My best friend might have to go

Question
Hi, I am need of advice. I have exhausted all resources and at the end
of my rope. I have a four year old Wheaton named Teddy purchased from a
pet store. I have later learned of the tragic conditions that these
dogs are bread under "after the fact". I feel that if I cannot fix his
aggressive behavior he will have to be put down.
Teddy is my best friend, fun loving, great with kids & other dogs, if a
dog is barking at him he will ignore them and walk on by. You could put
your face in his bowl take away a treat or a bone etc. He
goes to dog parks and day care. He has a great temperament except when
it comes to my husband and most recently my 15 year old son. He spends
80% of the time with me and takes a 2 mile walk everyday. He goes
everywhere with me. He is crated at bedtime in my room and doesn't mind
it much. When my husband comes home from work he gets the biggest
greeting, lays on his back and gets his tummy rubbed but all that
changes in a matter of minutes.
When he was 2 years old he started showing aggression towards my
husband
when he was brushing his teeth either at night or the morning. At first
we thought it was cute but when he suddenly attacked and bit my
husband on the rear end it wasn't funny anymore. So then he had to shut
the door while brushing. But one dayTeddy was sitting in front of the door waiting for him to come out and
bit him when he opened it.
So then we crated him while he was in the bathroom. Six months passed
with no incident until one day my husband was changing after work in
his closet. Teddy attacked and bite him. I cant even count the times he
has gone after him in the closet. So then again we would lock him in
the crate. Then it turned into every time he was carrying his shoes, or
in his office getting his keys etc.
Then he turned on my son while he was getting changed into work-out
wear in his room He was beside me in the hall, spotted him, froze got
this weird look, then charged full spread ahead like a mad dog jumped
up on him and bit him in the arm. The last time he bite my husband was
totally weird. We were going to take him for a walk, I brought down my
husbands shoes and he was in the downstairs bathroom washing his hands.
Same thing happened froze, got that weird look and charged. Before my
husband could shut the door once again he attacked him breaking skin on
his fingers down to the bone. This was it for Teddy. and I cant blame
my husband after getting bit over 12 times. he wants him to go if we
cant fix him. I have tried trainers, watching Cesar, Its me or the dog
etc. Followed everyone's advice and still no improvements. All these
trainers I have talked to have never heard of this type of aggression.
So I am hoping that one of you has heard of this and can help. I love
my dog but we cant go on like this any longer. Thanks,

Answer
You do not need a trainer, you need a qualified canine behaviorist, and preferably a veterinarian behaviorist.  Check on the Animal Behavior Society web page to see if there is one near you, or call the nearest vet school for a referral.  (IAABC is another place to look) Some dogs can be helped by behavior modification treatment, or a combination of behavior modification and medication.  Some trainers are good at the behavior modification part, but behaviorists generally have more training at a graduate level, and either prescribe, or work with someone who does.  You will probably be asked to fill out a lengthy behavior questionnaire, and the dog will have a full medical workup, too.  There are conditions such as epilepsy, hypothyroidism, etc. that can cause aggression, so those need to be ruled out.  But, the fact that this started when Teddy was two leads me to think that whatever else is at work here is also possible linked to dominance or resource guarding aggression - age two is when dogs become socially mature and establish rank in their social groups.  If this were my dog, I would have the men in the family start feeding him and giving him his treats or taking him for his walks, so long as they can do it safely (during that time, you give him nothing, so that Teddy MUST depend on the guys for his resources).  What you are trying to establish is that those humans are as important as you are, and all the humans are ahead of him in the general scheme of things.  If you feel that it is too dangerous to attempt this until you get help, then you may want to muzzle Teddy (learn how to fit one and acclimate him to one at www.morcco.com) - that way, he doesn't get the satisfaction of chasing your hubby into the bathroom either - which only serves to make him feel he has been very powerful indeed and reinforces his position as aggressor.
Good luck and keep in touch!