1 year 3 month old dog growls.

Question
Our puppy Katie has a growling issue.  She has never bitten anyone and does not bear her teeth but she growls at strangers, kids that run up to her and people she does not know who enter the home.  

She will not always stop when commanded to and she.  She normally only does the growling during walks, at the dog park, or at home.  I worry because people sometimes assume the dog is a biter and I don't want her to end up biting someone.  We had her in Petsmart training classes, she finished beginner and intermediate and got much more comfortable with people and dogs.  We have been out of classes for about 5 months now and I have noticed the growling has gradually gotten worse.

What should I do?  I don't want her to thing that a warning is a bad thing but I don't want her scaring kids and parents.

Answer
A growl is a bite waiting to happen.  Unfortunately, in my opinion Petsmart classes don't constitute training.  You need to learn about dog psychology and positive reinforcement training, and you need the help of a credentialed behavior expert who can come to your home, see the behavior for her/him self, and assist you in rehabilitating the fear issues your dog suffers from.

Read Patricia McConnell Ph.d.'s book on fear related behavior disorders; learn about positive reinforcement training by going to karen pryor's web site.  Call a veterinary school closest to you and ask for a referral to a Ph.D. or DVM who will come to your home and who has extensive experience in treating aggression.  Do it now.