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Your goal in any situation with an unfamiliar dog is to comfort your dog and get them to display non-threatening behavior. Remember, the other dog and its owner are probably just as nervous and apprehensive as you and your dog. From the perspective of the other dog, focussing on you is the least threatening thing your dog can do. It shows the other dog that your dog is confident and unconcerned by other dogs. 

The easiest way to accomplish this is by instructing your dog to turn around with a Come-Sit-Stay so their back is towards the other dog, and Watch YOU and then maintain their focus using a Tug toy. Teach your dog a reliable Come-Sit-Stay and to Shush-on Cue and train them to absolutely love playing Tug of War, and you’ll be well-equipped to deal with unfamiliar dogs. 

If your dog is bouncing, barking, lunging and especially eye-balling the other dog, tension between the two dogs is likely to escalate … quickly! For little dogs, especially, it is vital that they learn to Sit and Shush and Focus.  Lunging and yapping and especially, screaming and trying to run away are all incendiary triggers that excite and incite other dogs to charge and chase. 

From the perspective of the other dog, and owner, the least threatening or inciting stimulus is a dog that appears to be calm, confident, unconcerned and preoccupied in something more important, such as you and a tug toy. 

Not only is this the best way to calm both dogs and prevent escalation, it’s also a wonderful way of demonstrating to any observers that your dog is under control and posing no threat. In situations where you don’t know the other dog, you must always concentrate on controlling your dog, instructing them how to act when stressed and providing support by offering oodles and oodles of praise. 

At the same time, you're classically conditioning your dog to enjoy the presence of other dogs. You’ve redirected your dog’s attention from a potentially stressful stimulus to the prospect of their favorite activity of all time – Tug of War with You! 

Once you’ve got your dog’s attention, keep them focused on the tug toy until the other dog has passed out of sight. Actually playing tug while the other dog is present is not a good idea, as all the quick movement and high-energy play might make the other dog nervous. Once that dog is gone you may reward your dog with a well-earned game of tug. Soon, your dog will love encountering other dogs on walks because it means that they’ll soon get a chance to play their favorite game.

We strongly recommend using a tug toy when classically conditioning reactive dogs because it is less likely to excite the other dog, compared to using a tennis ball or food treats. 

The secret to success is to practice the About-Face, Come-Sit-Stay-Shush and Focus routine at home and in the yard and then to integrate the routine — every 25 yards or so — into your regular walks with your dog when no other dogs are present. You should also integrate this routine into your regular walks with your dog’s core social group, so your dog gets used to performing these skills in the presence of other dogs. 

You can use Lure Reward Training to easily teach your dogs to perform these skills on cue, then you'll have to integrate training and smart rewards into your dog's life to motivate your dog to perform these skills reliably.

The next two major sections of this course are all about how to do this. The first section explains the whole process, with the example of Sit-Stay, the second section explains how to apply these concepts to other skills. 

In addition to teaching your dog to Come, Sit-Stay, Watch Me and Tug, you might consider instructing your dog to PlayBow, Shake Hands or High Five — all friendly play behaviors that will help make both dogs feel more at ease.

Now, if all of this sounds like a bit much, and you don't think you can teach your dog all of these things, that's fine, but please, at the very least, teach your dog to Sit-Stay and Watch Me reliably on cue. For little dogs, especially, it's important that they DO NOT run, because that can be a very powerful trigger for other dogs. Getting your dog to Sit-Stay is the best way to make sure they are not running. For all dogs, eye-contact is another very common reactivity trigger, so being able to redirect your dog's eyes towards you and away from another dog is also a very powerful way to prevent or correct reactive behavior.