What is Answerbag?

Ask questions and share your knowledge with the world here on Answerbag. Get the best answers where there are no duplicate questions and questions are always open - our community of over 1,142,000 will find your answer!

Join For Free!
 

How to Train a Dog to Like Other Dogs

Thursday, February 12, 2009
Related Tags: dogs | leash | calm | situations | reward
 

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

  • Collar
  • Leash
  • Treats
  • Step 1:
    Teach your dog basic commands like "Come," "Sit" and "Heel" before you work on getting him to like other dogs. You need to be in full control of your dog in social situations or it will be difficult to curb the dog's aggression.
  • Step 2:
    Expose your dog to other individual dogs in a number of situations, especially if she's a puppy. The more exposure she gets to dogs in all sorts of situations, the less aggression she will show as she matures. For older dogs, it's best to use controlled situations, such as meeting a friend and his dog in a neutral area like a park.
  • Step 3:
    Watch for aggressive body language when your dog is meeting another dog. Obvious signs like growling, staring and raised hackles are easy to recognize, but also watch for him raising his head, tail and ears; walking stiffly toward the other dog; and leaning forward.
  • Step 4:
    Ignore your dog's aggressive signals if they happen, and stay calm. Give your dog the "Come" command and start walking away from the other dog. When your dog obeys, reward her. If your dog is sufficiently calm, allow her to approach the other dog again.
  • Step 5:
    Reward a positive interaction with another dog through praise and positive body language.
  • Step 6:
    Allow your dog to have supervised one-on-one play with any dog she seems to like. This creates a natural reward, showing her that other dogs can offer positive experiences.

Tips & Warnings

  • Keep your dog on-leash as you're training him to like other dogs, and only encourage him to interact with dogs that are also on-leash. Otherwise, you may have a fight on your hands.Socialize your dog as soon as you get her. If you get her as a puppy, the process will be easier. However, even if you adopt an adult dog, you can train her to like other dogs.
  • If you show fear of other dogs, your dog may pick up on this and engage in aggressive behavior to protect you. It's important to show your dog that you're calm and relaxed around all dogs if you want him to be as well.Dog parks can be overwhelming for puppies and for dogs that have aggressive tendencies. Unless you're certain of your dog's temperament, you should avoid dog parks.

Related Content
How to Get a Cat Used to a New Puppy
Ideally, you want to introduce a cat to a puppy (as opposed to a grown dog) as the puppy has no history of chasing or teasing cats. The puppy is also smaller and easier to train to get along with...
How to Improve a Dog's Emotional Development
You love your dog and you want him to be happy, but the way to accomplish this may surprise you. Allowing your dog to have free reign and do whatever he pleases with no discipline whatsoever may...
How to Handle Fear Aggression in Dogs
Handling fear aggression in a dog requires patience and consistent reinforcement and, in some cases, drug therapy. In all instances of fear aggression, the younger the dog is, the more likely you...
How to Train a Sheltie Puppy to Fetch
After bringing a new sheltie puppy into your home, you can strengthen the bond between the two of you by incorporating fun, exciting training exercises into your daily routine. One of the easiest...