How do I stop my dog from freezing and splooting near other dogs?

This can be a problem that is difficult to stop. I recommend taking Sparx to obedience training so she learns to listen and obey you with other people and dogs present. Then if she knows the command sit I have treats and ask her to sit and take treats when other small dogs are around. You can say no, ask her to sit and reward her when she focuses on you and not the other dog and person. This will take time and patience, continued training, and usually this type of behavior can improve as they get older. Also often having her spayed will mellow out her personality as there are less hormone swings and usually less protective behavior. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sparx.

Many dogs have this problem - it's called leash reactivity :) It happens because Laika is so excited to see another dog, and frustrated because she can't immediately run over to them - which leads to barking and lots of crazy, uncontrollable behavior. Fortunately, this behavior is usually very treatable with a good training plan. Normally, a training plan for these dogs involves using very tasty treats to reward calm behavior at a distance from another dog - it's critical that you're far enough away that she can be calm and take treats, which means that you may need a lot of distance at first! Once she understands the game and is doing well, you can gradually move closer. It can be hard to do this on your own at first, so I would really recommend getting in touch with a good reward-based trainer who can help you in person. He/she can help by setting up controlled training situations at first with a calm "helper dog" to help both of you get the idea of how to work on the problem, until you're ready to transition to real life scenarios like passing another dog on a walk.

It depends a bit on how severe the problem is. If he just doesn't like interacting with other dogs, but is able to ignore them when they're around as long as he's left alone, this is perfectly normal - some dogs don't have much interest in meeting or playing with strange dogs, just like some humans don't want to strike up a conversation with everyone they meet. If you mean that he barks, lunges, or tries to attack other dogs when he sees them, this is a much more serious problem. In that case, it would be best to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate him in person to help determine the problem, and help you put together a training plan to work on it. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

I do not think it is anything you are specifically doing wrong. As dogs age they can have a change in personality but it is important to start training to turn this behavior around. IT sounds like she is scared and having some anxiety. I would recommend starting with basic commands like sit, stay and come. I also would recommend getting her in training classes so you can start to redirect her behavior. Once she starts feeling more confident it most likely will help with her behavior around other dogs. i hope that helps

I strongly recommend you consult with a professional, in-home dog trainer. You need a trainer to come to your house and see the behavior and how you react. Likely you are making this worse. This is your best bet at correcting this problem before it worsens. Shy dogs that are unsure need special care and it is not recommended that you try to correct this on your own. I found this one trainer in your area. If they can't help you they may be able to recommend someone to you. Your vet's office may also be able to recommend a trainer. ( http://www.cjsdogtraining.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=42 ) You may also want to consider getting her spayed. She is going to resent other dogs jumping on her/being around her when she goes into heat. Taking unspayed dogs is to a dog park is not recommended and it is often posted at the entrance to the park that no intact animals (male or female) are allowed because it starts fights.

Hi there. This behavior is actually a common compulsive behavior in Miniature Schauzers, and is thought to have a genetic basis in some affected dogs. It sounds like your veterinarian has done a good job of ruling out an obvious medical issue that could be contributing, such as constipation, spinal pain, dermatitis, anal gland issues, etc. You might consider talking to your vet about a trial course of an anti-inflammatory medication such as prednisone and/or a medication for neuropathic pain such as gabapentin if these things have not been tried yet - some dogs will respond favorably to these meds, even without a specific diagnosis. If there is no response to medical therapy and no evidence of a physical problem can be found, then the problem is likely behavioral. In that case, I would recommend seeing a veterinary behaviorist for a full evaluation and treatment plan, as these issues can be challenging to treat without expert help. Most dogs with compulsive behavior issues will require a detailed training and management plan as well as medication to see significant improvement. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

This is a very common problem, and one that is best solved with a trainer or veterinary behaviorist that can help you in person. Leash reactivity can be due to a number of things including fear, lack of socialization, bad experiences, etc, so a trainer that can observe the behavior and get you started on a training plan is best. If Phoebe is also blind in one eye it could be that other dogs are taking her by surprise, leading to the reactivity as well. Most trainers will utilize a technique called BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) that involves a combination of desensitization to the stimulus (other dogs on leash) as well as gradually getting your dog used to them from a safe distance at first, until they are gradually calmer and able to handle it. Until you can talk to a trainer, giving other dogs a wide berth and changing up your walks can help prevent any fights or upset from happening. If she does walk past a dog calmly, lots of praise and treats are good as well!