They NEED to have at least one seesion with a behaviorist who specializes in dominance aggression. It is extremely important. They need to set aside a special fund for it or something. If they try to give the dog up, the dog WILL end up being put to sleep by just about any shelter he ends up in.
If they feel they can't handle it, rescue groups should be contacted. Sometmes rescue groups have relationships with behaviorists and are willing to deal with aggression problems. Not all of them will because of the liability issues though.
It will be hard to give you advice without seeing exactly how they interact with the dog, but I have a STRONG feeling that it is dominance aggression. They need to stop letting him on the furniture and make him sleep on the floor below them. They should also be sure to eat their meals first before they feed him. And if he's laying in a doorway that they need to walk through, they should make him move instead of trying to step over him. Also, they should go through doors before him.
Obedience class would be good so they can learn how to work with him effectively, but I think a behaviorist is much more critical at this point because this problem is escalating.
Alyson
Shiloh, Reece, Lolly, Skylar
and fosters Snickers, Missy, Magic, Merlin, Maya
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