Grumpy Dog

A growling dog is a dangerous dog.
He probably feels he is dominant over your daughter. That is not good. I really don't know what else to tell you other than to seek help from your vet or a reputable trainer. You may have to find another home for your pooch for the safety of your family. I know how hard that is. I love dogs and work with them, and my 2 year old started to show signs of being allergic. I had to find homes for my 2 furbabies- it was traumatic. But I knew that it was for the best. Good luck.

I am a dog lover and raised both my children with a large dog so they won't be afraid, but recently they were both bitten by the same dog. Needless to say, they are now terrified of most dogs and I'm a bit shy also. Our dog, like yours let the girls do whatever they wanted to him when they were babies, but as they got older he would "discipline" them more. First he would get up and move if they were hurting him, then he began to grumble at them. He seemed to know when they were old enough to "know better". I would suggest removing the dog when he starts to grumble and telling your child the dog needs some quiet time. But also It's very important to teach your child not to climb all over the animal. She is getting bigger and is probably hurting him. Your child is old enough to learn the dog is not a jungle gym. My Dog never bit a child, but he was so big he seemed to invite kids trying to ride him. We had to set firm rule with every kid that entered our house that the dog was not a horse and should not be messed with, but we were also aware of how he was responding so we could remove him if he had had enough!

I know you posted this a couple of days ago.. and you are getting your dog trained..... Great!... If you didnt have a child I would think that was enough.

I put my 11 yr old dog to sleep when he attempted to snap at my toddler (he missed because I pulled him away when the dog growled... ) My son has since been bit twice now by other people's dogs when we visit - He's not rough with them, he LOVES animals... I think he's because he looks them in the eyes and dogs have issues with that.

I didn't think EITHER dog would bite! Thankfully, my son has never been tragically hurt. However, I now know I need to keep him away from dogs for now.

My point is: Animals are animals -- you don't know what they will, or won't do. We can call them domestic -- but they are still animals!

You're child is your child and you are supposed to protect her. If you think it's worth the risk of your child being bitten - then thats a choice your making.

My mother had the same issue with her dog when the grandchildren were around. specifically my niece. It started with the growling here and there when she was with my mother. The dog did eventually lash out at my niece who was two at the time. It was very scary. Nothing bad happened but she was right there to intervene. I would be very concerned and take control. Let the dog know that it is not ok to even growl at your child no matter what. The dog might be feeling jealous because he was there first. I would make sure that you spend quality time just with the dog and then when his time is over, bring your child around to share time together. That was how my moms dog training told her to work through it.
So far it has been two yrs now and it seemed to work as there has never been an issue since.

I agree with Ali. The dog is trying to tell your daughter to STOP. You will have to keep them apart more and more. He is not tolerating her behavior anymore. He probably wouldn't bite so much as "nip" but that can cause scars too. Keep your child safe and invest in some obedience school for your dog. They will help you understand what he is thinking and "saying"
Hope this helps