Fritz our german shepard

Question
Fritz is 1 1/2 he was a fun loving puppy.  All of a sudden he is now growling at my children 14 and 8 yrs old, whenever they walk by,  talk to him or have any contact with him.  Why has he changed all of a sudden.

Answer
He is maturing and challenging them for status.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

Dig up the additional material on that site on dogs and children.  He must have no doubt the children outrank him.