dog jumping up at other dogs

Question
Hi
I have a long coat American akita who is 18 months old. She is very well behaved but I don't know how to stop her jumping up at other dogs. She loves seeing other dogs when we are out walking but always wants to play with them and will put her paw on their back if they ignore her, as if to say come play with me. If they still don't respond she will jump up to try get them to play. Obviously I don't want her to do this but telling her no or trying to distract her with treats does not work. She does not jump up at people likes this as she knows not to. I would like her to be able to greet other dogs without jumping and getting so over excited. Is there anything you can recommend? Thanks

Answer
The best way for dogs to meet and greet is off-leash.  The leash is a barrier that prevents dogs from interacting naturally.  Your Akita is what we call a "frustrated greeter".  She wants to be friendly and interact with other dogs, but being held back by the leash causes her to act out by jumping and lunging to get to them.

The best way to deal with frustrated greeters is to require the dog be calm before moving toward another dog.  You should have your dog on a harness or head halter that prevents her from pulling. If she walks nicely and stays in control, move forward.  If she gets too excited, turn and go the other way.  She'll learn that only by self-controlling will she get what she wants.  See this webpage on a useful technique to use with dogs on leash:  www.functionalrewards.com.  Look for the references to "frustrated greeters".

Another thing that you should be aware of is that a dog putting her paw on another dog's back is an extremely rude and pushy dog behavior.  This is a good stimulus to a dog fight.  Many dogs being walked on leash don't want to be greeted at all, so be sure the other owner gives permission and be sure that their dog is under control as well.  

Polite on-leash greetings can take some practice, so find someone to work with.  Don't let your dog continue to rehearse bad greeting behavior.  Teach her a better way and learn self-control at the same time.

Please let me know if you have questions or need clarification on anything I've recommended.