What breed is this?

By his tail and personality, I'd have to say chow.  I've owned two of them and I know what you mean!  You have a "second shadow" so to speak!  But his fur isn't that of a chow.  I've seen dogs with fur like that but I can't quite put my finger on what he may be mixed with!  Sorry I wasn't any help!  He is a cutie though!

It looks like a mix of a few of the larger terriers:  Airdale, Soft Coated Wheaton, Welsh, Irish, Bouvier(Not a terrier, but kind of similar in overall impression). 
 
That aggression is not a good thing, obviously.  You may want to look up some info on NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free).  Some other members should be along to give you more suggestions on training. 

ORIGINAL: fuzzdomestic

It looks like a mix of a few of the larger terriers:  Airdale, Soft Coated Wheaton, Welsh, Irish, Bouvier(Not a terrier, but kind of similar in overall impression). 

That aggression is not a good thing, obviously.  You may want to look up some info on NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free).  Some other members should be along to give you more suggestions on training. 

 I appreciate the info, but is it possible to train a dog after 9 years? I really don't know why he's like that other than the fact that he's spoiled. I don't spank him and I'm not the shouting type either. They say a dog is a reflection of his owner, but I can't possibly be that mean. lol

One type of terrier that you forgot to mention is the Black Russian Terrier. This is the breed that I think he might be mixed with. Here are some pics of that type of dog.

http://www.mistylakespetresort.com/black_russian_terriers.htm

Believe it or not, my dog actually has a haircut right now. But when his hair grows, it's long enought to comb over his entire face. You can braid it or put it into ponytails.

Dogs are never too old to learn a new trick or better behavior.
 
NILIF is a good recommendation and a good place to start working with your dog. The aggression he shows towards humans worries me. I highly recommend speaking to a certified behaviorist in your area. A behaviorist can evaluate your dog's behavior and set up a behavior modification program that can work for you and your dog.
 
 

Did you get him from a rescue or something? His behavior may have something to do with his history. It's never too late to re-train a dog. I also recommend consulting a certified canine behaviorist and practicing NILIF. Make sure there aren't medical issues like thyroid problems lurking too.

[size=2]
[font=verdana]This is a dog that needs to learn that he is lower in the pack order than any human.  NILIF should do a lot to rectify that.
 
A description of NILIF:
>http://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=291245&mpage=1&key=񈼴[/size][/size][/font]

Poodle-Schnauzer-Chow? You ever thought of giving him a handle-bar mustache? []

I also am very concerned that you haven't trained him yet. Definitely get some help with that ASAP! It doesn't matter how old the dog is! That old dog/new tricks thing is a total myth!

Possibly Miniature Schnauzer?

I thank all of you for your replies.

We used to think that he had poodle in him because he barks alot and has curly hair.

I don't know about a Schauzer because his ears aren't like that dog's ears and that dog looks much smaller than he is.

@ mondayblues : No I didn't get him from a rescue. I have had him every since he was about 6 weeks old and now he is 9 years old.

He hasn't always been like this. At first he would only bark and snap at people if they came near me. Now, he tries to attack anyone who walks past my bedroom door. If we have company, I have to lock him in my room because he has really gotten unpredicatable. He seems to be getting worse and worse.

I never taught him to be an attack dog. He used to play at the playground with kids and everything, but when he got about 2 or 3 years old, he started picking fights with other dogs and he pulled a little boy's pants down. So I stopped letting him out to play on his own, which I think did more harm than good. It's like the more I isolate him the more aggressive he becomes which forces me to have to isolate him even more from people because I can't let anyone get bitten.

Thanks again for your help everyone.

Have you had his thyroid checked?  Has he had good physical lately?

Purple on the tongue doesn't always mean Chow.  I don't see much in the way of his body conformation to suggest it. If he does have Chow in there, it's pretty distant, or he takes after the other breeds more.
 
I'd say he's a mix of several breeds, one of the schnauzers is a possibility in there (there are larger sizes of schnauzer besides the miniature, and with what's likely several breeds, he's not likely to take on all of the traits of each breed in the mix).Black Russian terrier is unlikely, I'd say, simply because they're not that common, so I doubt they're out there wandering to create mixes. I'd just say he's well mixed
 
More importantly is getting his behavior on the right track.  No dog is too old to learn. His behavior isn't characteristic of any breed, just a dog who hasn't worked out his place in the world yet.
 
Check into the NILIF as stated above and look into clicker training or a positive reinforcement class. You can also find plenty of books on the subject if you don't have such a class nearby.

ORIGINAL: janet_rose

Have you had his thyroid checked?  Has he had good physcial lately?

No. The last time I took him to the vet, all they did was check his stool. I had to ask him about looking at his eyes and ears and all of that. The vet looked at me like I was crazy. I guess I should ask about checking his thyroid the next time I'm able to take him.

That dog looks identical to my inlaws Tibetan Terrier.  So that is my vote, they could be twins.  Tibetans can have curly hair when its not brushed out all show-dog like, at least that's the story I've been told. 

  [align=left]
Despite his name, this ancient Tibetan is not a terrier, but a true herding dog. The spunky little animal developed through ancient breeds, the North KunLun Mountain Dog and the Inner Mongolian Dog, which resembled a Poodle and stemmed back to the owtcharkas. Others believe this breed to be one of the prototypes of the herding family.

One talent specifically mentioned by Margar-eta Sundqvist is the Tibetan Terrier's ability to assist the shepherds on their journeys down from the mountains, by leaping to the backs of the sheep and down again in narrow passages.
[align=left]They also served as alarm dogs in remote Tibetan villages, alerting the Tibetan Mastiffs of intruders. Tibetans that were too small for such a rigorous life were given to the lamas and utilized and bred by the Tibetan monks for many centuries, developing into Lhasa Apsos.


Brought into Europe by the Magyars, the TT is a likely contributor to the Puli's makeup, being similar in size, shape, tail carriage and working traits. Other modern breeds acquired some of his qualities as he made his way through Europe.
The triad of shepherd, flock guard and herding dog has worked as a partnership throughout the world and over the centuries. None thrives alone in its sheep tending, so each has learned to rely on the other. Ancient Tibetan natives conceived this workable arrangement, with their Tibetan Mastiff doing the guarding and the Tibetan Terrier taking care of the actual herding. As the barbarians of the East invaded Europe, their families and flocks came with them, along with their two types of dogs. These Mastiffs and herders were left in all countries which absorbed these migrations, where they became individualized for the local region.


Poland developed the mighty Podhalanski and the shaggy Nizinny; in Hungary, the corded Komondor watched the flocks while the Puli did the footwork; northern Italy brought forth the Maremma and the accompanying Bergamasco. Spain boasts the Spanish Mastiff and the Gos d'Atura. Even tiny Portugal, on the coast, has the Estrela Mountain Dog which works with the Cao de Serra de Aires, And the French Great Pyrenees plays guard while the Berger de Pyrenees runs interference.

In each of these regions, the flock-guarding dogs have remained very similar. The sheep-herding dogs have retained manycharacteristics that lump them together with the sheepdogs of the East, rather than those that came by way of the North. These sheep dogs tend to be shaggy all over their bodies. Many have the tail that tends to curl over the back. Grizzled colors of grays and fawns predominate, rather than the black/tans so common in the northern shepherd dogs.
An English physician, Dr. H.R. Grieg, saved a Tibetan citizen's life and was honored with one of these shaggy Tibetan herding dogs. She later obtained another and brought them back to England; although she was not successful in breeding them, her dogs did serve to introduce the breed to the Western World. The Tibetan Terrier has been recognized in India since 1920, and in England since 1937, where they compete in the Utility Group. A comparative newcomer to the United States, they have been shown in Non-Sporting since 1973.
While the Tibetan Terrier of past centuries was tousled and shaggy-coated, today's show dog is adorned by an elegant coat necessitating hours of skillful grooming. Their long, elegant tails wrap protectively around themselves while sleeping. Another charming characteristic is that of using their paws in a catlike manner, holding, grasping and batting at balls. They can be stubborn if pushed into compliance. The Tibetan makes a merry household pet, small enough for apartments and sturdy enough for children's roughhousing.

 
From akc.org regarding their temperament:
 

  Temperament
The Tibetan Terrier is highly intelligent, sensitive, loyal, devoted and affectionate. The breed may be cautious or reserved. Fault--Extreme shyness.

It's a misconception that you have to be mean and raise your voice and get physical to train a dog. There are many succesfully trianed dogs who have never been hit, yelled at or manhandled in any way. You can still love your dog and lavish him with affection and have a well trained dog.

Take a gander here:http://www.k9deb.com/nilif

This is an easy method of non-confrontationally making an impression on the dog that you're in charge of the resources and if he's going to get any, he's going to have to do something for you first. That's only fair right? We don't just give our kids allowances, we have them do chores first. My work doesn't just hand me free money, I have to do my job for it.

Anyway, no dog is too old to learn anything and it sounds like you could use a couple consults with a behaviorist to help you get out of the cycle of isolation and aggression you've gotten in to there. Your dog could live for 9 more years, and I'd hate to think he'd have to be isolated for all that time when the behavior is correctable if you're willing to work at it.