My dog growls and lunges at other dogs on walks. What can I do?

I'm sorry to hear that your dog is having this problem! Behavior issues like this are quite complex, and often very difficult to handle successfully on your own if you don't have any training experience. And particularly with an aggression problem, it may not be safe to attempt to work on this without professional assistance. If at all possible, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate your dog in person and help you put together a detailed plan to work on the problem. Although the initial visit may be somewhat expensive, in many cases owners are able to stay in contact with the behaviorist via phone or email about how things are going without the need for repeated in-person sessions - which cuts down tremendously on the long-term cost vs. working with a trainer every week. The behaviorist may also recommend medication or other adjunct treatment options that could be helpful in addition to the training plan. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist here: www.dacvb.org If your dog is mainly aggressive to other dogs when she sees them on-leash (the most common form of this problem, in my experience), I would also suggest the short book "Feisty Fido" by PhD behaviorist Patricia McConnell - it has very sound, useful advice for dealing with this issue that may help to get you started.

Leash aggression is a complex behavior issue that is best handled by a professional who can give you some hands-on guidance. I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist (www.dacvb.org) or a good reward-based trainer who has experience working with aggression issues in dogs (www.ccpdt.org) The general approach to treatment for this problem is to reward the dog for calm behavior in the presence of his triggers (people, other dogs, etc.), starting at a distance where the dog is able to be successful, then gradually moving closer as long as things are going well. For some dogs, this means that you may need a lot of distance at first! Having a professional to work with is very helpful, since they can help you set up controlled training sessions with "helper" dogs or people to practice until you and your dog have the hang of things. Punishment of any kind for this behavior (including verbal corrections, leash corrections, shock collar, etc.) is not recommended because it often makes the problem worse over time. Steer clear of any trainer who recommends these techniques, and look for an educated reward-based trainer instead.

Many dogs have this problem - it's called leash reactivity :) It happens because Laika is so excited to see another dog, and frustrated because she can't immediately run over to them - which leads to barking and lots of crazy, uncontrollable behavior. Fortunately, this behavior is usually very treatable with a good training plan. Normally, a training plan for these dogs involves using very tasty treats to reward calm behavior at a distance from another dog - it's critical that you're far enough away that she can be calm and take treats, which means that you may need a lot of distance at first! Once she understands the game and is doing well, you can gradually move closer. It can be hard to do this on your own at first, so I would really recommend getting in touch with a good reward-based trainer who can help you in person. He/she can help by setting up controlled training situations at first with a calm "helper dog" to help both of you get the idea of how to work on the problem, until you're ready to transition to real life scenarios like passing another dog on a walk.

This is really tricky. Many training groups offer classes for Reactive Dogs that can help. Make sure they use positive only training, no force or punishments. The basic steps to working on this are minimizing chances for an encounter, teaching him a behavior that is incompatible with going nuts (such as watching you and eating a treat), and then SLOWLY SLOWLY SLOWLY introducing him to other dogs (you really need a good trainer to help with this portion, you have to go so slow it's painful). I would recommend not allowing him to be outside by himself so that you can remove him if he starts to bark - you may even need to keep a leash on him so you can easily get him and calmly go inside. In short, this is a common and real, but very hard to resolve issue, so I'd encourage you to find an amazing trainer or even have a consultation with a veterinary behaviorist.

Poor Panda! Some dogs do become very fearful of other dogs after an incident like this, which can lead to barking and lunging on the leash. It sounds like you're on the right track by trying to use treats to help make her more comfortable - but if she is still barking and lunging, this means you need to be further away. Start at a distance where she is comfortable and able to take treats calmly, then gradually work on moving closer as long as she is doing well. It can be very difficult to do this on your own, especially if her anxiety is severe. I would really recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can help you in person for the best chance of success. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here (www.dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer here (www.ccpdt.org)

Using a Gentle Leader will help prevent her from pulling and lunging on the leash. You are going to have to do some training to try and solve this problem. First, you should teach her the "watch me" command so that you can get her attention when you needed. Next you should take her in situations that have very few distractions and use the watch me command when you see something that will possibly distract her. Once she makes progress in those situations, you can gradually increase to busier environments. Hopefully, with some patience and time you can get this problem under control. If not, you may need to get the help of a professional trainer. http://www.pet360.com/product/50230/petsafe-gentle-leader-headcollar-for-dogs http://www.abetterdog4u.com/articles/teaching_watch_me.htm https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/training/managing-leash-reactive-dog

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Nemo! This is a fairly common problem in many dogs - they become very upset when they see other dogs or people. This can happen if they are uncomfortable and anxious, or if they are excited and frustrated because they can't approach and greet the other dog. To treat this problem successfully, you will need to start at a distance away from another dog where Nemo is comfortable and able to be calm - this may mean that you need a lot of distance at first! Take very tasty treats with you, such as pieces of chicken or roast beef. Every time Nemo looks at the other dog, praise and reward him with a treat. If he barks or isn't interested in the treats, this means that you're too close - you need to move further away until he can be successful. Once he's doing well far away, you can gradually start to move closer as long as he's comfortable. Eventually, you can work your way up to being very close to the other dog without him getting upset. It can be hard to do this on your own at first, so I would recommend getting in touch with a good reward-based trainer in your area who can help you in person.