Dog goes full berserker

My dog is about 10 and a half months old, a doberman mix of some kind (I was told chocolate lab, but can't see it at all). He's a very smart dog, and generally pretty friendly with other dogs. He's not property destructive, and we take him to the park for about an hour every day so he can run and play with other dogs. He doesn't like people much, but never goes any further than barking at them. For the most part, he keeps himself occupied with other dogs, occasionally running back to make sure my brother and I haven't left.
At least once a park visit (rarely more than twice), he goes full berserker with no apparent trigger, and starts jumping on me, biting and latching onto my arms or legs. I've tried a range of things, from standing calmly with my arms behind my back to grabbing the back of his harness, to giving commands (sit, off, etc, which he normally executes perfectly with little to no hesitation). He usually stops if I can get to a bench and sit down, but he also becomes very protective. I'm covered in cuts and bruises, and my parents are threatening to send him away or have him put down if we can't figure something out. Any suggestions for how to get him to calm down?

Sounds like he is getting overstimulated. Can you exercise him in places other than the park? Also at his age he is going through adolescence and pushing the boundaries.

So I would find a good training class and ramp up his obedience.

Can your parents get involved in your the dog's training rather than threatening to get rid of him? Where are they going to take him? To a shelter? Where there are already too many dogs, some possibly like him - young, exuberant and untrained.

He's been through... three or four levels of obedience training. My dad was the main attendee (I had to go back to college after the first two, which he went with me to). He did great with classes and commands, and was consistently the quickest to learn and follow new commands. He stopped going after we brought the trainer for an in home session and she told my parents that he either needed to be put down or sent away to a trainer who uses shock collars.

He's very leash aggressive, so exercising him elsewhere isn't really an option (he gets frustrated that we're not fast enough to let him run at full speed and after a bit out on a walk he turns and starts attacking whoever is holding the leash -this sometimes even happens on the way to and from the car when we go to the park).

Dad hasn't decided where he'll go. I'm scared for him. I just want him safe and happy. If that's not with us, fine. But I need to at least know that he'll be okay and well cared for.

Tbf training is an ongoing issue, it shouldn't end because the course is finished. He needs to learn to walk nicely on a lead, that should be part of training from an early age. Yes Dobermanns need a lot of exercise but on your terms not his and running riot in a dog park shouldn't be part of it. If he won't walk on lead then try a harness and head collar and practice every day to say it's not an option is unacceptable Imo.

All dogs MUST learn to walk nicely on a lead ... particularly large breeds such as a Doberman. It is as Trouble says totally unacceptable to say that this is not an option. YOU are in charge, and although I appreciate he needs a lot of exercise, he is a large dog and this MUST be within the bounds of acceptability - you cannot just allow him to run amok. He needs to learn the rules before you let him run free. My dog, Ben, is an Alaskan Malamute cross and when we rescued him 5 or so years ago he was an absolute nightmare on the lead. The secret I personally think with such a dog as Ben, or indeed your Dobe who hates the lead, is to keep a loose lead - do not pull them back when they pull, relax the lead but use your voice to control them ... WAIT is a good command accompanied by a short sharp pull and quick release of the lead. I can walk Ben Like this through our village on a slack rope with the rope just lying loose on his back. If he gets ahead of me a bit too much I give him a loud "oi!" with my voice and he immediately drops back. If he doesn't then a short sharp jerk, followed by a release and another sharp command does the trick. The more you pull the lead, the more the dog will resist - if your Dobe is jumping up at you, being aggressive, assertive etc use your body in an erect posture to stand up to him - don't be afraid to nudge him with a knee, this is not kicking him, it is standing up to him and it is far harder for him to nip your tensed leg than an arm or a hand. A sharp knee is a very good way to control a jumping, nipping dog by applying it to the chest area accompanied by a firm nudge - the dog will get the message, and this can be combined with assertive voice commands. As soon as he is calm, don't forget to praise him and tell him he is a good boy. In my opinion you cannot praise a dog enough when he has been a good boy! Hope this helps! I quite agree with your wish to allow him to run free!

Could he not run free with a muzzle on? i agree with all the comments above .. is there no woodland places to take him tire him out (with muzzle on) then start the training as he is very young .. at least 2/3 years for a doberman to settle ? please dont give up on him

No it does not take 2/3 years for a Dobermann to settle, with proper training they are wonderful dogs throughout their lives but they need training, direction and consistency.

Rosbour- I'm not going to give up. I love him more than anything. I want him to be safe and successful.

What I'm hearing is: I'm a bad (or at the very least ignorant) owner who needs to keep my dog in check and teach him to walk on a lead. Gnasher gave some great tips (that I'm going to try as soon as I can get my brother out with me - he's usually halfway decent at getting him to calm down if he's out of control) on how to do that. Any other lead training tips you lot might be able to relay? Our previous trainer didn't give us much guidance beyond the (completely ineffective) in class methods.

I have a big dog as well. And I have found a harness rather than a lead attached to a collar is the best thing. It helps to balance the dog and you. Which means neither of you get pulled around so much.

As for stopping the beserker mode, you have to be consistent. I would clip his lead back on and walk him away, whilst saying 'let's go' preferably before he goes full-on berserker. It does sound like over-stimulation and prevention is better than cure. It might also be a good idea to avoid the park for a while and just walk the dog on the leash for at least an hour. As the others said, the dog has to learn to walk by you.

When my big dog pulls, I usually stop dead and say 'wait', using a calm voice. I then stand still for a count of 10 and say 'walk on' and start walking again. If the dog walks without pulling, praise him. Lots of 'good boy!' in a happy voice.

Keep doing this every time the dog pulls. And be patient, it will take time but the dog will get it. And be consistent. Do it every time.

ETA: One more thing, relax yourself as much as possible. It sounds common sense but it's remarkably easy to not notice you are tensing your muscles in anticipation of trouble. Any tension in you goes straight down the lead and into your dog.

And you are not a bad owner. We all of us have things to learn. No-one is born an expert.