I just found this great site today and have been doing a lot of reading and have so far found it to be pretty helpful, but I haven't really found anything that relates to my dog. I do plan on ordering one of Ed's videos for sure, but I would also love any advice you guys can give me.
My dog is a ten month old mutt with unknown heritage. He was dumped outside my window when he was only five weeks old and has been with me ever since. He is probably the smartest dog I have ever known and very eager to please. He is very well obedience trained and listens great. I took him to work with me every day from the day I got him until he was about four months old. To my knowledge he never had a bad experience with anybody from the time I got him on. He was always a little timid as a small puppy and not very friendly with strangers. But then at about three months old he started acting more aggressive with people and less fearful. He usually warmed up to women in no time, but rarely ever liked men. When he was four months old it began to be a problem at work so I started to leave him at home where he rarely ever met new people. Of course he only got worse.
With people he knows he is very friendly. He’s very obedient and if I have him on his lease he easily controlled even with strangers. But when he is loose he is very scary. He goes to the level of barking and growling at a person until they are cornered and then just standing there making sure they don’t move. He never backs down when he starts to go after someone unless I command him to and then he will just come and sit between us and growl quietly for a while. If the person ignores him he usually warms up in 15 or 20 minutes and will be friendly. I had been thinking that he was just an aggressive/protective dog and was trying to discipline him for the behavior when he went overboard. But the other day I noticed that when he first sees someone walking up to the house and starts his barking he also pees on the floor like a submissive dog. Now I don’t really know what to think and I don’t want to be handling the situation wrong. He has never bitten anyone, and I’m not sure that he ever would. But I don’t want to find out the hard way. Any input in this would be great. Thanks a lot.

Read this first <:-)

http://www.leerburg.com/articles.htm#dom

And order the video below ASAP (!)

http://www.leerburg.com/301.htm

He sounds to me like a young and somewhat fearful IMMATURE pup that has been led to believe HE is in charge at all meetings (not you). And since he's been put in charge, without the background or experience to be making the proper decisions, he is just thinking EVERYONE is bad (scary) to cover his bases. But since these decisions are coming from a lack of confidence in the dog, and not enough guidance and leadership from you, there are now problems.

In my experience, raising a confident and happy puppy (to adulthood) has alot to do with giving the pup a happy, SAFE and secure 'childhood'. They know who's in charge (you), who to look to for guidance (you) and who's in taking over if something goes wrong (you). If my pups aren't sure of my role as the leader, they feel forced WAY too young to take a leadership role and end up nervous, fearful, neurotic and not making mature and proper decisions.

Some good sites you may want to read up on are:


http://www.head-cleaners.com/confidentpuppy.html

http://www.inch.com/~dogs/socialization.html

http://www.nwk9.com/dehasse_pupdev.htm really long article

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_SocializationPup.php

And have you read The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell? Great tips for being the leader in the home that do NOT involve 'obedience' training or corrections. Just day to day modifications in home life that can make a huge difference to calm your pup in the knowledge that you are in charge and can take care of it.