biting recue lab mix

Question
We have adopted a 1 year old lab mix and he has a problem when he walks, he bites my ankles and when I correct him he goes for my arms and hands and flips around. I have tried to make him sit and try to get him to calm down, doesn't work. I have tried to pin him down until he is calm , doesn't work he won't submit. He is very strong and I am very black and blue. If he see someone or another dog and I don't let him get his way he seems to act worst. We are patiently trying to work with him but I can't walk him with out him flipping out. I would love any information as I don't know what to do. Thank you.

Answer
It is possible he is a more difficult dog than many.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts.  Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

This was written for younger dogs, but do what you can make it work: ''Elevation for small puppies:  Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up.  He is facing you.  Hold him for 15 seconds.  Repeat until he no longer struggles.  If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.  

Cradling for small puppies:  Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby.  If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds.  With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.

Quiet lying down:  Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you.  Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position.  When he is quiet, praise him.  Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position.  When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''

The quotes mean this isn't my original work.  It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual.  I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective.  You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too.  Helps bonding.  There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly.  The latter cements your place as pack leader.  

This may be a case for the spray bottle.  It should be reserved for only the most difficult cases.  After raising 17 other puppies, my wife and I are using it for the first time with our current puppy.  Just put some water in a spray bottle and give him a blast in the face when he bites your ankles or other problem behavior.  If plain water doesn't stop him, add a little vinegar or lemon juice.  While it sounds a little harsh, it is highly effective with more difficult dogs nothing else works with.  It comes out of the same bag of tricks as the more gentle material I quoted above.  

The dog guide school breeds dogs with a variety of personalities to match the conditions the dog may be working in.  The more difficult, hard to train dogs go to third world countries where they need to be strong willed to stay on task around the greater distractions they face.  I could have let the string of easy dogs we have had recently fool me into thinking I was a great dog trainer.  No, we have out work cut out for us this year.  So it sounds like you too have a challenging dog.  Perhaps you had no intention of getting so involved, but if you are interested in obedience or agility competition, you have a dog that with diligent training could excel.