Growling Beagle

Question
Ok.  So my family and I just adopted a beagle (Eddie) less than a week ago.  He's been pretty good, but likes to chew still.  He's 11 months May 1.  Tonight he found a plastic top that was pretty flimsy.  I was scared to have him eat it and swallow it.  I was in my son's room with none of  Eddie's toys or chews.  I'm certain I over reacted, but I told him to leave it (that's what we were told to tell him), but he didn't and clamped down tighter on the top.  He could have easily swallowed it whole.  I went to him and grabbed it and him so he couldn't runaway (I'm sure that was a mistake), which he of course wouldn't let go.  The more I tried taking it from him, the more he growled at me.  It was a low growl, but definitely a growl.  I finally got it from him and he cowered away from me, but the growling scared me some.  I have three children 8 and younger, and I want to make sure they know what they should do in that situation so that Eddie doesn't growl at them or worse (or me for that matter).  Please help!  I don't believe he's aggressive as he hasn't really done it before, but we're still getting to know him, and he us.

Answer
Hi Richard,

I think you are lucky that you did not get bitten and even luckier that he chose to warn you that you were pushing it. No, I do not think he should get to ingest the plastic cap, but yes the fight that ensued over it more than likely made it escalate.

Next time, try walking away and calling him to come with you-perhaps heading towards the treats. And in the mean time until he actually knows "leave it" or "out" - two very different commands, try as much as possible to manage the environment a bit better so he doesn't get put in that position again. Yes it could have caused problems for him if he had eaten it.

You can start teaching him "out" by swapping identical items like two rawhides or two tennis balls saying out as he spits the first one out to get the second one.

As a rescuer, I worry about dogs that guard in a home with kids, were you told that he guards objects? That he cowered afterward may suggest that he has guarded before and gotten in trouble for it. This is something that correcting will make worse.

There is a book called Mine! by Jean Donaldson with extensive outlines to curtail resource guarding. I would work with him before I decided to give him back and do speak with who you got him from, they need to know that he guards objects if they do not know all ready.