Aggressive dog

I have a Husky/Akita mix that is 3 years old. She is a great dog but has some problems. We have had her since she was 8 wks old, and had her around other cats and dogs. She does great with my 3 boys and me. (She is a huge baby and thinks she is a 100 lb lap dog) But, she is very stubborn. I though she'd grow out of it by now, but hasnt. If she gets out of our yard, forget it. She will not come when your called, and runs when you get close. She is also animal aggressive now and cannot figure out why. We socialized her when she was young then one day out of the blue she went after this dog in the street. No damage, they just went in circles the whole time so nothing really happend. After that my gaurd went up. We had 3 cats at the time and she didnt bother them at all. About 2 months later she went after another dog, this time the dog was small and she almost killed it. I know Akita are very territoral, and since then I do not let her in my back yard loose. We do have a privacy fence, but she is an escape artist. So when I let her out back, I tie her to her 30 ft lead. Like I said, she is great with us, and is like our other child. She is very protective of us especially when my husband isnt home. She is uneasy around new people, so when someone comes in, I put her away and slowly introduce them to her. She has never went after a person, but Im too afraid to take any chances.
So my question, I see all these dog training sessions but a lot are group sessions. Am I stupid to take her to one? Im too afraid of her breaking the leash or something (which she has never done) But I figured she'd be too wound up there with other dogs and wouldnt learn anything. And do you think she is too old to go through behavior classes. I thought about getting rid of her to someone who has a huge yard and no other animals, like on a farm or something. But I cant. And I know shelters will put her down. And I do not want to see that happen to her.
So, some help would be nice.
Thanks.

[Jaybay]

Thank you so much for asking for help with your dog.  You are one of the few people willing to (1) admit there is a problem and (2) do something about it.  :-)

No dog is too old to learn new behavior.  I had a dog very similar to yours, and because of her fear aggression I was forced to learn about her problem and how to fix it.  Your dog sounds a lot like mine: she knows her own pack of humans and other animals and is defending them.  The problem is that she thinks she is the alpha dog.  She thinks it's her responsibility to control who or what comes into the home territory and deal with it.  That means that you need to reprogram her thinking so that she looks to you (or any other human in your home) for leadership.

Some of these problems can be overcome with simple obedience training.  If you don't want to risk a fight in a classroom setting, there are plenty of trainers who will come to your home for weekly sessions.  Any animal training is really about training the human. We learn about animal behavior and how they communicate.  We learn how to recognize dog behavior and posturing so we can understand what they're thinking.  Once you get that part, the rest is easy.

In addition to basic obedience classes, you really need a professional behaviorist to work with you.  They can be pretty darn expensive but it's worth it when you compare the cost of a law suit if a child gets bitten by your dog.  Bark Busters is a national franchise of behaviorists that you might begin with, and don't forget the internet as a resource.  Ask your vet if he can recommend a behaviorist, and be certain to ask if he can personally rmake that recommendation.  Many times trainers simply drop off a stack of business cards at vet clinics and the doctors really have no idea of their methods.

In the meantime, go to the library or book store and read any or all of Cesar Millan's books about dog behavior.  Cesar is The Dog Whisperer you may have heard about.  His show airs on the National Geographic Channel at 9:00 p.m. Friday evenings with reruns during the day.  I was able to retrain my fear-aggressive dog using the techniques I learned from the show and his books.  Everyone thought Chica was hopeless, and the results were nothing short of amazing.  You'll find an entirely new and wonderful relationship with all dogs as a result of learning how to communicate with them too.  :-)