Another thing I think I would start doing is stop approaching him to do anything to him in the way of petting or caressing him until you read what and how to do it properly with a dog like he is. If you sit down near him or walk near him, just kind of ignore him as Chattiesmom said. Let him approach if he wants but you just sit there & let him do any touching, sniffing, etc.
You might close the doors to the living room or den so he can't get out, bring in some warm, boiled chicken treats & just sit in the floor facing away from him. Don't do anything else but sit there & watch TV or listen to relaxing music. After 15 minutes, take your chicken & leave, opening all the doors again and going on about life. Repeat this a few times and see what happens. If he never even attempts to come close or shows interest, he has a bad problem but if he does eventually start to realize you won't touch him(because you have stopped that in your other relations with him), you don't have such a serious case & it will probably work out well much, much sooner. Of course, if he does come up & start pawing on your arm, give him a treat but stay quiet & uninvolved for now. Patience is the key in dealing with a dog who is nervous/aggressive(probably from some unknown fear) & untrusting. Once you read & know more, you can gradually start other methods that work up to forming a totally natural relationship with him.
__________________  Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |