Ok, I'm not Carrie but I'll give this a try! I changed my original opinion by your additional information. I do not think it is a dominance aggression as I originally thought but more of a fear aggression. When the dog listens to your husband he is doing it out of fear and not out of a love based relationship. Fear-induced aggression can be distinguished from dominance-based aggression by body language. Fear-aggressive dogs typically display submissive body language (ears back, often flat against the head; avoiding direct eye contact; lowering the head and body; tucking tail between the legs; even submissive urination). Sometimes they roll over to expose their bellies. The roots of fear aggression can be severe physical or verbal punishment at an earlier age. And dogs have a long memory when it comes to remembering those who hurt them but they also have a very forgiving nature, so there is hope! There is work to be done to correct this problem but with consistent, positive approaches the dog does have the ability to get past this.

First everyone needs to be on the same page. So organize a family meeting to discuss the plan of action and realize that this is temporary until things get better between the dog and your husband. This plan must include EVERYONE in your household.

Here's the plan! Simply stated, RETRAIN the dog. This is also known as desensitizing or counter conditioning the dog. Until the problem is overcome, the only person who will feed the dog, give treats, pet, walk or play with the dog will be the one to whom the dog expressed aggression, your husband. Let your husband be the one the dog must depend on for positive actions. When the dog displays negative behaviors, have another family member take the necessary corrective action. During the retraining period, other family members should avoid interaction with the dog so that the feared person can be the dog's center of attention. When the dog obeys a command, your husband should praise and give a treat to the dog.

Some other things to incorporate into reconditioning the dog:

- Use positive reinforcement to train the dog. Reward appropriate behavior with treats, praise, petting and play. Your husband is builing the dog's trust from scratch. In the eyes of the dog, he must EARn the dog's trust by displaying only positive interactions.

- Don't punish the dog for bad behavior. This is why he is in this condition to start with. Instead, use humane, positive, properly executed corrections.

- Don't reward a dog for aggressive behavior. Ignoring the dog goes a long way in shaping behavior.

- Fearful dogs don't like surprises. Don't come from behind to pet the dog, don't make sudden movements that the dog can interpret as something other than what it was intended to be.

- Make sure the dog is getting plenty of exercise (20 - 30 minutes a day minimum) preferrably with your husband where there is just play, no commands or teaching other than what would be used in a playful situation.

Your husband needs to become leader of the pack. The dog needs to realize ALL GOOD THINGS come from daddy! Be Patient, retraining can take several weeks and must be done daily during this period.