I haven't been around here for some time, but I stopped by for a browse today and your post caught my eye.

I'm going to stray from popular opinion here and say that maybe you should back off a bit on the testing/dominance type things at mealtime. Growling is not always a sign of a dog thinking they are the leader. It's also a purely defensive gesture. I have 3 dogs, and my most submissive dog will most definitely growl defensively if he feels cornered and that he might lose his meal to my more dominant girl. As an aside, an interesting thing about this is my oldest and the one who is at the top of the pack order between them NEVER tries to take food or bones away from the other two. It's my middle girl who pushes more than she should. She never asserts her control or dominance by taking something that has been given to the others.

Anyway, it's possible if you do this at every feeding or most feedings that you are creating an anxious and defensive feeling environment for her when she is trying to eat. Some behaviorists even suggest when taking away something a dog isn't supposed to have that offering something (an appropriate toy) as an alternative is a positive way to redirect attention from what is being taken away. If your pup didn't growl before but is starting to, she might be feeling a mounting tension and increasing threat. If she is not growling as you approach her bowl, or give her a quick pat as she eats, I'd just let her eat in peace and foster a confidence that she has nothing to be defensive about.

It is just something to think about. It may not be dominance at all, but anxiety and pressure that she is feeling. If she then reacts because of that and is corrected, it could exacerbate issues in a way that is undesirable.

A few years ago I read a book called The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell. While I don't agree that there is any simple solution that deals with all dogs and all issues, her philosophy on showing leadership and assertion was one that really changed how I think about dogs and the cues they take from us. I even recall a chapter specifically dealing with food issues and her experience with it. I'd highly recommend the book for learning how to behave in a way that makes your dog choose to follow you as leader rather than enforcing it upon them.