I don't like the "dominance theory". After speaking with several behaviorists about this topic in depth, I'm believe more and more that "dominance" issues are not applicable to human-dog relationships. Yes, dominance comes into play in dog-dog packs, but there are several glaring issues that stymies the belief that a dog truly believe s/he is dominant over a human being. Therefore, I don't believe that Chloe is dominant or trying to exert her dominance over the family members.

The three times that Chloe snapped, a person was taking away her resource. 1st incidence- Mother attempts to grab object from dog's mouth. 2nd incidence - Dog is in an enclosed space, eating food. Child attempts to reach for dog. 3rd incidence - Dog is eating food. Child leans over the dog. In all cases - dog had resource and snapped when humans tried to take it away.

I still do think it is fear. It is a fear of having her resources taken away and not receiving anything for it. She has not yet been taught "Drop it" or "Give" and that is the most important thing she needs to learn right now. As another testament to why I don't believe in dominance (especially in these cases), I have a Dobe mix. I am her sole trainer. Rarely does anybody else besides me give her commands. Yet, when my mother was home alone and Ivy had something in her mouth, my mother said "GIVE" and Ivy gave it up. True dominance is not easily fixed, and if a simple "Give" can rectify this situation, I highly doubt Chloe is truly dominant.