Bad attitude

Question
I have a 2.5 yo neutered male lab.  We have had him since he was 6 weeks old.  He was neutered when he was 1 and had a really hard time with it.  We almost lost him because of internal bleeding.  About 6 months after that, he bit my 9 year old daughter.  She was putting him to bed for the night and when she leaned over to lock the kennel door he snapped.  There was no growling or warning of any kind.  Since that time, he is very timid.  If my 2 girls reach down to pet him he drops his head, a line of hair stands up on his back and he growls.  But he doesnt do it to my older son.  What do I need to do to correct this behavior?  My husband is ready to put him up for adoption.

Answer
With somebody the right age in the family, 4-H dog training is a great idea. In my area, clubs form soon after the first of the year. Even many urban areas have 4-H. For info look in your phone book under government listings for extension or cooperative extension offices. Ask specifically about a dog or canine club. The 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 a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm