[deonk1]

I totally feel your pain. I have a very reactive dog, he thankfully is only dog reactive, but it's not a happy sight when he spots another dog. He doesn't bark at people or anything.

Here are some things my trainer and I have been working on to teach him how to interact around other dogs:

Training for human- first it's an unfair match up to have a dog on a leash with a dog who isn't, you are within your rights to say to other owners "my dog is reactive" or "I'm in the middle of a training session can you please give me space" or simply when someone says their dog is friendly, loudly replying, "mine isn't, and I'm working on it/trainging please be careful" I have a slew of things I say to people to leave us alone. Personally I do spend a lot of money on his training (classes twice a week) and I don't want it wasted by some big off-lead dog ruining all our work, because their owner doesn't know better than to respect others. (sorry that's my rant) Also avoid anywhere where it is legally allowed to have a dog off-leash. If they have a dog off-leash anywhere else, you are within your rights to tell them it's illegal to be off-leash.

Training for pooch:
"ici" call it whatever you want, but I've trained Harley when I say "ici" he runs up my leg into my arms. Took a few weeks, but now I do it at every traffic light, every time I'm unsure about a situation, and whenever I just want to cuddle with him. (PM me and I'll send you details on how to teach this if you're interested).

Positive reinforcement for quiet- we do this in several different ways, if I'm walking down the street and I see a dog I ask Harley to sit and I constantly reward him for sitting there quietly while the other dog approaches. (good time to tell the other owner to give you space). If a barking episode happens, turn and walk the other way, when the pooch is quiet again, reward. I also usually say, "thank-you" when he stops barking and "good" (which is our click or reward marker) when he turns and comes away from the distraction and give him a treat.

Exposure - many times reactivity in small dogs is based from fear. They are small, and most other dogs are bigger, so in order to feel bigger they act tough. Start by exposing them to small dogs. I have a tiny dog group that my trainer offers for a drop in fee of $10 its all dogs under 13lb. Check around to see if any small breed groups in your area have similar social groups. Harley has really come out of his shell with these dogs, and I've learned a lot about who he likes and who he doesn't. Once this gets better, then you can start exposing them to more intense scenarios, like parks, large dogs etc.

Leaving the mother/father-ship - We noticed with our trainer if he starts barking in class, she just comes and takes him away from me for a time out. he knows that he's only allowed to be with his mommie if he's calm and quiet, otherwise my coach takes him for a walk to explore the dogs he's barking at.

Lastly I also agree with a harness rather than a collar. Harley's step-in harness will not hurt him if I pick him up. He just gives me an evil look when I do it... lol.

Sorry for the book I just typed. It's a topic I've been working on for about 6 months. We've seen ALOT of progress, but it takes time and patience. Hope even one of the above things is helpful.