new dog not great with kids

Question
I just got a lab/akita mix the other day from a woman who swore the dog was good with kids, was loveable, etc.  When my fiance, me and my 2 year old daughter went to look at the dog and spend time to find out if it was alright, I wasn't too sure but my fiance without asking just said yes and we ended up taking it home.  Whenever my daughter gets near the dog it acts like it doesn't want her near it, sometimes it snarls and earlier it snapped.  Right then I wanted to call the women and take the dog back but my fiance insist on keeping it as it didn't brake the skin, however I'm afraid that next time it might do alot more damage.  I don't know what to do as it seems I'm worried about my kid and he is more worried about the dog and I need to find a common ground or just get rid of the dog.

Answer
Hi Shannon;
Well, you may not care much for what I am going to say, but, I would rethink the fiance.
The dog may or may not be justb warning the child because of children being rough with it in the past.
I would have seriously corrected the dog, BUT!!!!!, I would not have taken it hom in the first place if it didn't react favorably with my child.
That baby is too young to risk a dog that is not especvially fond of children, because she is too young to make her understand to stay completely away from the dog until it is adjusted with chilren.
For my fiance to be more concerned about ANYTHING but the welfare of my child would put him out of the running as a possible husband.
Don't rule out the dog because of it's bloodline.
That has nothing to do with it's attitude toward children. It is the way it was raised.
If the child were older, and could understand how to behave around the dog if it is afraid of abuse from children, then it would be a different matter.
We took a Sheltie that was terrified of children, because the home it was in before allowed the children to be rough with it.
It wouldn't snap at children, it would just run and get behind my husband or me, or it would run outside.
My 3 year old grandson did what I told him, to just sit on the floor, talk sweetly to him and coax him to come to him.
That child worked every day, for about an hour or more each time, several times. It took him three months to get the dog to trust enough to come to him if he was standing up.
A couple more months, and he relaxed more when the older grandchildren wer around, and playing. Soon after, he was running and romping with all the children.
With a 2 year old, and since it is a new dog, not one that has belonged to your fiance before,I would deffinately wait for a dog that was used to children and protective of little ones.
If the child walk up to th dog when it is eating, it could very well turn on the child and do some damage.
That is when "family" pets more often maul children. They have not been taught to tolerate anyone around it's food, and when they turn to bite, because of the size of the child, it is usually the face that is right there to get damaged most.
Besides, even if it just continued to nip without breaking the skin, it could very well make your child afraid of all dogs, and deprive her of a great experience of having a loving protector and friend in her dog.
If it were me, I would invite the fiance to take his dog and go elsewhere.
His first concerned should be the child.
Charlotte