Please do not try to apply this pack leader thing regarding your son and the dog. The whole idea is flawed and it is now known that domestic dogs are not interested in trying to dominate anybody...even other dogs. They simply act in a way that gets the response in others that most benefits them....as all sociable animals do. As I have observed with my own dogs. one might have their way in one situation but the other might have their way in another. If there was a strict heirachy like in a wolf pack, this would not happen...the higher dog would have it's own way everytime in every situation...unless it chose to allow the other dog to have something and the other dog would know this.
Applying the dominance theory training can stress a dog and make it even more aggressive. Having him point and say "No", to the dog is putting him in great danger and making your dog even more mistrusting of him.
Aggression is a learned behaviour and the dog will use it wherever they think it will get them what they want...or help them avoid something they don't want. It has nothing to do with trying to dominate.
Spaying is always a good idea for a bitch who's not being bred from but don't expect it to make this problem just go away...I doubt it has much to do with hormones and more to do with general learning from the environment. Unspayed bitches produce progesterone with is a natural calming hormone...spaying removes this hormone...so it's hardly going to make a bitch more calm. I've known of some bitches who became more aggressive after spaying although this certainly doesn't count for them all. Mine were done a month ago and I have seen no changes...as is most cases.
Where children are concerned, I really would suggest seeking the help of a behaviourist but please avoid anybody still stuck with the dominance theory. Do a bit of reading yourself on the internet about it and you'll begin to realise why.
Have a read of this website...you'll find it interesting
http://www.dogwelfarecampaign.org/
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