My dog barks at other dogs when out walking on the lead!

[Jesse Baby]

My border terrier dog who is nearly 3 years old is perfect in every way until she sees another dog when she is on her lead when out for walks.. She goes ballistic and starts barking, growling and pulling aggresively. This has made walking her a bit of a nightmare especially for her, myself and other dog walkers who may deem her naughty or bad(which I know she isn't). When she is off her lead playing with other dogs she is absolutely fine. She is never aggresive towards people or children and loves to play with anyone. The only time she is aggresive is when she sees another dog(s) when we go out for a walk. She is the 1st dog I've ever had and looking back now, I realise that I didn't socialise her enough when she was a puppy...does anyone have any suggestions on how I can solve this problem. She gets regular exercise and is very fit & healthy. Thank you. Jesse
solve this problem?

[snow.maiden]

Well mine do exactly the same Jesse - and they've always had a lot of attention and exercise. Then again. mine are Staffies - who notoriously hate other dogs!

[leelapops]

Hey Jesse, poor you, I know just what you are experiencing. My Border Collie can be quite temperamental. He likes some dogs, will walk past some without even noticing them, and will go crazy at some, as if he has been personally wronged by them!
He is our first dog, too....It is such a learning curve isn't it!
He was older than we were told he was when we got him, so he was under-socialised at that critical time.
I have tried a couple of things, with varying success.
Sometimes if I see another dog approaching that I know Jack will have a go at, I make him sit down and distract him with a fuss. This can work, dependng on how wound up he is.
I have been told by another doggy friend that walking very confidently past other dogs with your head in the air, as if they aren't there, can work: you as 'pack leader' are giving your dog signals that there is nothing to be worried about.
I was told always to ignore other dogs, and relax, otherwise your dog will sense your anxiety. However, sometimes a word of warning, like "nicely", serves to calm Jack down and he doesn't react so badly.
Jack is also fine off the lead with other dogs. I think they can feel very restricted on the lead: maybe your dog is a flight not fight type, and not being able to get away from an approachng dog worries her.
I know there are people here much more knowledgeable than me; so I wll let them give you a better answer!
x

[flump1]

Hi Jesse, I was taught this trick and it worked well for me. Get a small empty bottle and fill it half way with small stones, making a rattle. When out walking and your dog shows any behaviour you would like to change, gentle shake the rattle near your dog. Not in the dogs' ear, more near the top of their head. The distraction is enough to stop them in their tracks. When they have calmed tell them how good they are ....and continue with your walk. I wish you well with it, I had a noisy dog and it was embarrassing !!

[carstruck]

When i read your question I thought that you must be talking about MY border terrier who is also nearly three, our first dog, and behaves exactly as yours does! I really share your frustration and it is really embarrassing! Unfortunately though mine was fine until a few weeks ago when a loose dog had a go at her whilst she was on the lead. i suppose it does not take an expert to work out that her confidence has been shaken on the lead so she now barks at other dogs as a warning shot over the bow. She is still fine off the lead and has a really gentle nature! I have tried everything over the last few weeks and am hoping that in time she will recover but at the moment she is getting worse! If you find anything that works let me know and I will do likewise. Good luck - your description really is carbon copy!

[Jesse Baby]

Thank you to everyone who has given me some very useful advice.
It's been much appreciated!