My dog doesn't get along with other dogs. How can I help him?

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.

If you are on vacation and this isn’t a dog Charlie is going to see when he gets home, I wouldn’t bother trying to make them get along. He doesn’t like this dog for some reason, and there’s no point in forcing it as he could hurt this other dog. I would keep them away from each other. I’d also have him neutered when you get home, aggression can be hormonally related. Enjoy your vacation, wish I was on holiday!

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.

If Chloe isn't comfortable around other dogs, you can help her by starting at a distance where she isn't afraid - this may mean that she needs a lot of distance at first! Praise and reward her with a treat every time she looks at the other dog. When she is able to do this comfortably from far away, you can gradually begin working your way closer as long as she is doing well. Eventually, you can allow her to sniff the other dog and say hello if you wish. It can be difficult to do this correctly on your own in some cases, so I would recommend getting in touch with a reward-based trainer who can help you in person - he/she can help you set up practice sessions with a calm, friendly "helper dog" if needed, and make sure that you are comfortable with how to work on this with strange dogs. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

Poor pup! Lots of dogs have this problem, and it's definitely something that can be improved. The basic treatment plan for this issue involves teaching your dog to associate good things (usually treats!) with seeing people and other dogs. You need to start at a distance where he is able to notice them without immediately reacting - so depending on how severe his problem is, you may need a lot of distance at first! Every time he looks at a person or another dog, praise and reward with a treat. If he's barking or not interested in the treats, this means you're too close - back up a bit to where he's comfortable, and try again. It can be hard to do this on your own at first, so I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer to work with you in person. He/she can help you set up controlled training situations at first to practice, until you and your dog are both comfortable with how things are going. Punishment of any kind is not recommended for this behavior, as it only makes the dog more anxious and worsens the problem over time - steer clear of any trainer who recommends corrections for this behavior. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here (www.dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer here (www.ccpdt.org).

It sounds like Toby was frightened and overwhelmed by the dog park - some dogs don't enjoy crowded places like this with lots of other dogs. I would suggest walking him in quieter places where he's comfortable, if he has problems with barking and growling at dogs in other situations, it would be best to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can evaluate him in person and help you put together a training plan to help him learn to be more comfortable around strange dogs and people. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org or a qualified trainer here: www.ccpdt.org

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.