[TishaMoon]

I could use some help and tips please!

I am a single woman and my yorkie Bailey is about 3 and a half. She's very well socialized to adults and LOVES people. However, she has not had much exposure to other dogs or children. As a result, she has recently been showing some aggression when exposed to children and babies.

When she was younger she was around toddlers on a few occasions and she was fine. I think what, for lack of a better word, "ruined" her was when a 7 year old boy came over. She was fine with him all day, but then he got really hyper and started chasing her around barking like a dog. She got scared, growled, and lunged for him. I caught her mid-air so she didn't harm him, but I have not trusted her around kids ever since, and I have continued to see aggression.

One of my close friends has a baby now and every time she has brought him over I either crate Bailey or keep her on a leash, but there are always occasions where she still growls and tries to jump at him. It sounds and looks very scary, like she wants to attack him, but I am pretty sure she wouldn't actually bite. When I've been holding her when she does this her teeth will graze my skin but she never bites down. I think she's trying to scare him off. I know my uneasiness over having her around kids is probably making things worse, but I don't know how to get her more comfortable with kids when I clearly can't have her loose around them.

It also seems like this defensive, grouchy behavior from her is getting worse. For example if she's asleep at the end of my bed and I move my foot in the night and it bumps into her, she has "attacked" my foot (again, not actually biting, just growling and grazing with her teeth).

I would just like any tips of how to make her more comfortable again. I feel like I can't invite any children over the way her behavior is getting, and when I take her on walks I often pick her up when I see children because I'm afraid if they try to pet her she might flip out.