Chocolate lab- behavior changes??

Question
My 3 year old chocolate lab is treated like a prince.  This is the main reason
his behavior is worrying/scaring me.  In the last week he has growled at me 3
times and one of those times he actually SNAPPED at me!! Every time it's been
the same, I just try to lay next to him and he gets all defensive! This is so odd
for him to do, we've always described Behmer as a 'lover' because he was just
so affectionate, especially towards ME. But this last week, I've been afraid to
approach him.  He hasn't growled at my boyfriend... So what can I do for
Behmer? I thought I was taking the very best care of him that was possible,
but I'm not so sure anymore.  What did I do wrong??

Behmer's history:

When Behmer was a couple months old, he was sent to us on Alaska Airlines
to Ketchikan, Alaska. We got Behmer through a breeder that had gotten us
our first chocolate lab, his name was Bailey.  Bailey was old and grumpy when
we first got Behmer, and played roughly with him, but you could still tell they
loved each other.  Behmer was a very... hyper puppy, and that's putting it
lightly.  If he didn't get a walk, he would be so crazy he wouldn't even look
anyone in the eyes.  I was the dog lover of my family, so even when Behmer
was going through those annoying puppy stages (Like poop eating!) *I* was
the one who get down on the floor with dogs and wrestle and play with them.
Summer of 2008, I moved away from home to Couer d'Alene, Idaho.  That
summer Bailey passed away.  I was so sad about this that my parents gave up
Behmer to be with me.  This would have been in November 2008.  So he has
been living here with just me and my boyfriend.  At first I thought he would
be sad about not having my mom and dad and Bailey.  But I'm pretty sure he
recognized me and my boyfriend (we would walk him on the beach daily
back in Alaska) so I stopped worrying about it.  My parents will be down to
visit me 3-4 times a year, so he will get to see them again.  He always has
slept in his kennel.  I can't think of any more important info that would
contribute to the startling changes in behavior.

I know my question is a mess, but I just need help so badly...

I wish I knew what was going on in this dog's head!!!

Please help.

*Renee Miller

Answer
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