[Sadgirl]

Hello- I’m new to this forum and in fact it’s the first time I’ve done this type of thing at all (so please bear with me!) My husband & I are experienced lab owners fostering a rottie mix of unknown history and age. He is over 5 years old, 100 pounds and comes with a growl. I see that’s a classic rott trait- I am in the process of educating myself. He has growled when I’ve approached him or petted him in some situations and usually growls if either of us touch him just after putting his bowl down. We have taken the food away in braver (dumber?) moments and he has never snapped, snarled or bared his teeth. He has never progressed past this growl- although with my reprimand it only gets louder. However, if I command him to sit he will promptly do it. I do this to break the cycle & it usually works. He is very friendly with all other dogs (including our 5 yr. old lab) approaching strangers and kids. (We do not have kids ourselves.) He loves to retrieve and is a blast to play with. He stays by us off leash and walks wonderfully on the leash. We can play with him and take his toys & he is fine. I’ve never seen a dog that takes food from your hand more gently. He has been in our house for 3 months. He adores my husband, but has this occasional issue with me. I have made a mistake keeping him this long without getting a trainer, but the finances aren’t there. I guess I was hoping it would end when he got used to us and his new home. I just brought him back to my humane society last night to give myself some space to think & we miss him terribly! My husband & I want to adopt him, but I am sometimes uneasy around him, since there are those moments he warns me with that growl. I must make him uncomfortable for some reason, and/or he is bossing me around considering me down at the bottom of the pack. He surely knows he’s got the edge over me, despite my attempt to act strong. I’m just looking for an educated opinion on the likelihood I can get him to stop behaving this way. He puts his head in my lap one minute and avoids me the next. I can accept it if he doesn’t have the lovey-dovey Labrador attitude all the time. I cannot accept any type of food aggression or threats when I approach. I suppose I will need to find some extra money for professional help, but generally speaking do you think my chances are very good of correcting the behavior of an adult rottie? Do I have a chance of bringing him back & taking charge this time, now that I know what to expect? Any input from you knowledgeable folks would be much appreciated!