Lab Growling when given meat

Question
Our Yellow Lab Male is 1 year old and we have owned him this entire year.  He is abnormally well behaved for a puppy.  We want him to be used to hands near the food dish while he is eating and reward him for ignoring us so that he is not food aggressive when we have children.  When given meat or a bone with meat on it is the only time he ever acts-up.  He will let out a small growl when you approach him if he has the bone.  He does not do this act with any other food.  He is neutered.  Is this instinct or a behavior we can train out of him?

Answer
One solution would be to avoid giving him meat or a bone.  Modern dog foods are nutritionally complete and adding meat may do more harm than good.  

It is an instinctive thing, but you should be able to train him out of it.  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.

''Elevation for small puppies: Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up. He is facing you. Hold him for 15 seconds. Repeat until he no longer struggles. If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.

Cradling for small puppies: Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby. If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds. With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.

Quiet lying down: Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you. Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position. When he is quiet, praise him. Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position. When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''

The quotes mean this isn't my original work. It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual. I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective. You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too. Helps bonding. There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly. The latter cements your place as pack leader.