We have a two year old boston terrier. I realize BT's can be INSANE so we try not to focus on him running from one end of the house to the other and jumping all over the furniture
The main issue we have is walking. He walks on a leash - no problem, but when he sees another dog or cat...he goes crazy. We literally have to drag him to make him lose interest in the other dog. He runs in circles and squeals. Its like a high pitched scream. Its so loud and embarrassing. He doesnt get a long with other animals at all. dogs or cats. So we dont know if he just wants to go meet the other dog or attack them -- but we dont intent to find out
We have tried yelling. saying no. just keep walking and pull him along. trying to stand in front of him so that he cant see the other dog and hopefully loses focus...nothing works!! We try to wait and walk him later in the evening so that there arent many dogs around because its just to much of a struggle.
I hope someone can help! We dont really know what to do. The next step is training classes...which we are trying to avoid. #1 its expensive #2 its embarrassing..because he cant be around other dogs...without squealing. He is totally fine around people...we dont have many problems with him. He is potty trained. he is so calm and well behaved on car rides. This is the only major issue.

Hope you can help!!!
thanks!

Training would be good for you or how about a personal trainer that will come and do a one session with you just to give you ideas. I use a easy walk harness for Charlie, it attaches at the chest and gives me plenty of control. He can now walk nicely on a leash and pass by dogs without problems. You may want to try treats to get his attention that way or even a squicky toy. You just need to redirect his focus on something.

I agree with everything in the previous post. Also, have you tried changing directions when you see another dog approaching? The trainer could also help with socialization as well which it sounds like Meaty could use. Good luck! He's a doll!

Thank you so much! We actually just bought treats last week so we are going to try that next time we go for a walk. We have tried changing directions but it only makes it worse - because then he just tries to turn around while we drag him lol. I think we will try treats - if it doesnt work - i think training will be the answer.

When Roger starts up, I make him sit until he settles down. Walk him forward a bit, then draw back on leash, forces him to sit.

id try to desencitize him by confronting the problem. ignore, give treats even give him sausage if thats whats needed. but let him be near dogs. the more he is around them the less intresting it wil be! this doesn't mean that he is so near that he can reach them but near enough that he sees them. be aware that yelling and tugging at the leash increases the tension.

yeah i think treats will be the way to go...i hope! We really dont know what he wants to do..attack them or just play..we are just too afraid to try it and he has attacked before so we dont want it to happen again. I dont know why he is like this?!

I agree! Desenzitation takes patience and time, but is a great way to completely "reprogram" a dog with behavioral issues. We did this with Wednesday, since she was very fear aggressive with strangers when we adopted her...

Take close notes on what his triggers are: Is it at 100 yards away? 10 yards? 10 feet? Start by not letting him get to the point of freaking out, but just let him briefly see the dog, and before he starts to act out turn around, praise him for being calm and give him treats! (small pieces of hotdog or cheese are good, the treats have to be very exciting or the draw of the other dog will be too great) Continue this on every walk.

It will take time and patience, but you will eventually notice that he will start to look at you when he sees another dog (and you wanna treat him for doing so! That is not a learned behavior, but he is choosing to watch you instead of the dog!), so now you can start to decrease the distance between him and other dogs. You still don't want to push him too far and try to rush things, keep him just above his trigger level, and continue as previously.

Slowly he can be closer and closer to dogs. When the time comes, see if you have a friend or coworker that would be willing to go for walks together. If he regresses and acts out, interrupt the walk. It's simple action and reaction: If you don't behave you don't get what you want. But if he stays calm, continue the walk calmly, and carry yourself like you don't have a care in the world! If you're tense or nervous, he'll know in a second and it's a sure fire way to set him off!

The key is for you to stay calm throughout the whole training process. If you are angry, frustrated or upset it will topple the whole balance. Dogs are incredibly intuitive to our emotions, and why would he listen to you if you are freaking out? It will only reinforce his bad behavior. If you feel frustrated, stop for a second, take a deep breath and think "be calm and strong!" Believe me, I've been there many times, I know the feeling!

Expect good days and bad days. You can have a week of great progress and then suddenly he'll be acting out. It's completely normal and don't let it
discourage you. He is a dog after all and we can't reason with them. But by tapping into the "what's in it for me?" mindset of a dog we can get them to choose a good behavior because the reward is greater than the consequences of a bad one... And that's a lesson that sticks!

I hope this helps! Good luck!

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Well we tried the treats on the walk the other day and it didnt work perfectly - obviously - it was the first time But it did seem to help. He was starting to get upset and barking at the other dog (the other dog did start barking at him first) and i made him sit and showed him the treat. He was still interested in the dog but also in the treat. once he calmed down i gave him the treat and we kept walking. I hope it works! It seems like it is :O) Thanks for all the advice!

I just made a post about a very similar problem to Meaty that my Boston is having. I'm glad to see that the treats are working for you... I'll try this myself.