Shiba Shake

Dog Tips, Care & Training

Dog to Dog Aggression – Why and How to Stop It

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When dealing with dog-to-dog aggression, it is important to listen to our dog.

There are many reasons why a dog may act aggressively toward another.

  • He may be afraid.
  • He may be stressed because his space is being violated.
  • He may feel the need to dominate.
  • He may be protective of us.
  • He may be very curious.
  • He may just be over-excited.

Sometimes, what we perceive to be aggression may be the result of hyper energy, eagerness, or natural inquisitiveness. Therefore, in dog-to-dog aggression cases, it is important to understand what our dog is feeling, and what he is trying to say.

When my dog meets a new dog, I observe both of them carefully. As soon as my dog starts to get stressed, I step in and interrupt before the situation escalates.

For dog aggression issues, it is best to take a dog’s age, health, temperament, and preferences into account, while coming up with appropriate solutions.

1. Be Calm and Decisive

Shiba Inu walking on-leash at a park trail.
Be calm and do not put continuous tension on the leash.

Dogs are very sensitive to what their human is feeling. My dog picks up on my emotions and reflects them, except with much more intensity. Sometimes, I am not even conscious of feeling nervous or stressed, but my dog notices it and starts to act up. Once I consciously calm myself down, his behavior also improves.

A common mistake when meeting other dogs is to tense up, and get fearful of what our dog may do. If we are afraid, our dog will pick up on that fearful energy, and that will likely trigger an aggressive reaction.

Be careful not to put undue or continuous tension on the leash. Also, do not pull the dog straight back, as that will likely cause a lunge forward response. To remove my dog, I pull him to the side and quickly walk him past the other dog.

2. Teach Our Dog Avoidance

Shiba Inu exploring and sniffing on-leash in a wooded park.
Teach our dog avoidance.

Shiba Inu Sephy in harness pulling on lead.
Do not let our dog obsess on the other dog.

When I see another dog, I usually just ignore him and move along.

I have found that avoidance is most effective when I avert my eyes from both dog, as well as owner. I keep my eyes forward, and keep walking at a natural pace. In this way, my dog learns that when we see other dogs, we avoid rather than confront.

Be careful not to crowd our dog while walking. If he feels trapped between us and the other dog, he may think he has no choice but to react aggressively. Do not stand still while trying to tug our dog away. Move away, and he will come along with us. At the same time, we are creating space so that he will not feel trapped.

I do not let my dog obsess or stare intensely at other dogs. Sometimes, my Shiba Inu will drop into a stalking-down-position, stare, and wait for the other dog to pass. Some people think that he is such a good boy for doing a Down, when other dogs are coming toward him, but he is actually just waiting to pounce.

Do not allow this bad behavior, do not let our dog practice it, do not even let him think about it. Just move him along, and ignore. If the other dog is somehow blocking us (e.g. if the owner is unable to control his dog), then walk away in a different direction. Do not stare the other dog down and do not confront him, either through posture or by physically engaging him.

Challenging unknown dogs is a good way to get bitten.

Shiba Inu biting on cardboard stick.
Challenging unknown dogs is a good way to get bitten.

3. Create Space or Block the Other Dog


We can do this by moving across the road or into a driveway, and waiting for the other dog to pass.

We may also move our dog behind a barrier, for example a car. If there are no barriers available, we can try blocking the dog’s view with our body.

By doing this, we avoid a head-on, more confrontational passing.

I have tried all of these blocking techniques, but what works best for me is to create space, and quickly move past the other dog. Whenever I wait for the other dog to pass, my Shiba uses that time to start obsessing.

Dog treats and trying to get his attention do not work at this point, because the other dog is too close, and Shiba Sephy is no longer listening. The advantage of walking Sephy briskly past the other dog, is that he has less time to stare. In addition, he cannot fully obsess, because he must partly focus on walking.

However, using barriers and blocking may work better for a fearful dog.

Some trainers suggest turning and walking away when we see another dog, rather than passing him or waiting for him to pass.

There are two problems with this method:

  • If we turn away, the other dog will be following us. This may cause some dogs to keep looking back, to make sure that the follower is not a threat. I have tried this, and indeed my Shiba keeps looking back.
  • If we keep turning away, we may meet other dogs and get boxed in; especially if there are many dogs in our neighborhood.
Shiba Inu walking on-leash with man in the neighborhood.
3. Create space or block the other dog.

4. Create Neutral Experiences

Siberian Husky and Shiba Inu lying side by side next to each other, with faces looking at the camera. On a red carpet.
Create neutral experiences.

I try to create as many neutral dog-to-dog meeting experiences as possible. If every time my dog sees another dog, we just pass by and nothing interesting happens, it will become a non-event.

Being consistent with neutral greetings will build our dog’s confidence. Through repetition, we are teaching him how to behave (just avoid and move along), and how not to behave (get over-excited, frustrated, lunge, and pull). He will be more calm because he is not waiting in anticipation of a highly charged encounter, either for play or for confrontation.

I try to set my dog up for success, and do not let him practice aggressive behaviors when meeting other dogs. The more he practices, the more aggressive he will be.

If my dog becomes agitated during a walk, I try to end the outing as soon as possible. Once in this mode, his adrenaline levels will be high for a fair duration, and he will likely react aggressively to all the dogs that we meet. In this state, he will no longer be capable of learning, and will only be practicing dog aggressive behaviors.

Husky dog play biting on Shiba Inu's neck. Shiba Inu is rolling on his back in the green grass.
Being consistent with neutral or positive greetings will build our dog’s confidence.

5. Protect our Dog

Man with arm over Shiba Inu (hugging) while out on a walk.
Protect our dog from rude dogs and rude people.

Shiba Sephy chewing on his Christmas caterpillar soft toy (2).
Shiba Inu Sephy is an excitable dog.

I usually keep my dog away from people and dogs with weak energy (e.g. fearful, excited, or frustrated energy). In addition, I also try to keep other dogs and owners from coming into my dog’s space. I say a quick ‘hi’ to the people I meet, and move on.

If people with weak energy stop and want to meet my dog, I ask them nicely to please move on, because my dog is easily excitable.

It is fine and good to let a dog meet people with calm energy, but make sure to let them know how to best meet our dog. In particular, turn away when he jumps, no quick movements, and no petting from above.

6. Keep Greetings Short and Sweet

While greeting another dog, we want to positively interrupt our dog every so often, and get him to refocus on us. Do this as many times as necessary, so that our dog does not get over-excited, and lose control of himself.

Whenever my dog is meeting a new dog, I interrupt him after a very short duration (2-3 seconds). I quickly move or jog away from the other dog, while giving the positive interrupt command, e.g. Hey, hey. Initially, I may have to lightly tug at my dog while moving away. I make sure to treat him well for moving toward me on a loose leash.

If our dog is too obsessed to move away and is strongly standing his ground, then we have waited too long to initiate the interrupt. Positive interrupts are also useful for dealing with human greetings, and getting our dog away from a dirty or unsuitable area.

The key to successful positive interrupts is to catch a dog early, before he starts to obsess on another dog or object.

Shiba Inu in harness, looking up and smiling, with tongue hanging out at the side (on-leash walk).
Use positive interrupts and keep encounters short.

7. Be Aware of Aggressive Triggers

Some dogs, for example Spitz-type dogs, have a natural look that may appear dominant (ears up, hair out, tail up). This dominant look may instigate other dogs to respond in kind, and start posturing as well. Conflicts may occur, and if neither dog is willing to back down, this may lead to a dog fight.

If I am unsure about a dog greeting, I just move on. Better to be safe than sorry.

Shiba Inu standing and striking a pose on a red carpet.
Be aware that our dog’s natural look may trigger a reaction.

8. Desensitize our Dog to Other Dogs

The problem with dog-to-dog aggression issues, is that in regular situations the “other dog” stimulus is too strong, and environment is too unstructured for any learning to occur. Often, our dog overloads quickly and becomes reactive, because the other dog is too close, is staring, is hyper, or is charging toward us.

In the desensitization process, we do training in a quiet, enclosed environment, and start with a very weak version of the problem stimulus. In terms of reactivity toward other dogs, we can use distance to weaken its effect.

In this way, we also weaken the strength of our dog’s reaction, so that he will be calm enough to listen and learn. This is necessary, to create opportunities where we can begin to teach our dog to be calm and relaxed, while in the presence of another dog.

Sleeping Shiba Inu and laughing Siberian Husky.
8. Desensitize our dog to other dogs.

I did quite a lot of dog-to-dog desensitization sessions with Sephy, when he was young, at our local SPCA. The trainers there had many balanced, friendly dogs, that we could do training with.

First, the trainer would engage the other dog in training exercises, so that he stays in a fixed position, and is not focused on Sephy (i.e., no eye-contact). Both dogs are on-leash.

I take Sephy a far distance away, far enough away that he is still calm and able to listen to me. Then, I get his attention by calling his name. If he looks at me, I praise, and treat him for behaving well. Sometimes, I also ask him to do very simple commands, e.g. Sit.

Shiba Inu Sephy doing a very nice Sit during a walk in the park (on harness and leash).
I let my dog sit and watch if he is calm.

I let Sephy sit and watch the other dog as long as he is calm, and willing to give me his attention when I ask for it. Once we are both comfortable with this, I move one step toward the other dog and repeat the Focus and Sit exercises above.

Do not move too close to the other dog, too quickly. If we move forward too fast, our dog may become reactive, and will no longer be able to give us his attention. At this point, I no-mark Sephy (uh-oh) and move back a few steps. Once we are far enough away, I try to get his attention again. When he gives it to me, I stop, praise, and treat.

Note – for desensitization to be successful, we want to keep our dog below his instinct threshold as much as possible.

I always try to make sessions short, fun, and rewarding. This helps our dog associate other dogs with being calm, and with positive experiences. I make sure to stop before my dog shows any obsessive behavior, and long before he becomes aggressive. Once a dog becomes reactive or aggressive, it is usually best to end the session soon after.

As we make progress, we can slowly increase the strength of the problem stimulus. For example, we may allow the target dog to start moving around, or we may allow him to play with his handler.

The desensitization process can be long and difficult. Dogs with lower instinct thresholds (the point at which they lose control and switch to instinct) will be harder to desensitize. However, consistent practice will also help to raise this threshold.

Man sitting with his two Huskies, one on each side.
For desensitization to be successful, it is important to keep our dog below his instinct threshold at all times.

What to Expect from Dog-to-Dog Aggression Training

Do not expect too much, too quickly, from our dog. Make sure to treat and praise him very well, if he voluntarily engages in avoidance maneuvers, when there are other dogs around. This includes looking away from the direction of the other dog, smelling and exploring the environment, or looking at us for direction.

Initially, treat and praise even small avoidance moves, for example looking away for just 1 second. If a dog will not accept treats from us, then he is too far gone and it is best to lead him away. Treats are only effective for shaping behavior when our dog is still thinking, and not operating on instinct.

If we keep practicing desensitization exercises, and teach our dog how to behave with other dogs, he will improve. As he matures, he will become more confident, be less dog aggressive, and be more comfortable around new experiences.

For aggression issues between two family dogs, here is more on how I help my dogs get along.

Shiba Inu sleeping on walking shoes and mat.
What to Expect from Dog-to-Dog Aggression Training.

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Comments

  1. I have a 2 year old lab,when he was about 1 year old i put him in the backyard, My neighbors also have a dog,and when he was about 1 year old he didn’t hate the dog and he was friendly toward other dogs. About 6 months ago,he started barking growling and trying to bite the dog,and he started barking and growling at other dogs. They actually got clipped 2 times,nothing serious but i think it might have made him aggressive towards other dogs. I’m going to move to a an apartment now,and take him with me,if it’s aggression,how can i help him get over it,help please.

    Reply

    • What is his daily routine like? How long is he alone in the backyard?

      Dogs may develop barrier frustration if left unsupervised for too long in the backyard. If untreated, barrier frustration can lead to negative associations with other dogs and then aggression.
      http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/how-do-i-manage-my-dogs-barrier-frustration
      http://www.bigdogsbighearts.com/Leash_Aggression_Barrier_Frustration.pdf

      With my dog, I do dog-to-dog desensitization exercises to help him be more calm around other dogs, and to reassociate other dogs with positive and rewarding events. We did dog-to-dog desensitization exercises in a structured environment, under the direction of a trainer, and with trainer chosen dogs. The key thing during the desensitization process is that I must protect my dog from further negative experiences with other dogs, including barrier frustration episodes, bad greetings, etc.

      Positive experiences help my dog to gain confidence and learn to trust other dogs. Similarly, negative experiences will undermine that confidence, significantly set back retraining, and worsen his reactive behavior.

      I talk more about the desensitization exercises I did with my Shiba Inu in the article above. However, dog behavior is very context dependent, so the dog’s temperament, environment, routine, past experiences, and more will all play a role. This is why especially in cases of aggression, it is best and safest to get help from a good professional trainer.
      https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
      https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/

  2. This article is giving me new hope…. I have a golden retriever who is now 10; up until a couple of years ago he related wonderfully to other dogs. For reasons not entirely clear, he started to become hostile and now will attack other dogs if not restrained. When I walk him I have to choose routes carefully so there will be few if any dogs; I do cross the street to avoid them and I bring in his leash very, very tight as he strains to get at closer dogs (he will actually strangle himself trying to get to other dogs).

    I had him to the vet to see if there was a health issue causing this and nothing was found. I actually think it’s a little more subtle – about three years ago he had a change in living arrangement when he and my ex were divorced. We share him now but I wonder if the back and forth is just too disruptive for him.

    I look forward to trying more of the hints you’ve outlined above. I’m working hard on not being stressed when we come up on other dogs, but it’s difficult, particularly with people who let their dogs approach you/your dog and don’t first ask permission.

    Reply

    • One thing that has been helpful for me is to use my own body language to let people know not to approach. For example, I usually lead my dog into a driveway, especially when I notice a reactive dog or uncontrolled dog coming. If there are cars in the driveway, I use that as an barrier.

      Then, I face my dog, focus on him, and do simple commands with him. When people see that I am focused on training my dog, they usually do not approach. Some people may say hi or something, in which case I raise a hand and wave at them, but I always continue to keep eye-contact and focus on my dog, and keep him engaged with me.

      Another suggestion that I thought was interesting is to put an “in-training” vest on our dog, similar to the vest that guide dogs wear. The hope is that people will understand that the dog is working, and not to disturb when they see this. I have *not* tried this, so I am not sure how well it works.

      Desensitization exercises were also very helpful with my Shiba Inu in terms of helping him to be more calm around other dogs.

      Finally, yeah, uncertainty and changes to my dog’s environment and schedule can definitely cause stress, anxiety, and changes in behavior. Is your dog on a fixed sharing-schedule? What is the environment like at your ex’s place? Is it very different from things at your place? Are there other dogs around? Does she walk him in the same way? Does she have the same training rules etc.? Did he have any bad experiences with other dogs?

  3. I have 3 rescue dogs. The first dog is a hound mix of some sort that is 60lbs. She is super energetic and leaps our 6ft fences like puddles. She now has a shock collar because nothing else worked. The collar does keep her in the fence. The second rescue is some other terrier mix at 18lb. They “seem” to get along and play fine. One day the battery died in Kipper’s (60lb) collar and she jumped the fence. She grabbed the neighbors shitszu and shook it until told to stop like she does a toy that looks similar to the puppy. We thought maybe she was confused. Now we have a 3lb rescue that is maybe a chi mix. We introduced by scent on us, then briery meeting in the yard on the porch, smelling through the door, etc. over a span of several days. Yesterday, Kipper got the 3lb pup and shook her too. We went to the emergivet and she had a broken rib and collapsed lung. Today she is doing fine and on the mend in our bathroom. Kipper did not growl or seem “aggressive” just curious I thought. My concern now is do I need to relocated Kipper because she could hurt another animal or perhaps even a small child. I know she doesn’t have the best yard. It is in a neighborhood so it is smaller that what I would like so I know she would like more room. Advice???

    Reply

    • Some dogs have high prey drive, and some dogs view little dogs as prey. Both my Huskies have high prey drive and they do not generally do well with little dogs, especially the ones who run around and bark a lot. They will also go after squirrels, deer, and cats.

      I manage their environment and set them up for success. I do not expose them to situations that they are not ready for. I pick their playmates and housemates carefully, set up clear interaction rules, and I always supervise very well during play. I also do desensitization exercises to help raise their prey threshold. I exercise them very well daily, and help redirect their prey drive into structured and safe activities.

      ASPCA article on dog prey drive.

      In their evolutionary past, dogs were predators. This may be a disturbing realization to pet parents, but almost every dog has a natural tendency toward some predatory behavior.
      ~~[ASPCA]

      Going after prey is a natural instinct in dogs. However, it can be managed, trained, and redirected so as to make things safe for our dog and for the people and animals around him. To do this, I would consult with a good professional trainer/behaviorist and also read up on prey drive and how it can be managed and safely redirected into positive and structured play.
      https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
      https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/

      I always keep my dogs on-leash and under my control when there are young children about. I would do this for any dog, because even friendly excitement behaviors and play may sometimes result in harm to a young child. I do not let my dogs meet children who are overly excitable or too young. I only let them do greetings when I am very sure that it will be successful and safe.

      More on how I deal with my dogs’ prey drive.

  4. I have a 8 yr old lab/springer mix. Up until recently she has always socialised well with other dogs. We socialised her through puppy training classes when we first got her. I have been able to walk her off the leash in open spaces knowing she will pass other dogs after a brief greeting and a play, and then come to call.
    Recently our neighbour got 2 border collie cross dogs. We introduced the dogs on leashes originally and all seemed ok, and they got on well. We did this only once, and in hindsight should have done more with the 3 dogs together.
    Now, a few months have passed, our dogs cannot go out together in our separate gardens as they try and get at each other through the fence, which is getting broken. Our dog is now aggressive to others on walks, has attacked and bitten one of our neighbour’s dogs through a gate when she escaped one day. I now have to muzzle our dog on walks. A local trainer has suggested we swap dogs for the afternoon as the aggression is all about territory and defending the humans on their pack. This seemed like a good idea, and we plan to do it tomorrow. Having read your previous advice I am now worried how we should do this.

    Reply

  5. Hi,
    My 4year old German mixed dog has been aggressive after giving birth. The pups are now 7month old, and she attacks the youngest and weakest pup. She’s so fierce now, that even us are scared of her. What can I do?

    Reply

  6. Hi,
    i give my dog cookies when he plays at the beach and comes to me when i call him. He’s been doing great but recently he shows aggression when other dogs also comes checking or asking for food. My dog doesn’t want to share so he would growl and got twice in ”fight”. Luckily no dogs ware injured. I wonder what i should do now. Maybe next time i should call my dog and go another direction then reward my dog when he comes along when there’s no other dogs around? Do you think that could be a good idea?

    Reply

    • What you describe sounds like food guarding behavior.

      Guarding possessions from humans or other animals is normal behavior for dogs. Wild animals who successfully protect their valuable resources—such as food, mates and living areas—are more likely to survive in the wild than those who don’t.
      ~~[ASPCA]

      In general, I do not use food when there are unknown dogs around, especially in off-leash public places. If I move away, all the dogs may start following me. I was in a puppy play-group one time, and this guy came with a bag of smelly treats. As soon as he brought it out, all the dogs started following him around. It created a stressful situation for him and for the dogs as well.

      I do a lot of exercises with my dogs so that they do not guard food with each other, and they are pretty good about not guarding food with other dogs. However, this just means that they have a higher tolerance and are less prone to guarding. If there is a high enough priority item around that they truly want, they may start to guard too, especially from unknown dogs.

      In addition, there may be other dogs in the group who may be prone to guarding food from other dogs, or even people. Therefore, even if my dog doesn’t initiate the guarding behavior, another dog may start the fight. If I accidentally drop food on the ground, that could trigger something bad as all the dogs in the group will probably try to get it.

      Dogs may also guard toys and other items that they see as a resource.

  7. Hi,

    First of all thank you so much for sharing so much with us.

    I am currently living in South Africa and have four dogs (17yr old border collie, 12yr German shepherd, 7yr Australian cattle dog x and a 2yr small border collie x with something like a corgi).

    My dogs are all rescues except for the 17yr border collie who was a working dog – police drug dog… Despite his age and being deaf he is the alpha in the pack although I have got all dogs in good control.

    Anyway, 3 days ago I took in another dog from a friend who was leaving to Japan and could not take her 1.5yr old dog with her. She was flown to be a few hours away. Is very cute. But…is constantly growling at my other dogs…

    There has already been s little scuffle with my gsd who is rather anxious herself and with my 17yr old BC. I worry about my BC because he cannot hear the warning snarls and growls…

    So… I am wondering if you have any advice as to how to go about this without traumatising my new arrival and my pack of 4.

    One thing I’d like to mention is that my new dog has a bad limp due to an accident late last year and do I think she may feel even more vulnerable due to this…

    Is the growling a phase? Will it pass? What can I do…

    Thank you so much for any thoughts.

    Warmest regards from South Africa. .

    Reply

    • One thing I’d like to mention is that my new dog has a bad limp due to an accident late last year and do I think she may feel even more vulnerable due to this…

      Is she still in pain? Has the vet done all that they can for her? I have a three legged dog and she definitely feels more vulnerable with dogs that she does not know well, especially larger dogs. Some dogs may also treat her differently because of her disability. I always make sure to protect her, and I manage her environment carefully. I do my best not put her in situations where she feels stressed or threatened. Dogs who have hearing or vision loss may also feel more vulnerable around other dogs. Very close supervision and management are key.

      With my dogs I set up clear dog-to-dog interaction rules, and I supervise closely to make sure everyone follows the rules. As soon as I notice the *start* of any anti-social behavior, I redirect my dogs so that things do not escalate into anything more.

      I always try to set my dogs up for success by managing their environment, and managing their excitement levels. I make sure not to expose them to situations they are not ready for, where they may feel that they need to use aggression to protect themselves or their stuff. I set up a fixed routine and schedule for all my dogs, and I make sure that my new dog does not bother my existing dogs when they want to rest or want to be alone (and vice versa). In this way, my dogs know exactly what to expect from each other, what to expect from me, and what I expect from them in return. Routine, rules, and consistency help to create certainty and certainty helps to reduce stress and conflicts.

      I do not let my new dog mingle with my other dogs unsupervised until I am very very sure that there will be no conflicts or issues. I actually do not leave my tripod Husky alone with my other Husky (Lara). Lara is still young, she is pretty big, and often does not know her own strength. She has accidentally hurt Shania before during play, so I keep them separated when I am not around to supervise.

      I want to maximize positive interactions so that my dogs learn to trust each other, and learn to see the new dog as an enhancement to their quality of life. Similarly, I want to minimize reactive and negative events which will undermine their trust, create anxiety, and worsen their behavior.

      More on how I introduce a new dog.

    • Thank you so much for your advice and so sorry for not seeing your response sooner… i thought I would get an email! Anyway I will try what you suggest and hope for the best 🙂

  8. Hello, i’ve a 3 years old dog. He’s Beagle and Basenji mix. I got him from my friend when he was 1 year old. He used to be a home dog.
    He never go out from my house without me or my family, but sometimes we take him for a walk. We ever tried to take him to go by car, but when the machine turned on, he was so nervous and look like frightened.
    One day when i took him for a walk, we stopped for a while in my neighbor’s house who has a new dog (actually a female dog) and suddenly my dog have slammed the pity dog and i just shock. I dont know if it was such a play or fight.
    Last week, my neighbor’s dog walked in front of my house without her owner. My dog was barking moreover shaking his body and i dont know that was kind of frightened or desire to attack (aggresive) or desire to the female dog (because my family never let him mate).
    So, Do you know what happen with my dog? What do you recommend for me to train my dog?
    Thanks

    Reply

  9. hello, a few days ago I adopted a 5 years old dog, I wouldn’t know the specie because he is mixed and they didn’t know what to tell me, I’m trying to learn dog’s language but I’m failing, I need a lot more training myself, but I need a tip, I can’t afford professional training session from professional trainers, ecceterà….
    But he doesn’t like other dogs at all, he stares, I call him he ignores even as soon he peeks a sight of another dog I tried to call him to get his attention, nothing worked he kept staring and pulling towards. He is a medium sized dog, has a great dominant posture, ears flopped up, weight forward, looking as big as possible I giggle because when I look at him he is cute yet I know is not good.
    This morning around 7am we went out for a routine walk, in the park he stopped to do his big business and with the corner of my eye I suddenly saw another dog approaching, looking curious, I couldn’t move him away because he was doing his business, the other dog was alone and un-leashed, I tried to stay calm and not signal my dog about my fear of what comes out of this. Well the other dog approached, as soon my dog heard him coming he looked at him I tried to call my dog he didn’t respond and once finished he launched himself barking and pulling, growling towards the other dog, I tried to walk away, meanwhile my dog was standing on hind paws trying to attack the other dog which started to bark and growl aswell, I have to admit I started to feel uncomfortable because I’m not a dog trainer and if something would come to happen I wouldn’t know how to break them apart.
    Fortunatelly insisting and forcing myself to take a calm state, I kept pulling him behind me until the other dog intimidated by me and by the barks of my dog walked off a bit, fortunatelly the other wasn’t stubborn. But I really want my dog to get along and not be so dog aggressive everytime he meets or sees another dog.
    As I said earlier I can’t afford all those exercises, also because I don’t know any other owners with balanced calm dogs, I live in a neighborhood where all owners babytalk their dogs and every dog is spoiled and hyper…
    Is there any other way I can control my dog from responding to another dog’s challange? or stop him from trying to challange another dog too?

    Reply

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