I don't know if it was redirected aggression (don't know what the actual definition of "redirected" is), or not. What I do know is that he was shocked as h*ll at himself the second he did it. If the situation hadn't been so serious, the look on his face would've actually been funny. He literally had this "Oh, sh*t I didn't mean to do that!" look on his face. It was very obvious to me that he wasn't biting me intentionally. I think he may have actually thought he was biting his target (the guy) in his frenzied state.

I know exactly what you mean, as I've had a dog do this. If I had corrected him while he was in this state of mind he would have eaten me, because he was literally out of his mind. De-escalation is a beautiful thing.

Exactly, I dont think they want to attack you per se they just are so worked up that when they feel the pinch of the prong its just bite whatever is closest which usually happens to be your leg Ouch... I dont think my dog wanted to bit me for correcting him I was convenient since he couldnt get to what he wanted (and if I remember it was another dog in our drill team when we were practicing (along time ago)
Thats why I dont think its a good idea to deal with certain circumstances and behavior with harsh corrections. It might take longer with positive reinforcment but its more enjoyable for sure for you and the dog.

OK, so I think I'm down to my last couple of questions (for now). Here is my plan: Right now I plan to work on desensitization, including OB under distraction, with positive reinforcement per Kristel's suggestions. I also plan to continue using a prong for control (not corrections), as he's just too strong when he does decide to go after something on a flat collar - I can't control him physically anymore w/out the prong. I will get a DD collar as backup to the prong rather than the heavy/bulky choke chain I have as backup (don't know if that will make a difference, but I like the idea of the lighter nylon backup anyway). The DD collar isn't for corrections, either. Just backup.

One thing I also think I'll do is move from a medium-size prong to a smaller prong w/extra links, so the prong fits better. The medium one I have seems just a little tight (I know is should be snug, but I think it could be a little looser than it is now). If I add a link to his medium, it's too big. A small prong will have more "bite" to it, which I think will help with control IF he gets worked up (although i hope to prevent this from now on).

Now for the "last" question (til I think of another one : What should I do if he gets totally worked up again on a walk? Should I just walk him away from the situation (for example off the trail and away from the "target") and work on OB right then? Or is getting him away from the "target" rewarding the behavior? (In a perfect world, I'll be able to prevent him from getting worked up in the first place, but you know that it might happen anyway). So if correcting w/prong is wrong, and verbal correction, etc don't work, what do I do?

What do you think? Any other suggestions? I really appreciate all your help, guys! This is the only forum I posted my questions too, as I trust all of you more than anyone else)!

I still use a prong on all my dogs for their walks, there are always surprises, etc and if they decided to go after something with a flat collar I could not hold them back. You need to move him back far enough that the other dog is not making him worked up and work on his OB with lots of praise and treats when he is watching you. If you dont get far enough away then you'll end up having to correct. If you happen upon a dog and he starts to act crazy I usually just calmly go another direction that gets me out and away from the other dog, I act like its no big deal. I would treat when hes far enough away and starts to focus on you. Just a note: I'm definitely not a professional dog trainer, I have been learning from researching like crazy and hands on experience with my 3 male sheps . Good Luck

One other quick thing-i could be way off...I'm not sure a small link prong would be good for using for control-I have the small link ones but use them when we are obedience training at home for light watch me corrections,etc. I have medium and large ones for when we are out and about. just thinking....

If you find yourself in a situation where Kodee is still flipping out, calmly (on your terms) move away from what he's reacting to and keep moving. Mark and reward when he is calm, and do a little obedience. Calm is the word of the day. Prevention is obviously better though, by keeping your distance for awhile. I still wouldn't correct, but if you find yourself needing to be in a situation where proximity is an issue a basket-muzzle can at least take some anxiety out of the equation.

First, always protect yourself from liabilities. The less anxiety you feel, the calmer and more sure your handling is going to be. If you can KNOW that your dog can't bite you or anyone else, and KNOW that your dog can't escape you, that goes a long way to aiding confidence. The muzzle is temporary.

I used to carry the basket muzzle with me in places I was less sure of, and put it on the dog if I saw something coming that he might react to. (I always get my dogs used to basket muzzles as puppies, and I've NEVER been sorry) so it's not a punishment when it's on, it just 'is'. If you get Kodee accustomed to wearing the muzzle, he won't think of it as a big deal and it will save you from a lot of worry.

The reality here is, until this problem is worked through over time, there is probably nothing immediate that you're going to be able to do to stop this from happening when he's in these situations. That's why it's better to avoid what he's not ready for, which I know you know . Because this isn't always possible, all you can do is your best to keep potential damage to a minimum until the training and desensitization has time to work, and this is where the muzzle can help. VERY EXCELLENT plan to get a DD collar backup, too.

Not a bunch to add. But I find If I stay very very clam, when when my dogs are not, they calm down. Show them you are not afraid, and in my experience, this can help them to cool down.

Hope that helps a touch.

Thanks, everybody. I wanted to give a little update. I've been working w/Kodee pretty much every day, taking Kodee to the park mostly. He is already doing much better. About a week ago I took him to a huge Petsmart, and worked with him on the sidewalk near the entrance. We only saw a couple of small dogs, and while we weren't super-close, we weren't very far away, either. maybe 20-25' from the entrance? We did obedience with high-value treats, and it worked great. No barking at anyone, although honestly there wasn't a whole lot to bark at that day. I've been taking him to the park in the evening, and there is a fairly long sidewalk/trail, that lots of people use for walking/jogging. Normally if Kodee saw someone coming towards us and we were alone, he'd go nuts. But I started walking him about 15-20 feet off the sidewalk as soon as he notices whoever it is, and we do obedience - down-stays, sit-stays, watch-me, etc. He's walking on the prong still just in case, but I haven't had to make any physical corrections, and very few verbal ones. We went to the park last Friday night, and I didn't realize til we were there that there was a high-school football game going (the high-school is across the street from our park). There were tons of kids being loud, bright lights, cars driving by, etc. I walked Kodee through the parking lot a couple times, and I could tell he was a little anxious, but the relaxed after a while. We went over to a soccer field, where 3 teenagers were kicking a ball around. I asked them if I could work w/my dog near them while they kicked the ball around, and asked them to just ignore Kodee. It worked out great! They kicked the ball right past him a few times, without saying anything to him, and he held his stays perfectly! They (and I) were really impressed with his self-control!

The other night was the best - we practiced walking through the park, ignoring other walkers, and when we finished, I was walking back towards the car (about 1/2 mile away), when I noticed that a lady was on the tennis courts practicing obedience w/her dog. I got close enough (on the sidewalk immediately just outside the tennis court fence) that Kodee definitely showed interest in the dog at first, but as soon as his ears pricked up, I distracted him - more OB, treats, etc. He did some fairly long down-stays in view of the dog, but he was watching me, waiting to be released (and get treats). I was so proud of him!

Today he was in the car with me, and while we were sitting at a stoplight, he saw a dog in a yard nearby. A month ago he would've gone ballistic in the car, regardless of how far away the dog was (if he could see it, he wanted to go after it. Period.) But today I just said "no", and he looked away from the dog and at me. He was still interested, but he never barked or growled! It'll be a while still before I feel comfortable going back to the trails we used to walk/jog on, as it's not a really wide trail (about as wide as one vehicle), but b/c it's build up (near the river), you can't just walk off to one side of the trail, b/c it drops off steeply on each side. But gradually I plan to take him to places that are more "confined" so to speak, and see how he does. I'll also go gradually closer and closer to dogs (and bikers, etc), until he can ignore them as we pass them on a sidewalk. I can't thank you enough for all of your advice! You've all been a great help!

Yay! Great job, Kori!