous behavior.  You CANNOT address this problem on the internet!! You absolutely MUST obtain professional help.  You need a certified applied animal behaviorist ASAP, NOT just a dog trainer (who might not know what s/he is seeing and might advise you incorrectly to the point where this situation becomes more volatile.) Whatever "dominance trials" have been conducted need to be STOPPED immediately.  Begin a trial of positive reinforcement training with Kobi to enhance his cognitive abilities and give him ways to please you for reward.  Without making an issue of it (casually, with no conscious anxiety) remove him from the room whenever the baby is crawling or toddling.  The dog must not be allowed to "lick" her.  Not only is this unsanitary (the dog's mouth is filled with bacteria) but I don't want that dog's mouth THAT CLOSE TO THAT BABY.  Let's err on the side of caution:  a growl is a bite waiting to happen.  Whatever is upsetting the dog and provoking him into this behavior requires the careful in person evaluation of a professional.  I understand that you love Kobi and are devoted to him.  Don't let this escalate in any way.  I've rehabilitated dog "aggression" toward babies; it has to be done very, very carefully.  Find an expert.