Well, I just want to second the signing up for obedience classes. for me, it was always a way to also discipline ME to regularly work with the dog and also, you get a closer relationship with them, more in tune and so on. Good luck on this.
Thanks to you all for your helpful hints. I'm determined to fix this, so I'm printing out all of your replies for the family to read!! And, enrolling Ben in school right after the holiday. Pamela and Gentle Ben