Hi - I have not read any other responses to this so if I upset anyone by resaying, or going against what they say - it is not intentional.

In this case you have to give the dogs a BIG wake up call!

It is up to owners to be in control. Dogs simply do not understand the human world enough to be allowed to be in control. Would you let your dog go to the pet store on its own? Take your kids to school? Drive your car? Excersise on his/her own? Go for a walk?

Ask yourself, "Why?"

The answer is that the dog is not able to function as a human in a human world. It is a dog.

It can function only as a dog.

Without a good Alpha (or leader) the dog will feel that IT has to be the Alpha. Because it is a dog ina human world it has no hope of leading a pack with any kind of order, sense or safety. On top of all that pressure the human part of the pack, that the dog thinks it is the leader of, keeps going away (to work, to lunch, to visit) without permission. The dog then understands that it is a weak leader and increases it's aggressive, trying to prove that it is up to the job.

Once the human owner takes charge of the pack in a quiet and understandable (to the dog) way and starts talking the dogs language all anxiety melts away.

If newcomers are accepted by a strong leader then there is no reason for lower ranking animals to fight or be uncomfortable - what the strong, confident, boss says - and does - goes.

Both humans here need to have a really good look at who is in control of the situation - if the humans feel that they REALLY have the ALPHA staus then the dogs will be able to sort themselves out - first in neutral territory - then at home.