Hello Ann,
Dog behavior is very context dependent, and aggressive behavior can be triggered by a variety of things, including fear, protection, and more. This ASPCA article has more on the different types of dog aggression.

This is why it is usually best to get help from a good professional trainer. When I was having difficulties with Sephy, we visited with several trainers who could observe him within the context of his regular environment, and help me understand where his behavior was coming from.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/

With aggression, I make sure to always keep everyone safe by keeping my dog on-leash, and using other management equipment as necessary, e.g. doors, muzzle, etc. If Sephy hurts someone, even if it is an accident, it will be very bad for him and also very bad for me.

With Sephy, it was also helpful to do people desensitization exercises. However, for desensitization to work, I needed to carry it out in a very structured way, and in a very controlled environment. It was also necessary to carefully manage his environment, so that there were no additional reactive experiences with people. Desensitization is something that a trainer can help us with.
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-calm-a-fearful-reactive-dog#people

I did dog-to-dog desensitization exercises with my Shiba Inu to help him be more comfortable in the presence of other dogs-
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-to-dog-aggression#desensitize

Hello Candice,

Based on what you said, there are three key issues –
1. Dog to dog reactivity.
2. Very strong puller.
3. Sitting and refusing to move.

Re Dog-to-dog reactivity:
My Shiba Inu (Sephy) was also very reactive to other dogs when he was young. We did a lot of dog-to-dog desensitization exercises to help him be more relaxed in the presence of other dogs. The key with desensitization exercises is that we want to start with a very weakened version of the ‘other dog’ stimulus so that our dog is able to stay in control, learn alternative behaviors from us, and learn to reassociate other dogs with positive and calm experiences.

Here is more on how I did dog-to-dog desensitization with Sephy.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-to-dog-aggression#desensitize

Classes can be useful for socializing a new puppy, but as you have observed, having so many dogs together in a limited class space will likely be way too much for a reactive dog. With Sephy, what helped is to carefully manage his other dog encounters so that he can be successful –
– I use distance to weaken the other dog stimulus.
– I do not take him to situations that are too high stimulus where he will lose control.
– I slowly and carefully raise his instinct threshold in a controlled way through desensitization exercises.

Dog training is very context dependent. What may help with one puppy, may make things worse in a different situation or with a different puppy that has a different temperament and history. This is why getting private lessons from a good professional trainer can also be helpful. We went to several different professional trainers to help us with Sephy.

We also did a lot of desensitization exercises with a trainer at our local SPCA, which was great because they had a lot of different dogs that Sephy could do structured training with. We only did training with single dogs, that were chosen based on their personality. Training was always done under the direction of a trainer.

Re Very strong puller:
My Huskies are also strong pullers. They are only medium sized dogs, but even so, they are pretty strong pullers.

Some things that helped when leash training my Huskies-
1. I start with shorter but more frequent walks. In this way, I can stay calm and patient throughout, and my dog still gets a lot of practice.
2. I start in a quiet and very low stimulus area. In this way, there are fewer distractions, and I can focus on the leash training exercise. In the meantime, I use desensitization exercises to raise my dog’s instinct threshold so that he can better tolerate other dogs.

I also go to areas with very few dogs so if we meet one, I can use distance to weaken the other dog stimulus. In this way, my dog is able to handle the situation without getting reactive. I try to maximize successful encounters (where my dog is able to stay in control) and minimize reactive encounters. As you have observed, frequent reactive encounters can also lead to leash or barrier frustration.

Another useful article on leash reactivity from the ASPCA.

Some people may use a head-halti to control a large dog that is also a very strong puller. However, as with any other training equipment, the head-halti has its own advantages and disadvantages.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-leash-training-equipment#halti

The halti is just for pulling, and *not* for getting a dog moving again. In fact, initially many dogs do not like wearing a halti and may protest by sitting down and refusing to move.

Re Sitting and refusing to move:
In this case, this rule helps with my dogs –

An object in motion tends to remain in motion, and an object at rest tends to remain at rest.

I keep moving, pick up the pace, and make the walk more interesting if I do not want them to stop. We would sometimes do commands, play Find-It games, etc.

When we make a pit-stop and my dog sits or lies down, I usually let him rest for a pretty long while. He usually likes to smell the wind and watch people.

When I need to go, I give him the “let’s go” command. If he goes, then I reward him very well with more leash freedom, special treats, games, and I let him explore, or smell bushes. If he does not go, then I lift him by supporting his chest, and make sure we move along. He does not get anything for that, and I also start with a shorter leash, so that he gets less freedom to explore and smell. I make sure to be very consistent with the “let’s go” command so that my dog learns that –
If he goes on his own = More freedom, more stops, more treats, games, and rewards.
If he does not go = We go anyway but there are no rewards and less freedom to explore.

Dog training is very context dependent

In my articles and comments, I *only* talk about my experiences with my own dogs. My dogs are smaller than Boo Boo, and also have different environments, routine, temperaments. I always make sure to listen to my dogs and adapt training techniques to suit their particular needs and personality.

Getting help from a good professional trainer can also be very helpful because the trainer can visit with our dog, observe his body language, routine, temperament, environment, and more, and come up with a plan that is suited to him.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/

Hello David,

Congratulations on your upcoming Shiba puppy!

My opinion is that supervision and time with people are very important, especially in the beginning, therefore your first option sounds good to me.

In terms of socialization with other dogs, I would consider looking for a good puppy class. I took Sephy to a couple of SIRIUS puppy classes when he was young, and it was helpful in getting him used to people and other dogs. I didn’t learn too much from these group classes, but they are useful for socialization purposes. Make sure that the class instructor/trainer checks for puppy vaccination records.

With Shania, we also took her to puppy play sessions in a nearby dog daycare center. They checked for vaccination records, and the play sessions are grouped by age and supervised by at least one of their trainers. The sessions were also free because they were hoping to get return customers for their daycare services. Anyway, it is probably worth checking out the nearby daycare centers.

Finally, it is usually better to introduce a new dog in neutral territory, so that the existing dog does not feel the need to guard his belongings or his house. I think this is another advantage of option 1. Here are some things that I keep in mind during a first meeting-
http://shibashake.com/dog/getting-a-second-dog#meeting

Here is a bit more on how I help my dogs get along at home-
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog

Note though that a lot of it will depend on the temperament of our existing dog, and his comfort level with new dogs.