How to stop my Havanese from barking and pulling at other dogs?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! This is tough! He sure is cute! I recommend using the gentle leader head collar for better control and asking for sedatives like trazadone from your Vet. Do not take him to these places until you train him to look at you (with treats) in social situations. This will take some time. You may want to pay for private training lessons so you can focus on this one behavior. There is no instant fix but being proactive, like you are, is a good step! He is young still. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/petsafe-gentle-leader-dog-headcollar Good luck!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I agree with you, the discipline has not been handled correctly. There are other, better ways to discipline a dog but at this time it is going to be difficult to correct without a professional trainer. Does she have fear aggression? I don't know because I have not witnessed the behavior myself so I can't say for sure. You need a professional dog trainer to come to your house and see the dog's behavior and how the dog interacts with everyone in the house. Only then can they make recommendations on how to correct the problem. Sometimes you need to work concurrently with a veterinarian as behavior modification medications may be needed in the beginning of the re-training. I'm sorry I do not know where you are located so I can't really recommend a trainer. I suggest you call your vet for a recommendation. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend using the gentle leader harness for the muzzle as it allows the most wonderful control of the head. I would highly recommend a trainer or working diligently with Gnocchi (GREAT name for a Corgi by the way) on the "look" and "leave it" command while using the gentle leader. If a few months of training doesn't help I would use a short-acting sedative or long acting anti-anxiety medications to help along with training. The goal of medicating wouldn't be forever but to gain control of the situation, so worse case a a year or so. I would also suggest castration if you are still struggling. Good luck!

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.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The answer is complicated and stems from the root of the problem. If Cassidy genuinely wants to play and meet these dogs, I don’t know that I would necessarily do anything. If this stems from fear of other dogs, leash anxiety specifically, or protectiveness of you, these are treated differently. Lowering the fear threshhold (if appropriate) via anti-anxiety medication can help tremendously. I’ve had severely dog-aggressive dogs who, with medication, don’t seem to care at all when they pass another dog on a walk. Results of course vary depending on root cause, medication, and individual dog. Counter-conditioning is also crucial. This is the act of training Cassidy to associate other dogs with something good (usually treats). This can take weeks and all of dedication and patience but is usually more effective and long-lasting than medication. Sometimes it is not effective however, until the medication is started. I’d have a conversation with a vet first to help narrow down the cause and start on medication if appropriate. Then move to a reputable trainer or behaviorist. Best wishes to you and Cassidy!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are medications that can be used to reduce anxiety at times. These types of behavior can improve though this does require in person training with the help of a qualified dog trainer. I would encourage you to contact a dog trainer that can work with you and your pups in person to really take care of this behavior. The sooner these behaviors are dealt with, the more likely it is that you can improve and resolve them. Good luck and have a great day!