dog not listening anymore

Question
I have a German Shepherd mixed with a Chow who is turning 4 years soon. He's an outside dog most of the time. I've had some trouble teaching him ever since i got him but I've been able to control him, but these past month he's been out of control.  One big problem is he never listened to his name when he finds his way out of the house & it takes a while to get him back.  He's also starting to play rougher like biting and jumping. We have plenty of space in the backyard for him to play. I'm wondering if it's too late to train him better and if I can what do I do?

Answer
It's NEVER too late to begin training, Avarie. I think the brunt of your dog's problems stem from boredom. I would recommend that you start taking him for a walk every day, that lasts for at LEAST 30 to 45 minutes. Enrolling him in an obedience class, or working one-on-one with him and a trainer is another thing I would suggest. Time spent training is good bonding time, and it keeps his mind busy, which keeps him from being so bored.

I prefer to begin teaching commands using treats and lots of praise. Then, once the dog understands the commands, I start to phase out the food and introduce corrections for disobedience. I do not believe in training that uses force to teach the commands (ie: using the leash and/or pushing on the dog's rump or shoulders to pull/push the dog into a sit or a down). I have several videos on YouTube that show how to begin teaching the basics, if you're interested. They are located at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=465B2A6868C739BD