Random Outbursts of Aggression....Dominance related?

Testicles do not cause aggression. I would do a complete blood workup on this dog, including a full thyroid panel, and I would hire a positive reinforcement trainer experienced in aggression, yesterday. You need hands on help. No internet forum is going to be able to help you fix this.

 I can do the blood work most certainly, what are they going to be looking for?  What types of things would they find that would spark this aggression?  Especially since it only started when his testicles dropped. 

 As for the trainer....when you live in an area like I do there is no such thing as a good trainer, esp one experienced in aggression.  I paid to put him in a training class, and it was a joke so I pulled him out of it.  I should mention that I went to school for two years for animal behavior, so I know my basics.

 

Thank you for the advice, I will talk to my vet about the blood work.

They'll be looking for things that are off balance, and would make him feel bad. Thyroid problems can cause aggression, in particular.

 

What kind of training have you done with him? Are you practicing NILIF?

OnyxsMom

He attacked my mom when she tried to push him off the bed.  He attacked me when I was trying to brush him (which he has never done before) and again tonight when I went to pick him up to take him to bed.  When I dropped him tonight (was in the process of picking him up and carrying him when he went after me)  he actually continued to lunge and bite at my legs.

It's possible he is in pain of some kind.  Since you're up for taking him in for bloodwork, have the vet do a thorough exam to make sure there isn't something that's hurting him.  Dogs in pain will often react the way you are describing.

Also, I recommend you do some research on the "alpha myth."  Dominance theory in dogs has been widely refuted and is pretty much considered to be an outdated concept.

Good luck with your pup!

Where do you live, perhaps someone knows someone in the area. Perhaps also he has been showing signs of this for some time that you have not recognized, and has now felt the need to progress to aggression since you didn't recognize earlier signs (not blaming you for that, lots of people would have no clue). But yes, follow the advice first of ruling out medical concerns. Hopefully someone will know a trainer in your area.

It sound to me like you would benefit from reading this article.  I don't think this dog, from your description, is displaying random aggresion.  The article will explain. 

http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/handling_dominance_aggression_in_dogs

Do not assume that you should "stay dominant" - that's an outdated concept that, sadly, is being perpetuated by some TV trainers and others who still buy in to the "alpha dog" theory. David L. Mech, the wolf biologist who coined that term, based on some flawed captive wolf studies, actually has a youtube video wherein he states that he wishes he had never done that. As another poster suggested, testicles don't cause aggression, and removal of them, while still a good idea in terms of contraception, sometimes has little effect. This actually could stem from the incident where your mom tried to push him off the bed. I never suggest that people push dogs because it's easier to just let the dog trail a leash, then pick up the end and *gently* guide the dog off the bed, saying "off" as you do, then rewarding when the dog is on the ground. If, when your mom pushed him, he snapped, and she backed off, he learned that using his teeth could get him what he wanted - either staying on the bed or making her go away. I would STOP using all punishment with this dog and turn to techniques such as clicker training. Classes are useful for skills training, but this is a behavior modification problem. Resource guarding isn't always about food, and so called dominance aggression is rarely about testicles, it's usually about resource or getting a human to back off doing something the dog isn't fond of;-) For your reading and viewing pleasure: http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-practice-news-columns/pet-projects/exploring-owner-directed-aggression.aspx http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB1066 http://www.pmc-utah.com/sites/site-2751/documents/Dominance%20Aggression%20in%20Dogs.pdf