How to stop my Havanese from barking and pulling at other dogs?

Question

Our Havanese is a rescue which we have had for a year. She is afraid and goes ballistic whenever she encounters other dogs. We have had her to dog trainers and nothing seems to stop her from pulling and barking. Pet's info: Dog | Havanese | Female | 5 years and 7 months old | 19 lbs

Penelope Graben, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi there! Aggression issues in dogs can be really frustrating. One of my dogs sounds pretty similar to Sammi, so I sympathize. Many dogs that are showing signs of aggression are truly anxious and unable to control their emotions. Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications can be used both long and short term to help them learn to process their emotions while in a calmer state. Commonly used drugs for this purpose are Prozac, Trazodone, and Gabapentin. I would recommend calling your vet and asking if they see behavior consultations or if they have any recommendations for a board certified veterinary behaviorist (someone who goes to three more years of school after vet school just to study behavior). I would also encourage you to use only trainers that focus on positive reinforcement learning. Fear tactic training can make aggressive dogs much worse. A good trainer can talk to you about helping your dog learn to focus on you during stressful situations and better their impulse control, to minimize these situations in the future. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

How to stop my Havanese from barking and pulling at other dogs?

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