Why does my dog bark and pull aggressively at other dogs on walks?

It sounds like your pups may be a little under socialized and may need some extra help. Tugging on a extra short leash can just create more tension and stress which may encourage the barking and aggressive behavior. It is best to contact a local trainer or behaviorist in your area who can work with you on dog on dog aggression, usually with a training technique of BAT or desensitization to get your dogs used to being around and positively interacting with other dogs. It is important to work with someone in person that can be there to step in if there is a problem and observe/teach what behaviors are happening. If your dogs are able to, a basic obedience class may also be useful to teach some loose-leash walking manners, and help you and your dogs understand and work better together.

Hi there! Aggression issues in dogs can be really frustrating. One of my dogs sounds pretty similar to Sammi, so I sympathize. Many dogs that are showing signs of aggression are truly anxious and unable to control their emotions. Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications can be used both long and short term to help them learn to process their emotions while in a calmer state. Commonly used drugs for this purpose are Prozac, Trazodone, and Gabapentin. I would recommend calling your vet and asking if they see behavior consultations or if they have any recommendations for a board certified veterinary behaviorist (someone who goes to three more years of school after vet school just to study behavior). I would also encourage you to use only trainers that focus on positive reinforcement learning. Fear tactic training can make aggressive dogs much worse. A good trainer can talk to you about helping your dog learn to focus on you during stressful situations and better their impulse control, to minimize these situations in the future. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Frankie is adorable! Thank you for posting pictures. Unfortunately, dogs can act differently in different situations. He may have been good with other dogs in a shelter or rescue situation, but doesn't do well on a leash or in a car for example. Since it sounds like the behavior is not showing any signs of improvement, I think it's time for a trainer to help you. If Frankie was adopted from a shelter or rescue, I would contact them to ask for a recommendation for a trainer. They may even have a trainer that has worked with Frankie. If they do not have a recommendation for you, I would recommend asking your vet for a recommendation for a trainer. It will be important for a trainer to see how Frankie reacts to other dogs in order to help you change that behavior. Behavioral problems can take a while to resolve, but Frankie is young, and it will certainly be worth it to resolve this problem before it gets any worse. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear that Darby is having some problems around other dogs. I would advise that you get her enrolled in a good obedience class or work privately with a recommended dog trainer in your area. Sounds like she needs to be socialized towards other dogs and that would be a great starting point. The other possibility would be to take her to a recommended doggie day care center and let the staff evaluate her for possible inclusion in the day care. She would get introduced to other dogs and hopefully this would help when you encounter dogs while walking her. This doesn't sound like aggression to me. More of a curiosity and that she wants to play with the other dogs. I hope this helps and that Darby becomes better accustomed around other dogs.

Penny is adorable! I suggest getting her into an obedience class or consulting with a trainer. She may be feeling protective of you, which is a good thing, but she needs to learn how and when to be protective. Obedience training is a great first step. Ask your veterinarian if they offer or know of obedience classes, call pet stores like PetsMart or Petco and ask who they recommend.

This is a very tough situation. If you're serious about Max getting better, I would recommend scheduling an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist to get to the bottom of the problem. This is a good place to look: https://avsab.org/directory/ While you're waiting for your appointment, make sure you aren't punishing him for this behavior (because punishments can make it worse), avoid all situations in which it occurs, when you are on walks take really great treats with you and use them to keep his attention on you if you have to walk pasted another dog (but avoiding all together would still be better). Your dog will likely need a combination of behavior modifications, training, and medication and he may never be a totally normal dog. Wishing you the best of luck. Thanks for using PetCoach

Dog aggression is relatively common and while there are training techniques to reduce dog aggression it can be difficult. If you can identify certain triggers: i.e. if she is only aggressive when she is at home, or when she is on a leash, it can be easier to work on training her to 'ignore' other dogs or desensitization. I would recommend seeing a behaviorist - your veterinarian would likely be able to recommend someone in your area. Until you are able to work on some training I would recommend avoiding contact with other dogs so that there are no injuries.