If your dog is unfriendly with lots of other dogs, it means that she is not adequately socialized to dogs. (But don’t expect your dog to be best friends with every dog; after all, we aren’t friends with every person!) A well-socialized dog may still have occasional arguments. However, socialization ensures that your dog has the requisite social savvy to enjoyably and confidently interact with unfamiliar dogs she may meet and to resolve arguments with other dogs without doing damage. It is easiest to socialize your dog when she is young, but it is never too late to make her more dog friendly. If possible and appropriate, find dog social groups in your area where you can plan play dates with suitable dogs.
Hand Targeting to the Rescue Yet Again!
If you notice your dog focusing on and becoming tense at a passing dog, you can practice redirecting her attention and rewarding her for focusing on something positive by asking her to hand target. Position your hand so that your dog has to turn away from the other dog (who is a safe distance away, of course), and mark and reward for a prompt response in such a distracting environment.
Don’t Make Matters Worse
Owners often inadvertently train dog-to-dog aggression. When an owner sees an- other dog and tightens the leash, the owner’s tension is often relayed to the dog. The dog growls, and the owner tightens the leash more and maybe yells at the dog to “be nice!” Over time, the dog becomes conditioned to tense up as she makes the association between other dogs approaching and her owner’s anxiety. So now the dog wants the other dog to stay away, and one of the ways she tries to accomplish this is by growling and barking. Furthermore, if your dog is uncomfortable with another dog, tightening the leash excludes flight from her possible options and leaves her with fight as the primary option. Tightening the leash also distorts your dog’s body language and all but forces her to lean forward — a posture that the other dog may perceive as threatening.
A lack of proper socialization means that your dog will never get to fully enjoy fun and games with other dogs.
Obviously, you must keep your dog on leash for safety, but you’ve got to learn to control her without tightening the leash. By keeping the leash loose and remaining calm, you may convince your dog to do the same! Also consider using a head halter (see Chapter 2) this is a time when a head halter can be very handy.
When your dog is under-socialized, everyday encounters can be extremely stressful.
Don’t punish your dog for barking or growling at other dogs. The punishment may teach your dog to think, “I don’t like being around other dogs because I am punished whenever they show up, so I’ll bark to keep them away.” Instead, try to focus on making your dog enjoy the presence of other dogs by associating them with things she likes.
Use Reward Training
For dog-to-dog issues, the method of choice is capturing, and the best feedback is high-value treats and praise. Start by exposing your dog to one friendly dog at a time, at a safe distance that seems comfortable for your dog. If she lunges or barks, then you are too close. Whenever your dog does anything you deem appropriate around this other dog, mark and reward the behavior immediately. This includes looking at you, standing, sitting, or lying down calmly. It is important to keep a careful eye on your dog and be ready to give immediate feedback for even a moment of appropriate behavior. As always, repetitive reinforcement will increase the likelihood, frequency, and duration of these behaviors.
Nothing makes a dog more reactive than a tight leash, and screaming at her will only make things worse.
Use the “Jolly” Training Routine
To begin this routine, go outside and sit on a park bench. Whenever you see an- other dog, say, “Oh, look, here comes a cookie dog.” As soon as your dog sees the other dog, give her a treat. Even if your dog is tense and growling, and one might say that you are rewarding the dog for growling and acting badly around other dogs, things will improve quickly. The dog can’t help but make a positive association between the other dog and the high-value treat, and soon she will look for- ward to other dogs approaching. Be sure to give your dog enough space from the other dog to feel safe and comfortable. And watch for early signs of discomfort, such as yawning and excessive panting. You don’t want to push your dog too far too fast.
By rewarding your dog in the presence of other dogs, your dog will soon begin to associate the presence of other dogs with rewards.
A variation of this game is to get very happy whenever another dog passes by. Your dog can’t fail to make the association between the appearance of another dog and your positive change in mood. This is important because your (negative) change in mood may have partially caused the problem in the first place or made the problem worse. If the dogs were left to their own devices, they would probably resolve the problem amicably.
In some cases, it helps to hand-feed your dog and get her fixated on an object (like a chew toy or a white sterilized bone). It will give her something to focus on and associate the presence of dogs with things she likes.
Every Big Journey Starts with a Tiny Step
If your dog is afraid of people or other dogs, it may take a bit of time for her to regain confidence. These situations require as much compassion and patience as dealing with human fears and phobias.