Heather,
It sounds as if this dog has had NO training in any department and thinks
that he runs the show.  Because he has had no training, he has no idea
that he is NOT the boss.  Because he does not respect authority and/or
recognize you as the leader, attempting to train him at this point will
be fruitless.  BUT... there is hope!!  :-)
 
There is a new dog training device called a Gentle Leader.  It is a nose
loop that somewhat resembles a muzzle however it is *not* a muzzle.  It
is designed to control that dog that "takes YOU for a walk", it helps
control barking, lunging, etc by allowing you to pull up GENTLY on the
loop.  Pulling up on this loop applies gentle pressure to the dogs
muzzle... which is the way that a dominant dog in a pack disciplines it's
followers.  Further, it is much more humane that allowing the dog to pull
and choke.  When the dog realizes that you are treating him (humanely)
like a dog and you are taking his power away from him, he will be much
more obedient in the house, too.  These Gentle Leaders are the ONLY type
of device that our local animal shelter uses now.... It has been proven
110% effective on ALL the dogs that come into the shelter.  Please, don't
give up on this dog... Please try the Gentle Leader!  It worked for our
beagle, too!  He no longer drags us when we take him for a walk.
 
You can check out the gentle leader at:
http://www.gentleleader.com/pages.cfm?id=19 or do a search for it.
 
Good luck!
 
Renee
[Posted in FML issue 4120]