14 Week old pup Growls and Nips at Children

[sublime]

We recently bought a 14 week old Bichon Frise pup from a near local breeder who has 3 breeding pairs of dogs. I don't think they socialized the pups as well as they should have. The dog LOVES me, a 6' 3" male. I mean it freaks when it sees me and cry's when I leave. It seems indifferent my wife but enjoys her company in my absence. When he gets around the children for a while with with me out of the picture, (inside watching through a window where he doesn't notice me), he seems to do fine with the kids. Our daughters are 5 and 8 years old. So, they are twitchy, fast moving and very high pitched.

However, the dog will begin to growl at them especially when I am around and has nipped at them for coming too close. If he is in my lap when this happens, I push him away from me and pull the children close to me. He has also done this from his kennel, I don't know what to do then. Yesterday when I was walking the 8 year old up the stairs to go to bed, he began to bark at us. Again, I don't know what to do. Right now he doesn't seem to like them AT ALL. I begin a training class on Saturday and we will be going every week for about 3 months, so I hope they can offer some advice. He has also nipped at my wife and the kids when they try to "catch" him to pick him up for his own good, (to get him inside or to go where they want him to.)

I love that he loves me, but I want him to also love and respect the children. What can I do?

(Oh yeah, he is also quite timid around any loud noises and is very defensive around any other dogs that approach him. Not aggressive, just defensive, growling, snarling and biting at them if they try to come up to him. Dogs that ignore him, he wants to play with.)

Brandon