Desperately need help

In what way did he 'attack' your son, and what was your son doing at the time, were they playing together, was the dog eating, was your son teasing him, all of the above things can cause a dog to bite. When else has he also 'attacked'  is there a link between his 'attacks' or are they just random?

Very few dogs bite without warning or provocation.  Humans don't always recognize the warning signs or realize what's provoked a bite.  

No, you don't want to rehome this dog .  That would be very irresponsible.  Contact a GSD rescue group in your area and ask for help.  You need a behavior consultation.  Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation.  If you aren't prepared to spend the time and money to deal with the behavior, euthanasia may be the best option.  It would be a shame to take that route without at least trying to discover why the dog is biting and trying to change the dog's behavior.  

To clarify why I suggested you contact a GSD rescue.  Most reputable rescues won't take a dog with a bite history.  The liabilities are too high.  What they may be able to offer is some help evaluating the dog based on their experience with the breed.  

Sorry to hear about that. Does the dog have any training? How much exercise is he getting? Is he neutered?  I agree with JackieG as well find a trainer or rescue in your area that may be able to help. Keep us posted.

Hello, If you are still needing help I can suggest our obedience training. We have worked with many many German Shepards. If you are interested please let me know, I would  not want you to have to put him down.

My apologies for not responding sooner. To answer the above questions. What happened the night he bit my son was My daughter and son were sitting in my son's room talking. The dog stays in my son's room as he's his dog. My daughter tossed a ball to the dog, he hopped up on the couch next to my daughter and was fine. She continued to play fetch with him. She has a habit of bouncing her leg. She was petting the dog and he started growling at her then went after her foot....but nipped at her shoe. She got up and left the room. About 20 minutes later! He went after my son's feet, my son reached down to stop him and he bit his hand and arm, breaking the skin on both. They do not tease the dog and both are old enough to respect that he can bite. This has been an ongoing issue where he normally will growl at my daughter. He has come after me, my son and my daughter but this is the first time he has actually bitten. Unfortunately, we have turned him in to the pound and they feel he is not placeable. He is a beautiful dog that lacked formal training. It's heartbreaking to me to see him out down but the rescues that the pound has contacted have refused help because he has bitten. He in nit neutered and they pound does not feel that would be helpful in his instance. Are there any other suggestions that will save him from euthanizing?

There are suggestions but nothing that is a fast fix. A qualified trainer could probably help but you would have to be committed to a lot of time, money and stress.

I hope that you take away some lessons from this. Such as, if you ever get another dog, the dog will be the entire families responsibility, not just one kids responsibility. It takes a village so to speak. Dogs need consistency, early and often training and socialization, a lot of exercise and mental stimulation. Even more so if you get a working breed such as a german shepherd. Please do some reading before you jump in to getting another dog.

Raising a dog takes as much effort as raising a human. It is true that the entire family should have been involved, and he should have been neutered. If one cannot put in a lot of time with a puppy, this is what happens when they are adult dogs. It is a horrible shame that a healthy 4 year old dog will be put down for something that was not his fault. As others have said, I hope you will remember this if you ever decide to take responsibility for another dog life.

Absolutely everything that has been said above is perfectly given and said -- but the one last -ditch thing I would like to see you do is send a Thyroid 5 Plus profile to Hemopet in California -- http://www.hemoet.com .   As odd as it may sound a thyroid that is out of whack - particularly in a young dog -- can cause odd behavior changes and aggression.  

Any sort of health issue that then gives rise to a behavioral problem also needs training to set it all right -- but if you don't address the underlying health issue then you virtually can't rectify the behavior issue..  But your original question asked if there was "anything else" and I'm just suggesting one more possible to try.

I'm also going to add the description from Amazon for "The Canine Thyroid Epidemic":

"Winner of the DWAA Maxwell Award for 2011, Best Care and Health Book and the Eukanuba Canine Health Award.

If your dog is lethargic, losing his hair, gaining weight or suddenly becomes aggressive, perhaps the last thing you (or your vet!) would think about is his thyroid. Unfortunately, however, thyroid disorders can cause literally dozens of health and behavioral problems in dogs and frequently go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed. And the real tragedy is that most thyroid problems are treatable with the right medical care and a well-informed owner can often minimize the chance of a thyroid disorder occurring in the first place.
Noted veterinarian Jean Dodds and co-author Diana Laverdure have done the dog owning public and their vets a great service by writing The Canine Thyroid Epidemic. The book is written in such a way to inform both the average dog owner and animal health care professionals about the ways in which thyroid disorders occur, can be prevented and treated."