2 Ways to Stop a Dog From Acting Aggressive to Other Dogs

For this Omaha dog training session we helped 3 year-old Whippet mix Wrigley. Wrigley has a bad habit of barking and charging after some dogs she doesn’t know. Her family set up this session so they could learn how to stop a dog from acting aggressive to other dogs.

Easy Ways of Stopping Aggressive Dog Behavior

Wrigley shares a yard with a Weimaraner with both dogs contained by an electric fence. Well, somewhat contained.

Wrigley has run through the fence a few times, which is fairly common. When this happens, the fence becomes less effective. The dog is more likely to run through it again because they succeeded last time.

Since electric fences work by a punishment principle, that falls into the category of aversive training. I don’t use aversive training methods. They can lead to unwanted behaviors because they increase cortisol, the stress hormone, in dogs.

This can cause stress and anxiety in the dog which usually makes matters worse. I could immediately see that both dogs had cortisol in their blood by how twitchy and jumpy their movements were.

Wrigley was giving signals that she wasn’t sure of my presence, so I gave her space and waited for her to come to me. It took about 20 minutes of ignoring her before she was relaxed enough to approach me and take treats.

The guardians should have future guests follow this same protocol.

I went over a number of structural changes that can help reduce Wrigley’s stress levels. Helping the dog feel confident that their humans are in control will help them relax. This can reduce barking, lunging, and reactive behavior.

2 Ways to Stop a Dog From Acting Aggressive to Other Dogs

A great way to stop a dog from acting aggressive to other dogs is to build up positive associations with dogs.

Wrigley’s guardian arranged to have a friend drop by with their dog 3/4 of the way through the session. When they arrived, I asked Wrigley’s guardian to record me sharing tips to help a dog stop being aggressive to other dogs.

You can learn 2 secrets to stopping aggressive dog behavior by watching the free positive dog training video below.

It was great to see how well Wrigley responded. It’s important to note that we set her up for success. The 3-hour session drained her energy. She met the other dog in a controlled way, with both dogs on leashes.

Leashes can be tricky. A tight leash can make a dog feel scared and want to fight or run away. However, if you understand your dog and keep the leash loose, leashes can help keep everyone safe.

Teaching a dog to stop lunging and biting other dogs is all about managing the situation. You need to learn how to read your dog’s body language and get it out of situations at early signs of distress.

If you wait for the dog to be reactive, you waited too long. This is one of the biggest mistakes people have when they are working with a fearful or reactive dog.

Since the greeting went so well, we went on a short walk with Walker to build on our success. This is a goal for the guardians to aspire for with all the dogs Wrigley has reacted to in the past.

The more a dog sees other dogs in a good way, the better they will feel about them. If a dog walks with other dogs frequently, they will have an even more positive outlook.

It was awesome to see Wrigley walking with this neighbor dog while totally relaxed. This is the exact kind of positive dog interaction Wrigley needs to stop aggressive dog behavior for good.

Simple Trick to Help a Dog Stop Being Aggressive Towards Other Dogs

I’m not a big fan of leash tethers, but since the guardians have one in the backyard already, it might be a useful tool. It could help prevent her from seeing and reacting to dogs passing by.

The more she sees other dogs and barks or reacts, the more likely she is to continue that behavior. So, minimizing those triggers should be a top priority.

On the flip side, positive experiences with unfamiliar dogs can reduce her reactivity over time. The key is to create controlled situations where the humans are prepared to guide her through those interactions.

I mentioned doing some click for looks training which can really help provided the guardians have enough distance between Wrigley and the other dog so she’s not reacting at all.

To help the guardians remember all the dog behavior tips we shared in this in-home Omaha dog training session, we filmed a roadmap to success video that you can check out below.