thanks

thanks shontelle your dog sounds like the same behaviour as chester only i have been unsure whether to introduce him to small children incase he does go to bite my other staffie willow is the complete opposite and i have no hesitation in introducting her to children obviously never leaving any child or dog unsupervised but from the comments chester is not being aggressive but maybe unsure being so young!

You're very welcome. It honestly does sound just like excitement to me. Do you know anyone with children? If you do, have Chester sit, you sit down next to him and have the child approach in a calm, friendly manner. If Chester growls, but his body language is normal, I really wouldn't worry about it.. Children often ask me if they can pet Charlie. I always say that he loves children but that he will try to say hello, whch sounds like a growl but is really just his way of talking.

i do have a 9 year old who chester is fine with most of the time chester has been food aggressive since we got him at 9 weeks (hes a rescue dog who was taken away from his mum at 6 weeks or younger) which i have been working on and hes alot better but still has moments when he growls if you try and take something off of him but i feel i can introduce him to my neighbours children now as i just needed a bit of reassurance hes not being aggressive

How are you dealing with his food aggression?

When you say Chester is fine with your 9 year old most of the time, what do you mean?
As long as you introduce Chester to your neighbour's child in a controlled way to guage his reaction, it should be fine. It really does sound as if he does the same as my Charlie and Charlie doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body and he particularly adores children.

Good luck, and please post back here to let us know how it goes.

firstly with chesters food aggression i got a dog trainer in to show her how he was reacting and on her advise and reading up on subject i pretend to eat before he has his meal he waits sat down until i put food down and tell him he can eat. i put tasty food in his bowl as he eats always praising his good behaviour. if he has a chew i give command to drop so i can have it and i always praise his good reactions this all works really well for a time then on occasions he may growl more so at my son! i am trying to nip all this behaviour in the bud as i do worry a little because i do have a 9 year old son! this is also why i am abit wary of introducing chester to children as he is a lot more feisty than my other staffy willow, soz if im abit long winded i just want to get it right!

It sounds like you're doing the right things. I take it he growls at your son at feeding time, not at other times? Food aggression is tricky. Just make sure always that your son understands that he has to stay away from Chester while he is eating and there shouldn't be any problems.

chester is much better than he was i can stroke him now while he eats and like i said most of the time he is ok but like for instance the other day he got hold of a breakfast bar in wrapper and my son tried to take it off of him and chester growled my son then called me but by the time i got there he'd eaten the lot! so ive now told j to just call me and not attempt taking things off of chester