I have a black lab, i think its mixed with a shepard since it has a white stripe down his chest and has white toes. Here is my problem. He barks at my father a lot even though he knows him well. He also has a problem urinating and pooping in my rooms.

   Most recently he was going to pee in my son's room. My first reaction I know was wrong but I smaked him in his rear area, it was not very hard. However he did bark at me. My 6 year old son says when they are alone sometimes he growls at him though I have not witnessed it. I am worried that one day while im at the office he will bite my son or my wife. Should I be worried? What can i do about those 2 problems. Please do not respond with hitting him is wrong, I am passed that. Thanks for any help, I really do not want to take him to the pound but if I dont have a choice I will. He is about 6-7 months old when I got him he was 5-6 months old.

Your pup is still very much a baby and it is too early to expect him to be completely housetrained, especially as you have had him only a short time. He needs basic puppy training to understand that it is inappropriate to toilet indoors. Therefore, you should be taking him out immediately after every meal, immediately he wakes from sleep, and every hour or so in between, and also if you spot him circling and sniffing the floor. When he 'performs' in the designated toilet area praise him like mad.

You don't mention whether he is play-biting, but that, and the growling, is just what puppies do in play. It should be discouraged, but not harshly. It really is best not to leave a child alone with a dog of any age. Accidents happen and a young child sometimes does not grasp the concept that a dog is not a toy and that it should be treated with respect.

An excellent book which answers many of the questions which puppy owners have is "The Perfect Pupp" by Gwen Bailey.

It is a good idea to crate train your pup. The crate would be his "safe" place where he can be quiet and secure, and it might also help with housetraining. However, the crate should never be used as a punishment as he needs to feel happy and secure in it.

It would also be helpful to find a training class in your area. Look for one which  uses positive reinforcement (i.e. kind training). It takes quite a lot of time and commitment to train a dog but it is very worthwhile in the end.