Your advice for an agressive dog, please!! - Page 2

i'm so sorry this dog has been so harmed but how great of you to try and save him but please be safe.  from what you describe i too agree completely with hodie. what does your vet have to say about his behavior?
where do you live?  if you want a few more perspectives these two professional trainers would be worth contacting, if for no other reason then to give you peace of mind that you have done all you could for this poor boy.
http://www.synalia.com/
http://www.forloveofdogs.pk/

best of luck & wishes,
susan

it's possible to reform a dog that shows aggression as you describe. You can start by neutering him. Check out this website for a trainer who has turned around many "hopeless cases."

http://www.brandonfouche.com/

Hodie is so correct in her advice.  Trainers who also deal with aggresive dogs will advise you he will never be safe, they maybe able to get him under control, but never safe. This is not good for the breed as a whole. My heart goes out to you,

By you stating you do not let your son out with him, I am thinking his aggression is not just food.

a thought - put the bach flower essence rescue remedy in his water.

btw do you happen to have a photo you can post?

ttouch is another technique that might help undo some of the damage and rehab him http://www.evergreenttouch.com/wst_page2.html

In my opinon .It seems you have not played with this dog for a while.You have just feed and water him.No interaction with the dog. Know he thinks of you as a stranger.The autamatic waters and feeders are goig to make it worse.Take the dog out of his invorment and find a trainer who deals with these issues and then bring him home .You should know if you rescued dogs before .When you take a dog from his inviorment they will adapt . This also means you will have to change your ways.Making time for the dog every day and building a bond .Also letting him know who is the boss.Good luck it does seem you care enough that you dont want to put him down our you would have done so and not consulted people on this forum.I purchased a dog from a guy .He told me he was very agreesive dog .Would not  let him our his children near him.I came to pick him up .He was in a 5buy 5 kennel with a dog house in it. The dog never had eny interaction with the family just pined up. I opened his kennel put my leash on him and escorted him to the truck.The guy could not believe it. I new the dogs litter mates and was looking for a sport dog.He did what he was breed to do. The only catch was he had heart worm and after i had him treated he was very sensitive to the front of his chest .I guess it was from the chemicals in the treatment. He was done in the sport world. Leasons learned. The guy actually wanted me to keep up with him on his progress.I would not have gave him the time of day. He had no intrest in the dog but to have a guard dog .The guard dog became too much for him.He did not keep upto his wormers our shots.Let alone the tiny run he was in.He told me he stays in that run all the time.He had a huge back yard fenced go figure.I guess he did not want to mess his yard up.He told me not know one could get near him our he would bite them .Let i walked in opened the kennel and leashed him Why well first i respected the dog but showed no fear i was on his terms in his yard. That showed me he just wanted a friend .I brought him home and he was very good with people and passed the temperment test at the club i trained with. He was not good with kids.I assume the guys kids intagenized him or came out and played in the back yard not offerin the dog there friendship.

Just to reiterate- "Buddy" had been played with and interacted with on a daily basis. His automatic feeder was put in his house because on feeding time he would become agressive over his empty bowl and make it difficult for us to fill it.  Buddy's "enclosure" is a 1/4 acre fenced area that he has all to himself with an 6x6 shaker dog house.  We have interacted daily with him, especially since I had to treat his neck daily due to the embedded collar.  He was crated in our bedroom for 8 weeks while he was being treated for heartworms.  As I stated, his behavior towards me changed one day as I was brushing him- which I do on a weekly basis.  We have not done anything to add to his problem and have only recently had to pull away from daily activity.  This is why we took him in to the vet to see if maybe he had a tumor that might be affecting his behavior.  No medical reasons for his behavior have been found.  Thank you for all your advice and kind words. 

I hate to hear things like this. Lots of time effort and money to save a dog that has been abused to the degree this one has. The reality is that you where working with a sick week debilitated dog at first. Now you have a healthy masculine dominant dog that has blossomed from the care you have given him. By your own words you are affraid of him. Your inner voice is telling you he is more then you can handle. Listen to that voice and find someone that can handle him and give them a chance to work together or put him down. Even if you had a trainer help you, this dog will not be a dog you can handle.

Nearly 28 years ago I gave a family this same advice. They wanted to give him one more chance and have me train him. The result was I took one hell of a battle with him and I am scarred physically  for life, and he was put down. That was the lesson they and I learned. Go with your inner voice. What does your gut feelings tells you. Not always what you want, but what is right for you and your family and friends.

Maybe a lesson learned.  Sometime's damage can not be overcome.

I would agree with putting him down.

Sorry.

There must be some other alternative route but my concern is the age which may take extra long or non reponsive.

Getting a professional handler/ trainer is the best, that is if you can afford it.

if you are scared then its a issue, are you able to pat him and take him for walks etc... if so. there is a method but the dog would be 1 master, that is he will only respond to you.

Is he dog aggressive? how does he reaact to new situations and other animals?

How well does he accept been in a kennel? How is his house habits? I am a buddist and putting a dog down is not a first option.