Do you have one of those dogs who "doesn't play well with others?" Did you ever have to leave the dog park or veterinarian's office hanging your head in shame? Fear is most often at the root of this type of behavior—and there are various steps to curb the aggression.
Step One
Take your dog to parks where there are other dogs, but try to keep enough distance so that your dog sees the other dogs, but doesn’t react.
Step Two
Try to get your dog to focus his attention on you before he notices another dog approaching.
Step Three
Pull your dog's leash sideways rather than straight as the other dog approaches. Pulling straight towards you will only enable your dog to stay grounded and in control. Sideways will make him less balanced and give you better control of the situation.
Step Four
Distract your dog by dropping a can of stones if he starts to act aggressively. Do not yell. That will only condition him to associate your negative reaction with other dogs.
Step Five
Reduce the distance between your dog and other dogs gradually. Reward him with a treat for his calm behavior and willingness to pay attention to you rather than fixating on other dogs. Once you feel that your dog can be relaxed while walking close to other dogs, you can begin the positive association process.
Step Six
Arrange to introduce your dog to another dog that is passive. Have your dog on a leash and the other dog held on a leash by his guardian. Meet somewhere neutral, preferably a place your dog has never been. If he feels like it’s his territory, he will view the other dog as an intruder.
Step Seven
Read your dog's body language when he meets the other dog. If he stiffens up, stares directly at the other dog for a prolonged period, has raised hair, growls, pulls on the leash to reach the other dog, or has a stiff tail, end the meeting for the time being. Walk the dogs in view of each other while talking to your dog in a cheerful tone.
Step Eight
Repeat this process with the same dog or other dogs on different days
Step Nine
Enroll your dog in an obedience class with a trainer who understands the sources of dog aggression if the previous steps don't work. Group training usually works better than one-on-one training for dogs that are dog aggressive.