My dog is so unfriendly to other dogs

[Itsenoughnow]

Hello wise mumsnetters, I have a beautiful daschund , we love him dearly and he is great with people and brings much joy, however whenever we see another dog he barks and barks and sometimes tries to nip. Does anyone have any training tips for this behaviour? Grateful for any advice !

Did you try and socialise him as a puppy?

Yes, try clicker training. Videos on YouTube. Basically get your dog to associate the click with a treat. When you are happy with the response at home, click when you are out and he sees another dog but before he reacts. You are rewarding the silence, not the bark. He responds to a dog, no treat. I've known this to work quickly, it's all about the timing.

He doesn’t have to be ‘friends’ with other dogs. However, he’s displaying reactive behaviour which needs addressing; I would consult a professional dog trainer. It’s doable (I have a reactive dog) but it requires perseverance and controlled exposure with positive reinforcement for not reacting, and ignoring him when he reacts.

In the meantime, I’d keep him on lead, with a ‘nervous’ lead or harness and, most importantly, avoid putting him in situations where you would be setting him up to fail (this is the best piece of advice our trainer ever gave us!)

What she said!

Exactly this.

I would go on to social media and look at trainers near you. See which ones you like, pick one and book some sessions.

My understanding is that the breed can be quite reactive so it’s best to sort sooner rather than later

You need professional help OP. The advice on how to go about fixing this would entirely depend on why your dog is acting this way, which with the best will in the world cannot be achieved over the internet.

Definitely find yourself a good trainer.

Something that has helped my dog is to scatter treats in the ground when you see someone coming. If your dog is motivated by food, he will hoover the treats and it can allow the other dog to pass. I always keep a bag of small dried kibble/treats on me (something my dog never has at other times, so it’s a “treat” and not just their normal food).

Thanks everyone! Really useful advice that I will definitely give a try !! He was socialised as a pup so I’m not sure why he does it - will give all your suggestions a go thanks again 😃

So many dachshunds seem neurotic-especially the ones bought during Covid.

We didn’t buy him during Covid thanks for all the helpful responses