Biting, and aggression

Question
Hi, I have a 5 month old english bulldog. He is normally a very well behaved dog, and loves to play. I bought this breed because I have two small children (1 and 3), and have been told they are great with families. My problem is this, the dog is great with the little one but with my older daughter, my wife, and myself he gets very rowdy. He will constantly bark and lunge at us and bite, HARD! We have spoked with the vet and she suggested that we lay him on the back, get nose-to-nose and stare him down. That worked for two or three weeks and then he started snapping at our faces again. I love this dog normally he is good as I said before but lately this behavior is an everyday occurence and will last for more than an hour. What can I do to get him to settle down again? Also, will getting him neutered help? Any advice will be GREATLY appreciated. One last thing, we have been told that getting a bullie neutered is expensive because they can have breathing problems while under anesthesia, is this true? Do you have any idea what we are talkin about as a standard rate? Thanks for listening.:)

Answer
First of all, this puppy needs to be in an obedience class yesterday. He's at the rowdy "teenage" stage and he's testing his boundaries.  You will really have to make an effort to impress him that he does not run the show.

Neutering will definitely help this situation. The procedure is the least expensive of any dog related procedure I know of. Whether it's a Bulldog or a Beagle, the price should be the same. My vet charges $75 but I'm in Vermont. I know my clients have spent as much as $250 to have it done which I think is highway robbery.

If you haven't crate trained this puppy, start now. Make him sleep in it even if he pitches a fit for a few nights.  Then when he presents bad behavior, put him in the crate for a "time out" for 15 minutes, accompanied by a resounding "NO!"

You might also try shaking him by the scruff of the neck, hard enough to make him complain, and also accompanied by a loud "NO" when he bites. This is how the mother would discipline him. He may be too big for this, but if he's under 25-30 lbs. give it a try.  I mean shake him a good one.

Get the crate, get him neutered asap, get him into an obedience class.  That should solve your problems.