[Milodoodle]

We have had our 9 month old mini labradoodle since he was 8 weeks old. He is my fiancé’s and i’s first experience raising a dog as adults. I have a daughter, who is here all the time. And he has 2 kids here every other week. Our dog is great 99% of the time, however he still occasionally exhibits guarding behavior. When all 3 kids are in the house, he can get possessive when chewing a bone or playing with toys. We have taught the kids to be respectful and not leave him be during a chew session. But, if one of the kids walks within 5-10 feet of him he starts to growl and stands over his bone. We have never allowed the kids to try and take a bone or toy that is used for food away from him. He exhibits similar behavior with his toys as well, and generally seems more stressed when all 3 kids are home.

He has never shown this behavior towards myself, and often tries to chew a bone while in my lap. What are some things that can be done to minimize this behavior? While he hasn’t done so yet, I don’t want a situation to escalate where he would bite.