Greeting Other Dogs!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Both of our girls have a problem when we encounter other dogs when we are out walking.  It is more of a problem when I have both of them by myself, but can still be a problem (particularly with Sophie) when DH and I are both walking them.  It is mostly with smaller dogs, they just have no manners.  All they want to do is play, but you would think they are vicious attack dogs.  This lady just now looked at me like I had a bully breed or something!  I even said hello a head of time, and once they started I said it's ok, they won't hurt her and she just went off in a huff!  I try to get them focused on me with a "look at me" as treating if they do, but more often then not I can't keep them distracted long enough for the dog to completely pass.  If it is someone that knows us and they stop to talk with us (because they know the girls are friendly) it just takes a minute for them to settle down, then all is fine.  What I have trouble figuring out is that if we go to a Romp or dog park, they won't leave my side to play with other dogs, but in the neighborhood they seem to think every dog is their own personal play toy!  It cannot be lack of socialization because they have been socialized to anything and everything since they first came home. 

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin is not the best with calmly walking past dogs. He automatically starts wagging his tail and pouncing around, trying to engage them. We are working on calmly walking past a dog without him breaking a heel, but it is definitely a work in progress.

[Kathy Spyker]

I'm going to watch the comments you get for this because Lilly does the same thing. When were walking and she sees another dog coming she pulls and jumps up at them. Now at the dog park yesterday guess where she was?? Yep, right beside her mamma =( She acted like she was scared of the other dogs. She would not chase the balls or get the sticks..I can't figure her out!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dogs on leash will behave differently towards other dogs then they do when they are not leashed, so the dog park comparison doesn't really apply. Greeting other dogs head-on while restricted makes a lot of dogs uncomfortable, and their behavior will reflect that. Acting all excited when they see another dog doesn't necessarily mean they want to play, even if their tails are wagging.
Jack is 100% fine with other dogs at the dog park, he basically ignores them for the most part. But on leash, he can turn into Cujo if another dog he doesn't know well is approaching us. Part of it is self-protection, and part of it is protecting me I think. In your case, the girls may also be trying to protect each other.
I have also noticed that it sometimes has to do with the way the other dog is looking at them, which is not something we would normally notice. Dogs have their own body language, and what looks normal or friendly to you may in fact be a challenge. A lot of little dogs have a "big dog" attitude, and may be giving off defensive signals of their own.
What works for me is this:
As soon as you see other dogs approaching, get your dogs' attention on you, and keep it there. At the first sign of any kind of agitation, loud breathing, straining at the leash, etc., get them to stop looking at the other dog. I have even put my hand in front of Jack's face if necessary. If possible, go the other way at that point. This has nothing to do with "socialization", and you are not going to accomplish anything at that point. Avoiding the situation entirely is the best option.
Don't say hello or acknowledge the other dog or owner in any way.
If necessary, stop, put your dogs into a sit, and face them. Keep them there until the other dog has passed by. Once you continue walking, do not allow any head turning to look at the dog who has passed.
And finally, work on basic commands like "heel"; a dog who can maintain a heel correctly can't bark, jump, lunge, etc. at the same time.
Hope this helps!

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

On the rare occasion I walk both dogs on leash together (or rather, they pull me down the street in an excited manner with me 6 feet behind), I always have them SIT when someone with a dog passes by, regardless of the other dog's size and demeanor. I started this ritual with a down/stay position and when they stayed calm, I rewarded them with a treat. Then they progessed to sit/stays, which works almost every time (I sometimes have to correct fidgeting and breaking the sit). If the approaching dog is hyper or seems aggressive, I will go to the other side of the street, or at least move away as far as I can. I still have my dogs sit/stay and focus on me until the other dog has passed by. I do carry treats in my pocket which helps them focus on me and ignore other dogs. My trainer recommended this method and told me that whenever dogs walk onleash, they should NOT be allowed to socialize or greet unless BOTH sets of owners agree and ALL dogs are calm. The sit/stay or down/stay is a submissive, non-agressive position so most other dogs will just ignore them and move on.

Oh, and I use this method too when they are offleash on the trails and we meet a person and/or a dog. Now, they usually come back to me by themselves whenever we encounter someone and sit right next to me for a treat.Of course, I also praise them profusely every time this happens (which is pretty much every day since we walk offleash most of the time).

One caveat of this method: you will have to focus on your dogs rather than on the other person passing by, at least until your dogs understand the ritual. So, you may not be able to be nice and chatty with the neighbors for a while, but hopefully they will understand ;)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Thanks everyone for your responses. All great ideas and I'll try putting them into place. I can handle it pretty well when I'm just walking Sophie (most of the time). But when I have both of them is when it just gets out of hand ...... it seems I don't have enough hands. If I'm just walking Lucy it isn't a problem because she only gets excited because Sophie does. When by herself she could care less. I think it sounds like I need some one on one time walking Sophie as she seems to be the instigator! Thanks again.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

I think you should also continue to practice with both dogs since the dynamics are different when the two of them are together. Both of my dogs behave close to perfectly when the other one is not there. Sibling rivalry... I'm sure you know all about that by now! Good luck ;)

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think the more you can practice this the easier it will get. This is one of the "tests" for the CGC certification. Guinness and I had to approach another owner and dog on leash stop and allow me to say hello to the owner with a calm, non-pulling or lunging reaction from Guinness. During our six weeks of training we did this often until it finally was "no big deal" for Guinness. The trainer brought in other dogs and owners so that Guinness could really understand how he needed to behave in these situations. If you have friends with dogs who will allow you to practice this, that would be great. I agree this is a completely different situation than Daycare where they are free to play and just "be excited". Now that he's through the CGC I still encounter problems in the park when Guinness is on leash and another really excited dog is running or jumping at him. Then he develops amnesia, but I really can't blame him.

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

I have this problem with my two too! They have no problems at the dog park and on their own are pretty easily re-directed and handled. But when we're on a walk and it's just me they just feed off of each other. I'm very interested in any responses you get.