Hello and welcome. My name is XXXXX XXX I have been a professional in the dog field for 25 years. It will be my pleasure to help you today.

when Lottie goes after children does she run right after them or does she back off first but when the children come closer then she goes after them?

What type of obedience in command do you do daily with her, and how often do you do them?

What breed of dog is this?

Thank you for that information. As humans we are great at telling our dogs no when they do something we don't like but we are not so quick to show them how we want them to act before we put them in a situation.

Even though the breeder had kids we don't know how those kids treated the dogs

MS by nature are a bit snippy so it does not surprise me

What I would do before you put her in that situation again around kids is to get some firm voice commands on her. Commands such as leave it, easy, sit stay etc. so she learns to respond to your voice

this can help settle a dog because they see you as the one in charge

Most dogs really do not want that role it's a hard job

I would train dail up to four / five times a day and do in in short sessions like 15 minutes here and there so she starts to see you as in command

this means there is less work for her to do

Are you familiar with clicker training?

With this similar to what you have been doing by having the kids treat her , you want to have them treat her at the right time. the marker is very important

if you have them treat her when she is already upset then you are rewarding that behavior

but it is not the behavior you really want to see

So I will direct you to a site for this training and use human food as reward

so it is special such as slivers of hot dog

the site will take you step by step. Once she has some commands under her belt then take her around children

hold on I am finding the site for you

` Clicker training

http://www.clickerlessons.com/

video, shows how clicker training is done http://www.clickertrainusa.com/clicker-training-videos.htm

This should help you greatly.

Now when you say she barks at the bush do you mean she is in your yard and barks as they pass?

You mean you are training first in a quiet spot how well does she listen to commands?

A well trained dog listens to each command the first time it is given

it sounded to me like you are just telling the dog no then squirting her

all that teaches her is to fear your hand

She is not responding to your commands if you need to use a squirt of water

You are stopping the behavior briefly, like a band aid without finding the cause

dogs do not carry over what they learn in one spot to another spot so we train first in non distracting places then build up to more distracting places

if at any time the dog is not listening when you get to more distracting places you must go back to the spot she last listened to you and train longer

Nothing you mentioned to me other than treating the dog or having the children treat the dog is the same as the solution I have sent you. You did not mention training only that you tell the dog no and I am telling you that the dog needs other options