Meanie Weenie!!!

Question
Cathy,
I have a 3 year old Dachshund named Charlie, and he is our baby! He is a great dog, very playful and affectionate with me and my family.  The problem we are having is his behavior with other people and dogs.  When he sees another dog or person he doesn't know he gets very aggressive and barks uncontrollably. He has never bitten anyone, but I am afraid he might.  He completed a puppy training class at pet smart, but this didn't seem to help.  He has never growled, or lunched at anyone in my family or any of my friends.  Hes a sweetheart with all of us.  The issue is that i cannot take him walking without these outbursts! HELP!!!!

Answer
Hello Allyson,  My first suggestion is to practice having Charlie focus on you when walking.  Try practicing without all of the "outside" distractions that seem to set him off.  Keep a treat that he really likes (something better than your everyday dog treat).  Maybe a piece of chicken or a nice liver treat.  When you walk him, keep him close to your side. Call his name and have him look at you.  Each time he does this, give him a small piece of the yummy treat.   Once he gets used to doing this, it is my hope that he will start to pay more attention to you even with distractions and will be more interested in the treat / pleasing you than the other dogs.
I would recommend using a training collar when you walk him.  Not necessarily one of the chain ones, but they make nylon ones that work the same way.  With proper corrections using the training collar, it really helps you gain control over Charlie.   
For lots of tips on use of training collar and other tips on his unwanted behavior, try looking at www.paw-rescue.org  On the home page there is a section called Robin's Pet Tips.   You'll find information there on almost every problem you can think of.
As a last resort, you could try a citronella spray collar.  They work the same way as a shock collar (WHICH I WOULD NEVER USE OR RECOMMEND) but when the dog barks, he gets a little annoying spray in his face.  It doesn't hurt him but it is unpleasant.  I've tried it on me, so I know it won't hurt them.   After a few sprays, he won't be so interested in barking at dogs.
Let me know how it goes.