With the hypothetical dog (assuming it`s a rescue and I haven`t caused the problem!) I`d do the obvious - health check, see what food it was on and if necessary change to quality food with no additives, see if anything or anyone in the home were making it worse and provided there was nothing in the dogs` immediate enviroment making it so stressed, I`d embark on a firm, calm training programme, making the dog work for its food, attention etc. I`d try to focus the dog on me (defer to me) to take away the need to control its space (does that make sense?) I`d try to build up the dogs confidence by not setting it up to fail, and praising `goods` behaviour while avoiding opportunities for `bad`.
Mind you a lot of what one does is instinctive, isn`t it? Like my Shamus panics sometimes (troubled history) and growls at me sometimes so I just stand there, face turned away till he`s stopped - and then he comes up to me and `apologises` with a fullbody wiggle

I dont think I would get this dog neutered - if its showing agression to other dogs but its really based on fear and bluff then taking its bits away might make it more insecure??
Deff would look at the food (after a full vet check) and if its concentration try adding fish body oil and vit E
Prob go down a kinda NILIF thing so it has to work and focus
would try clicker trainnig or something to make training more fun - and reward for the slightest thing to make the dog more confident

Infact poss thats alot to do with it - are you talking a dog shut down from to much incorrect training?? so now it is not trying to learn, fear agressive cos bad things have happend when dogs come near
oh patch you are naughty - but I like you

I think I will

And thank you nickyboy, I appreciate what you said on a personal level and you talk a lot of sense throughout the post

[ don`t worry I`m sure normal service will resume but hopefully the next time you and I do battle we will both do it with a bit more understanding of each other ]

Excellent diagnosis

Aye, firm but fair, and consistency of method is vital I think

Yes I would agree with that, and when any rehab is successful the original is often not recognisable from the improved version and is so much easier to interact with

Aye, the behaviour really needs fixing, otherwise it would just be passing on bad habits to others to deal with, and we know how easy it is for young pups to be influenced into bad habits by an older norty one

I`m thinking the stooge dog approach though I would`nt want to try it with a cockatiel`s beak, had two of them, being pecked can really smart

Yup that might help

Having now had the time to read the thread properly I would like to revise my training plan and suggest that running the hypothetical dog with an older female dog may teach him some manners.
Further to that, I am now going off to have a lie down in a darkened room because I am starting to agree with nickyboy

Gosh...

We should keep an eye on their interactions, however. I would suggest a month or so log of calming signals: frequency, duration and effect.

dear lord why does that huge grin scare me

this thread has been a real eye opener,, more so as I failed the training problem thing,,,,runs....................