Just so agressive

[Karen]

Have you done any obedience classes with him? What kind of training have you done? And is he neutered?

[emc]

Do you have any friends with dogs? Maybe you can invite them over and introduce your dog to other dogs on a one to one basis.

[spike]

Hi Yes i've done some obedience classes with him, however I was told everytime he barks at another dog to throw a small water filled balloon at him which I didn't like to do.
I have started to introduce Spike to a friends dog which appears to be helping.

Have you done any obedience classes with him? What kind of training have you done? And is he neutered?

[MoonandBean]

The water balloon things sounds crazy. I've heard of using a squirt bottle filled with water and making a no sound like "eh eh" and spraying them in the face with water when they do a behavior you are trying to correct.

[Karen]

That's just wrong - the water-filled balloon - I've never heard of that, and it just sounds like a bad idea. What you CAN try is a spray bottle, and spritz him with water, to distract him. But a better idea is as soon as he starts to react to another dog, tug the leash a bit and get him to sit, then do "down" or "paw" or whatever other commands he knows, and only when he is calm again let him approach the other dog.

[Freedom]

What Karen and Moon & Bean said.

Be sure to always carry treats with you. I take a baggie with cut up bits of hot dog. (Did you know a hot do can be cut into 67 pieces for training? I've never made more than 60!)

You make sure the dog focuses on you, treat, get the dog to sit, treat. Treat liberally at first, to re-enforce the proper behavior. You can practice the "look at me" at home, even when you are alone.

Never heard of water balloons for training! Not very practical!

[akitrix]

Water balloon downright dumb & impractical, never throw ANYTHING at your dog, it teaches nothing good. If that's the only advice, then you need to find a more knowledgable trainer. Dog Star Daily is an excellent blog site staffed by some of the best animal behaviourists and trainers. Lots of good advice and insight.

[poochieandi]

I was told everytime he barks at another dog to throw a small water filled balloon at him which I didn't like to do.

A water balloon is a definite no-no, for one reason it is way too bulky to carry around in walks plus can be very messy, most of all it will not only startle him, it will hurt him (like when it bursts on his face- ouch!) and can seriously turn on negative emotions at you. So, good that you are not into it.

If introducing him to other dogs in a little-by-little manner does the trick, then stick with it. A good recall training can also be of help along with catching his attention each time he starts barking at another dog and making him busy on some things that you have taught him like "stay" and "sit." If he is obedient then. Reward him.

[Cataholic]

Is he neutered?

Does he spend a significant amount of time behind a fence? Is he walked on a daily basis, with plenty of positive reinforcement for nice behaviour?