Thread: How do i train my dog to be non-aggressive towards other dogs?

I have had Bruce, our 9 month old pit bull/ lab mix for about a month or so. When ever we take him out for a walk and there's another dog he just goes ballistic! Like he would want to attack. We do have a choke collar on him and it definitely helps, but it obviously isn't fixing the problem.... Anyone have any major tips or advice to give on how to socialize him properly and to help with his aggressiveness?

talk to a trainer

Since pit bulls are bred to be dog-aggressive, he is doing what comes naturally for his breed. You should muzzle him when he is in public, and get him evaluated by a trainer who specializes in dealing with aggression problems.

I wouldn't use a choke collar. I would get a good harness. I like the easy walk trainer. It gives an uncomfortable, not painful sensation to the dog that it doesn't like when you give a gentle tug.

Turn and go the other direction when he starts this behavior, say ENOUGH! When he calms down try again and keep turning around if you need to. I would find a couple of friends who have dogs you could practice walking by with. If you can get him to pay attention to you with a treat while the other dog is walking by (Watch me command), he'll do better. Praise, praise, praise when he behaves! Associating something positive with another dog is a great start! You could also get a muzzle for walks if nothing else helps.

ummm...before you got your pit bull mix...you should have....maybe....read a thing or 10 about the breed? No?

some dogs are dog aggressive...what you do is keep him under control around other dogs...and put a muzzle on him if that helps

It takes a lot of training. This is genetic & not a learned behavior. You need a professional.

Your dog badly needs a proper training. Reading and research will definitely help you, buy some dog training manuals or hire a professional trainer. You can also do research over the internet or ask other dog owners some advice.

GET THE CHOKE COLLAR OFF HIM. Those things should be illegal.

Your dog needs a behaviorist, not a trainer. You need to find out WHY he is acting this way in order to properly address the problem. If the root of the problem is fear it will be handled differently than if it is outright dominance aggression (PS most untrained people can't tell the difference and in my experience most aggression is fear based). Ask your veterinarian for a referral to a behaviourist and in the meantime limit your dogs exposure to other dogs. This may mean walking him at odd hours of the day. Also get a head halter for him (control the head - control the dog) - here's a good starting point http://abrionline.org/videos.php

Leash reactivity is not the same as aggression. Talk with a trainer on how to work with him and ask them to show you how to properly use the equipment. I highly suggest a gentle leader.

However, dog aggression is a very COMMON trait in 'pit bulls'. You can manage it by avoiding other dogs (walk at off-tiems of day, take back roads, etc.) You can't 'train' him out of this if he is in fact dog aggressive.

Hi,

Get him brilliant on lead without a choke chain. You are forcing him to walk by heel rather than him choosing to follow you. For the mean time avoid all other dogs to keep his stress levels down so he can learn. You cannot get any information into anyone if they are stressed .

To teach the dog to heel look at this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8cPkTh7Y3k

Once he has accepted you as the leader on the walk you will have less problems as it will be your job to react to danger, however he will still question your authority by barking

To resolve this turn and walk in the opposite direction every time you see a dog. Giving him the confidence that you will lead him away from danger. As he begins to get better you can get closer to other dogs if he reacts again turn and walk in the opposite direction. This will take a while and is only part of the resoloution. For more details on behaviour and videos look at this site

http://www.dogtraininginlondon.co.uk/