This is an excerpt from Linda's best-selling book, The Do No Harm™ Dog Training and Behavior Handbook, available here.
Learn more here—Chapter 17, When Things Go Wrong/Dog-dog Aggression

My Dog is a Social Butterfly—NOT!
There’s nothing pet parents like more than socializing with their dogs. They often want everyone to like their dog and they want their dog to like everyone… including other dogs. Pet parents may feel it’s a reflection on them personally if their dog is not friendly to other dogs. But it’s not. Displays of aggression between members of the same species are common in animals. Still, we often expect our dogs to “play-nice” with “stranger dogs” in group situations and out on neighborhood strolls. Remember that rules of appropriate behavior in dog society are quite different than human manners.

Genetics, early socialization or the lack of exposure during the critical period of social development, and traumatic experiences, all help shape how your dog interacts with other dogs. However, your dog’s ability to acclimate gracefully to troubling stimuli (other dogs in this case) will be facilitated by the positive relationship you already have with your dog. Dispelling fears and calming over-reactivity depends upon the trust you’ve established and in practicing “good technique.” Realistically, if your dog exhibits generalized dog/dog aggression, it’s unlikely he’ll turn into a social butterfly.

You may need to reexamine your expectations and goals for your dog. Before you head off on a walk in the neighborhood, there are two important questions to ask yourself: “Is it physically and emotionally safe for my dog?” and “Is my dog having fun?” Perhaps your dog is telling you she is experiencing an overload of stress when confronted with other dogs. If so, avoid any potentially dangerous situations while you begin a scientifically-endorsed behavior modification program. Your dog needs dog-centric novel experience, such as sniffing and exercise, but there are possibly creative alternatives to “dog walks” while working on the techniques below. Dog “walking” can be over-rated.

Behavior modification techniques that include systematic Desensitization and Counterconditioning (D&CC) will help you and your dog learn to exercise and socialize safely. Avoid harsh methods or collars that cause pain as they increase fear and anxiety and may cause aggression (Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 2006).

How will my dog learn to change hows/he feels about other dogs?

Two types of changes occur with properly taught desensitization and counterconditioning
1. Emotional Change: Classical Counter-conditioning = CER (Conditioned Emotional Response)
2. Behavioral Change: Operant Counter-conditioning = Response Substitution

Here are some factors to identify and consider when addressing dog-dog aggression. Which of these apply to your dog?

On-leash aggression
Off-leash aggression
Territorial aggression
Fear-based aggression
Fence-barrier aggression
Resource guarding aggression
Bite hierarchies
Ameliorating and exacerbating factors
Context

How long will it take to see changes in my dog’s response to other dogs?
The amount of time it takes to see improvement varies depending on the:

Severity of the reactivity
Your dog’s responsiveness to training
The amount of time you devote to practicing behavior modification protocols

Walks—Working Below the Threshold of Reactivity

Learn the first step to stop the Bark n’ Lunge…

avoid going “over threshold.”

Walks should be completely stress free, starting now. Much of the time you will keep moving during a walk, however, at times it is best to let your dog stop,sniff, and just relax on the walk. Remember to breathe deeply and do not let your nervousness “run down the leash” to your dog. Your dog will sense anxiety in a tight leash and in your voice. Talk or sing to your dog in a relaxed and confident manner. You may want to try a waist leash, so you are not tempted to pull or yank on the leash. Bouncing back and forth between happy-walking “sniffaris”, and barking and lunging is counterproductive. Try a longer rather than a short leash so your dog does not feel “trapped.”

Here’s how to retrain those walks and make your dog feel safe and happy on walks!
From the WALKS—WORKING BELOW THRESHOLD OF REACTIVITY Chapter, page 226.
Also see the LEASH-WALKING Chapter, page 187..

Spider walks. Let your dog know what to expect on walks in the immediate area surrounding your house first. Do not take long, meandering walks. Start with walking up to your corner and back home. Later, walk to the other corner and back to your dog’s home anchor. It may take more than three weeks to slowly graduate to walking around the block or down two blocks depending on how well your dog can handle this task and how skilled you become at implementing the techniques. Do not rush it.
Increasing the distance. Increase your distance from the other dog. Make a U-turn if necessary, and then walk in the opposite direction from the other dog.
Blocking. Keep your dog below threshold and avoid over-stimulation by blocking your dog’s access, view and/or sound of the trigger. Use cars, shrubs, or a neighbor’s driveway, to visually block your dog’s view of the other dog. If safe, use your body as a physical and visual barrier to block your dog’s view of the other dog. Create audio barriers to block sound using your voice or soothing music. Your dog may be aroused by the sound of another dog’s identification tags before your dog sees the other dog.
The Open Bar/Closed Bar technique. Click/treat or say “Good” the instant a trigger appears. Make positive associations between your dog and the other dog by hand feeding high value treats when the trigger appears. The goal is to make a very strong impression on your dog that good things happen when another dog appears. Say the word “Good” at the instant the stimulus appears and then follow with the treat. Provide treats every second (a high rate of reinforcement), then begin to extend the duration between treats to every 2–4 seconds when the trigger can be seen by your dog and your dog is not over threshold.
Getting attention. Use name response, and “Let’s Go” for U-turns or redirection. (See Chapter 16, Basic Skills).
Rewarding automatic eye-contact check-ins. Reward with clicks/treats or with treats alone whenever your dog turns to you on a walk so that redirecting attention to you becomes your dog’s new habit. Maintain the bond with your dog while walking.
Following walking. Seek out another dog-friendly dog walking in your neighborhood as a training partner. Then, use the other dog as a trigger, but keep your dog’s stress level under the threshold of reactivity. Cross the street if necessary and walk behind a friendly dog at a distance. Shorten the distance always staying under your dog’s threshold of reactivity. Provide food rewards.
Parallel walking. Now cross the street. Slowly and incrementally draw nearer to the dog across the street until you are walking parallel with the friendly dog. Provide food rewards.
Approach/retreat. Use approach/retreat, or a zigzag approach which adds regular periods of relief from stress.
Use throw downs of treats. At an under-threshold distance, drop treats onto the pavement, providing your dog a scavenging opportunity, which decreases stress in the presence of another dog.
Teach Settle Down. Settle down may be highly effective for desensitization and counterconditioning when teaching a new emotional and behavioral modification skill in the face of triggers such as other dogs or wildlife. Start at a distance below the threshold of reactivity and systematically close the distance to the trigger as long as your dog remains under the threshold of reactivity.

Dog/dog aggression can be a dangerous problem for you, your dog, other dogs, and anyone who tries to break up a dog fight. If your dog has severely bitten another dog or been in a number of dog fights, engage a force-free certified behavioral consultant aggression expert to help you work toward changing your dog’s underlying drives and motivation. A complete intake evaluation should be given in order to develop a plan of treatment based on your dog’s history. It’s a complex problem and each case requires an individual approach. If your dog has an aggression issue of any kind, be sure you’ve had a recent wellness check from your veterinarian to rule out any underlying organic or medical causes that may be affecting behavior or causing pain.

The Do No Harm Dog Training® and Behavior Handbook was designed as my own personal guide for teaching basic manners classes, and evolved into a reference manual for teaching classes and as a guide for my private behavior consultations. Created as a practical roadmap for either or both training formats, it is also helpful for pet parents who want an inside look at dog training and behavior, as well as for those who seek force-free solutions for specific problems. Written with love for the "heartbeats at our feet.”

If your dog ‘Barks and Lunges’ on Walks…read this

How long will it take to see changes in my dog’s response to other dogs?
The amount of time it takes to see improvement varies depending on the:

Walks—Working Below the Threshold of Reactivity

Increasing the distance. Increase your distance from the other dog. Make a U-turn if necessary, and then walk in the opposite direction from the other dog.

Getting attention. Use name response, and “Let’s Go” for U-turns or redirection. (See Chapter 16, Basic Skills).

Rewarding automatic eye-contact check-ins. Reward with clicks/treats or with treats alone whenever your dog turns to you on a walk so that redirecting attention to you becomes your dog’s new habit. Maintain the bond with your dog while walking.

Parallel walking. Now cross the street. Slowly and incrementally draw nearer to the dog across the street until you are walking parallel with the friendly dog. Provide food rewards.

Approach/retreat. Use approach/retreat, or a zigzag approach which adds regular periods of relief from stress.

**Use throw downs of treats.** At an under-threshold distance, drop treats onto the pavement, providing your dog a scavenging opportunity, which decreases stress in the presence of another dog.

858.259.9663 • Do No Harm Dog Training

If your dog ‘Barks and Lunges’ on Walks…read this

How long will it take to see changes in my dog’s response to other dogs?The amount of time it takes to see improvement varies depending on the:

Walks—Working Below the Threshold of Reactivity

Increasing the distance. Increase your distance from the other dog. Make a U-turn if necessary, and then walk in the opposite direction from the other dog.

Getting attention. Use name response, and “Let’s Go” for U-turns or redirection. (See Chapter 16, Basic Skills).

Rewarding automatic eye-contact check-ins. Reward with clicks/treats or with treats alone whenever your dog turns to you on a walk so that redirecting attention to you becomes your dog’s new habit. Maintain the bond with your dog while walking.

Parallel walking. Now cross the street. Slowly and incrementally draw nearer to the dog across the street until you are walking parallel with the friendly dog. Provide food rewards.

Approach/retreat. Use approach/retreat, or a zigzag approach which adds regular periods of relief from stress.

Use throw downs of treats. At an under-threshold distance, drop treats onto the pavement, providing your dog a scavenging opportunity, which decreases stress in the presence of another dog.

858.259.9663 • Do No Harm Dog Training

How long will it take to see changes in my dog’s response to other dogs?
The amount of time it takes to see improvement varies depending on the:

**Use throw downs of treats.** At an under-threshold distance, drop treats onto the pavement, providing your dog a scavenging opportunity, which decreases stress in the presence of another dog.