nippy dog

Question
I have a one year old cocker spaniel/llhasa apso mix.  We have a problem with him being nippy with my children. (ages 8 & 5).  Our dog will be laying beside me and my daughter will come over to hug him and he will lift his lip - about to nip.  I always reprimand him, and he does stop, but I worry about when I'm not right there to reprimand him.  He is great with adults and he is fine with children (when they aren't "bothering" him).  We have seriously considered getting rid of him, but we love him and he is a great dog when he is not being nippy.  
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

Answer
Hi Rosie,
I reccomend consulting a professional, experienced dog trainer in your area. They should have some very helpful advice for you.
That being said, I know of a lot of dogs that do the same thing. Your dog clearly isn't poorly behaved otherwise. Sometimes children can make dogs very nervous - especially when they try to do things like hug them or pick them up. To be fair to the dogs, this somewhat instinctual fear is understandable, as small children can harm smaller dogs when they try to do things like hug them.
What I suggest is getting a crate for him if you don't already have one.  This way, when you aren't able to supervise, you can temporarily crate him and keep the dog and your children safe. Also, I'm not an expert in kids - but if your daughter is old enough to understand, you should explain to her how to safely handle him, and that he sometimes just gets scared she'll hug him too tight. I know that explaining this to her won't keep her from doing it - which is where a crate could help. He has nothing against your children personally, and this problem is very common for dogs who live with young children.
A good trainer will definately be able to help you out some more.