Quote: kelly schultz

.... Yes, everyone else has been on board, but I am home the most with him, so I do the most. Daughter does still tend to yell "Hey" in a high pitched voice, but she is getting better.

Well, this belongs in here:

 Quote: kelly schultz

... He "attacked" my husband when he walked onto the deck yesterday. He walked through the gate, and Toby, who had been sitting calmly and wagging his tail, just jumped up and bit his arm. He then started barking and growling. I spoke to a behavioralist who said this might just be his inappropriate way of asking people to play, but I don't know how to break him of it. I can't trust him with my daughter, and my husband wants nothing to do with him at this point. We are meeting with a trainer next week. I'm hoping maybe she can help. If not, I'm not sure if we're going to be able to keep him..

I'm just saying that the big picture isn't so much of everyone else being on board, at this point.

Also,

 Quote: alyssa myracle

... how old was he when the "trainer" said he was being "dominant"?

I'm interested in this question too.

Yes, there has apparently been a ton of inconsistency and lack of management, not enough exercise, and no structure, but it sounds like there has been some not-knowledgeable advice coming from outside, too.

 Quote: Kelly Schultz

We almost got rid of him initially because he was scared of many things and bit whenever he got excited and often when he was handled. We went to Petsmart for socialization and that did help him with his fear of other dogs. We also met with 2 other trainers, but they didn't teach much more than the basic obedience. We had a Chow who had severe hip dysplasia in her last few years, and we were unable to handle or pick her up due to her temperament, and I refuse to let that happen again...

Well, and this, from last month.

 Quote: Kelly Schultz

Right, but the times I'm thinking of especially, are the nights where I have classes. I leave my house around 4:30 and don't get home till around 10:30. At that point, I get settled and go to bed, because I have to get up at 6:30. When I finish school next month, I plan on getting a job in the evenings. If I leave him in his crate all that time, he'll be in there for 14 hours!

Who takes him out for the bedtime potty run?

Kelly, I know you're being bombarded with questions, but take it from me, please, they are essential if anyone here is going to be able to give you step-by-step advice.

I'm not going to say we didn't make mistakes, although they certainly were not on purpose. What I most want to be able to do right now is to stop him from trying to bite husband and daughter. Everything else is secondary. When we tried to deter him from biting before, the "No's, ignoring, scruff shake, distractions, and water bottles all seemed to get him more fired up. We therefore discontinued them very quickly. My husband and daughter are getting the brunt of this behavior and for that reason are not very attached to this pup. He shows them no affection, aside of when they first come home. It's all teeth. This is why hubby now wants nothing to do with him. He was around 5 months when the trainer said that.

Okay, I'm just going to be blunt.

The puppy is playing.
The raising the voice, scruffing, water, etc, just adds to the appeal of the game.

How much do you play with the puppy ?
The *image* I'm getting is of a puppy spending its entire life being feared, hated, and locked out on the porch. When the puppy tries to play, he gets yelled at, hit, etc etc.

Water bottles, etc, are only going to make him more nervous, which was your original reason for wanting to get rid of the
puppy .

Does he have tugs? How often do you play tug with him?

Puppies play.

I want to add that structured exercise is absolutely crucial. He is filled with frustrated energy.

"Does he have tugs? How often do you play tug with him?"

Also, have you taught "fetch"? And marching-right-along walks?

No one is trying to say that corrections have no place, because they sure do, but the image I get from all the posts too is that there has been nothing consistent, that he was not redirected when he was small, that his attempts to play are ramped up with what most likely looks to him like reciprocated play-fighting and then sudden punishments, and that he gets almost no exercise. He has too much opportunity to make mistakes (nipping at the little girl's sock and then trying to jump on her when she tries to get away doesn't happen when you are at the other end of a short line when he interacts with a child).

No one is saying he can't be a normal family dog, either, interacting with all family members, but so many mistakes have been made so far that he's just not ready.

I would not have anything in my own mind if I were you about giving up. Everything sounds so normal on his end that I'm a little angry (and I betcha I'm not alone in this) that a "trainer" told you he was dominant at 5 months.

Some concerted effort at this point is going to pay off enormously.

Can you type up a "what does he do all day" kind of schedule for us?

And Kelly, please bear with us. "Blunt" is usually the most effective way to go, as long as the advice recipient realizes that this board tends to stress the management and training of the dog in the dog's best interest, which is also the family's best interest (happy well-behaved dog, happy family with great pet) ..... but not the feelings of the poster so much.

Kelly,
I think I know what you're going through.

Okay, the dog minds and respects you but no one else in the family. So far so good?

That's what I was alluding to in my question of, is everyone on board with the training.
That means, everyone works with the dog.
It means everyone uses the same command words AND with the same expectations of the dogs required actions of same.

Just so you don't feel badly about how it happens, and happen all to easily.
Myself and SO have been together for a loooong time. I had dogs when we met and have had ever since. Through three dogs worth it invariably is the same thing with each dog. "What do I do? He/she won't get off me, won't leave me alone, won't stop biting me, etc etc etc." I say, just tell him not to....."No no no no, stop it stop it stop it. He won't listen to me". I say, he doesn't understand those words. These are the words to use....blah blah.
After the small lecture it's still an exercise in correcting the vocabulary......He doesn't understand no, it's nay. He doesn't understand stay, it's wait. So on and so on.
Shrug, it happens sooner or later with every dog we've ever had.
What I'm trying to say is make sure everyone is using the same vocabulary. 'Hey!' could be a command, just make sure everyone uses it for the same reason.

I'd talk to the family about working with the dog, get them involved in the dogs development within the family unit.
How is the dog to know where he belongs in 'his pack' without being shown the way? Without direction, he'll make his own rules. It is the way of canidae species.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
M & M Enterprises

eta,
And Kelly yes, it does sometimes get down to showing them HOW to play with the dog.

If anything, this dog is probably played with TOO much, at least by me. He is definetly not ignored by the family. Again, if anything, we initially cooed over him too much. The only time he is alone is when we leave the house or when he goes out to potty, and even then, I sometimes go with him.
I agree that the consistency has not been there, and that is probably because I tried to combine a TON of advice, and it all varied, not necessarily from here, but from trainers and friends.
Here is a typical weekday for us:
7-7:30is: out of crate
7:30-8: on leash held by me while my dd an I have breakfast and get ready.
8:00: dd feeds him, then on leash with me again
8:30: out to potty and off for ride to take dd to school
9:00: 20-30 min walk and back out to potty
10:00: takes a nap either in crate or by me, then hangs out.
12:30: we used to walk, but since he's started growling and pulling at strangers, we usually just play fetch, find it, or practice walking in the yard, etc for around 30 minutes or longer depending on how much time I have.
1-1:30ish: lunch
1:30: sits by me with chewie while I study or work
3:00: off for ride to pick dd up from school
3:30: out in the yard to play with me and dd (somewhat)
for a half hour or so.
4:00-5:30: tethered to or by me while I get dinner
5:30 dinner
After dinner, we've been doing practice walks with the Gentle Leader in front of the house, then we hang out and do some fetch or training when we have time.
Between 9-10: out for final potty and up in our room in his crate to bed.
Obviously, this changes if we have somewhere to go..