How to Train Your Dog to Not Attack Other Dogs

Hello, I would see if there is a G.R.O.W.L. class in your area, which is a class for dog reactive/aggressive dogs, where safety measures like basket muzzles are in place, and social interactions and desensitizing are practiced in a structured environment. Whether pup is aggressive or just reactive or excited, this can be a good way to safely find out and desensitize pup to other dogs. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Lesley, I recommend signing up for a G.R.O.W.L. class if there is one in your area, which is a class specifically for dog reactive/aggressive dogs. With dog aggression, it's best to have the resources of other dogs to practice the training around in a controlled setting, where you can control the repetition, types of other dogs around, distance to the other dog, and other factors. With more control of these variables through a training group or aggression specific class, you can then counter condition and work on obedience commands to facilitate changing pup's emotional response toward other dogs, building pup's impulse control, attention and responsiveness to you, and teaching pup coping skills. A basket muzzle is also a helpful tool with dog aggression, that you can start desensitizing pup to ahead of time using food rewards. If she is normally fine with you without other dogs present, you can begin introducing her by placing the muzzle on the ground and sprinkle her meal kibble around it. Do this until she is comfortable eating around it. Choose a basket type muzzle for this. I like the comfort of the silicone basket muzzles for most dogs. Next, when she is comfortable with it being on the floor with food, hold it up and reward her with a piece of kibble every time she touches or sniffs it in your hand. Feed her her whole meal this way. Practice this until she is comfortable touching it. Next, hold a treat inside of it through the muzzle's holes, so that she has to poke his face into it to get the kibble. As she gets comfortable doing that, gradually hold the treat further down into the muzzle, so that she has to poke his face all the way into the muzzle to get the treat. Practice until she is comfortable having her face in it. Next, feed several treats in a row through the muzzle's holes while she holds his face in the muzzle for longer. Practice this until she can hold his face in it for at least ten seconds while being fed treats. Next, when she can hold her face in the muzzle for ten seconds while remaining calm, while her face is in the muzzle move the muzzle's buckles together briefly, then feed her a treat through the muzzle. Practice this until she is not bothered by the buckles moving back and forth. Next, while she is wearing the muzzle buckle it and unbuckle it briefly, then feed a treat. As she gets comfortable with this step, gradually keep the muzzle buckled for longer and longer while feeding treats through the muzzle occasionally. Next, gradually increase how long she wears the muzzle for and decrease how often you give her a treat, until she can calmly wear the muzzle for at least an hour without receiving treats more than two treats during that hour. Muzzle introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJTucFnmAbw&list=PLXtcKXk-QWojGYcl1NCg5UA5geEnmpx4a&index=6&t=0s Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Megan, I would start by seeing if there is a G.R.O.W.L. class in your area pup can attend, to work on improving pup's association with other dogs, and increase their responsiveness to you around other dogs. That class is a class for dog reactive/aggressive dogs who work on increasing socialization and being desensitized to other dogs in a structured environment while wearing basket muzzles for safety and being guided by the class instructor. At home, I would work on building trust and respect for you so that they are not making and enforcing rules for another dog, but looking to you to do so. You want to add in a lot more structure and boundaries for now, working on things like the working method linked below, teaching a 2 hour long Place, directional commands like Off, Out (which means leave the area), Down, Leave It, and Off, so that you can tell them where they should and should not be in relation to being pushy with you or bullying another dog, and both dogs should be crate trained for times when you can't supervise interactions. Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Leave It: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Out - which means leave the room: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Keep a drag leash on pup when you are present also if they won't listen to your directional commands once learned well. Calmly lead pup where you told them to go as needed by picking up the end of the leash. If you see any signs of aggression toward you, pause and get professional help to deal with aggression toward you also. Training will likely need to be mortified to take extra precautions to keep you safe. Don't risk a bite. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Mikayla, I would keep the dogs in separate parts of the home until they can get along in neutral territory, rotating crate time and free time, with your older dog's crate in a room where they don't see the puppy out. For introductions, I would do what's probably similar to how you introduced the other dog. Check out the article linked below and following the Passing Approach method until they dogs can do well with that, then switch to the walking together method, starting far apart again, until the dogs can finally walk together. Do one family dog at a time. I recommend starting this process now if you live close enough, because this will probably take a lot of walks, getting gradually closer overtime to get to the point where they are ready to walk together and greet. Passing Approach and Walking Together methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/greet-other-dogs For safety, I would get your dog used to wearing a basket muzzle ahead of time also, and have your dog wear the muzzle when not crated around the other dog early on once they are ready to be out of the crate together. Use a basket muzzle so pup can still open their mouth and be given treats through the muzzle's holes. Muzzle introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJTucFnmAbw&list=PLXtcKXk-QWojGYcl1NCg5UA5geEnmpx4a&index=6&t=0s In addition to crate training and heeling walks, I would work up to a solid 1-2 hour place command, for the puppy this will take extra time. The goal once they can be in the same room together would be having both on separate Place beds (puppy in exercise pen at first) from across the room so they can get desensitized to each other safely. Life would need to be very structured and dogs played with and fed separately, to avoid competition early on. Basically home would be very obedience class-like when they were together, to prevent potential fights. I would work on building trust and respect for you ahead of time also so that they are not making and enforcing rules for each other, but looking to you to do so. You want to add in a lot more structure and boundaries for now, working on things like the working method linked below, teaching both a 2 hour long Place, directional commands like Off, Out (which means leave the area), Down, Leave It, and Off, so that you can tell them where they should and should not be in relation to being pushy with you or bullying each other, and both should be crate trained. Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Leave It: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Out - which means leave the room: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Keep a drag leash on pups when you are present (and crate when not present) if they won't listen to your directional commands once learned well. Calmly lead pup where you tell them to go as needed by picking up the end of the leash. If you see any signs of aggression toward you, pause and get professional help to deal with aggression toward you also. Training will likely need to be mortified to take extra precautions to keep you safe. Don't risk a bite. This should help prevent a traumatic experience for the puppy too. Since your dog won't be the place puppy should be learning early doggie social skills from, even though they may learn to get along as equals later, I also highly recommend enrolling the puppy in a puppy kindergarten class that has time for off-leash moderated puppy play, or some other moderated puppy play group, simply for the social practice with other puppies - who are the best teachers for each other when it comes to dog interactions - better than even well socialized adults. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/puppy-classes-when-to-start/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Ailsa, Check out the Passing Approach and Walking Together method from the article I have linked below. I would work on changing her association around the other dogs to one of tension to relaxation and pleasantness, while also desensitizing her to other dogs in general. I would recruit as many friends with well mannered dogs as you can, but avoid pushy or aggressive dogs. You want all the dogs to end in a pleasant interaction. You may find it easier to do this while working with a training group that has access to a bunch of different well mannered dogs, that sessions in public locations, passing those dogs and walking with them can be facilitated. Look into counter conditioning and how to effectively counter condition using a verbal marking, like Yes, and rewards pup likes. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden