toddler aggression and dogs

Question
I have an 9m old english bulldog-she good with everyone except TODDLERS-she growls and tries to jump up and nip them!It is horrible.she has never been around toddlers but this can't continue. Can you help us help her?  She is a great dog otherwise but she is an alpha dog without a doubt.

Answer
Hi, Sherrie,

Thanks for the question.

It sounds to me like a fairly typical case of a dog with some levels of internal tension being around other beings (the toddlers) who both attract her desire to play, and make her nervous. There is nothing "alpha" about this (although you should know that all the behaviors that we've been taught indicate dominance, are actually indicators of stress and anxiety: http://tinyurl.com/2q2esp ; there's no "alpha wolf" in nature.)

Does your dog like to play? How much hard vigorous play time does your dog get with you every day? Do you ever play fetch and tug-of-war with her? How much play time does she get with other dogs on a regular basis? Do you ever scold and punish her for any behavioral infractions? Does she have her own "den," meaning a crate or cozy corner where she can be by herself and not be bothered by people when she's tired and wants to relax? The answers to these questions would help me better understand your dog, and how to fix this behavior.

I look forward to hearing back from you.


LCK