dog barking and aggression

Question
Hi Karen, I am an American that has moved to Germany with my dog Angel (a sweet Maltese that is very friendly and affectionate--most of the time).

We moved here 4 months ago. Here she can go with me everywhere--except the grocery store. So I love it that we are together pretty much all the time. The problem is that she still is very excited about seeing other dogs when we are walking among people...or just about anywhere we go, since everyone with a dog takes them along too! She barks wildly and this is just not acceptable to me, or to the society we live in. Here everything is quiet and especially the dogs.

It usually seems she is just wanting to make friends or to get the other dog's attention, but gets very excited and begins to bark-- most of the time looking very friendly and wagging her tail in a friendly way. The other dogs usually ignore her and this makes her bark more trying to get their attention.

The people here all look at me like I'm such a bad parent with this dog barking so wildly. Our vet in America told me to use a water spritzer and spray her to make her stop. This has worked pretty well most of the time; she doesn't like to even see the spray bottle. But sometimes she is beyond sanity it seems.

I am very worried when she does this and sometimes she seems aggressive (even while in a car and seeing another dog). She goes crazy and there is no calming her. Whenever we try to tell her "no" she gets almost viscious (even with the kids). She acts this way every time she sees another dog. (Whether it's a friendly barking for attention, or aggressive barking--she WILL bark unless sprayed with water.)

In America she had a good friend next door that she loved to play with and was never aggressive with. When walking, she would sometimes bark at other dogs but we didn't see others so often, and we weren't among a lot of people. We used the squirt bottle then and she would usually remain quiet. The thing is, without the squirt bottle (and she knows when it's not there) she abandons all protocol of "quiet dog" and seems to be temporarily insane.

I do not like the idea of a shock collar. I don't want to hurt her in any way. I've seen a leash that has a "muzzle" strap to keep their mouth closed but my husband thinks this is also inhumane.

She is so friendly to everyone and when she meets another dog one on one, she's always very nice and makes a friend. However, in public, she is not. Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Carolanne

Answer
First of all, if they have such a thing as training classes over there, that is what you need. The dog needs to learn to do what you say when you say it. Failing that, get yourself a good training book like, "Training Your Dog, A Step-by-Step Manual", by Volhard and Fisher.

The other thing you and your husband can do with her is to practice "Nothing in Life is Free". http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm  Your little dog who thinks she weighs 500# must learn that she is not the Alpha in the household.

The "leash with a muzzle strap" sounds like a Gentle Leader or a similar product. These are not inhumane, but are a great training aid for certain dogs, usually those that are more dominant. They do not keep the mouth closed at all, and some of the larger dogs can still pick up tennis balls while wearing one. They are nothing like a muzzle, as a dog wearing one could still bite.

Since the squirt bottle works with her, I would get a small one and carry it everywhere with me. Figure out how to attach it to a belt loop or simply let it hang from your pocket.

Anytime the dog misbehaves, she MUST be corrected.... either with the squirt bottle or a bit of a scruff shake. Be FIRM and stare her in the eye while telling her "QUIET!" or "STOP THAT!" Try to do this *before* she is in a full-blown frenzy; when she first spots the other dog is the time for you to react (actually when YOU first see the other dog approaching). In fact, correct her for even *looking* at the other dog, and try to get her attention on YOU and give her small treats when she is looking at you rather than the other dog.

While riding in the car, either put her in a crate or insist that she lie down next to you. She must not be allowed to look out the window.

I don't know if they have dog parks over there, but try to find something like that since she is usually good with a one-on-one with other dogs. This should help to "desensitize" her a bit more to all the other dogs.