Dominant with other dogs

Hi, my 5 1/2 year old crossbreed is vey dominant towards otherr dogs. If they don't submit immediately he will give them a good telling off by barrking in their faces and trying to make them submit. This does sometimes end in a fight, especially with bull breeds. He doesn't like being apprroached by dogs, but he can be ok if he apprroaches them. What is the best way to handle this? At the moment, I tell him to "leave", but this only worrks once he's rreacted and I need to find a way of preventing it happening to begin with.
He's not bad with us, he tries to dominate sometimes but submits to us straight away.
Sorrry about the strrange RRs but I'm having trouble with my keyboard!
Thanks, Jo

Why do you think it's dominance? To me it sounds more like fear aggression. The fact that he doesn't like being approached but is better when he is doing the approaching, and hence is his decision and therefore more comfortable with it, tends to suggest it is fear related.
When you say he tries to 'dominate' you what exactly is he doing?
Becky

Assuming he understands your leave command well, instead of saying leave once he has reacted, have you tried saying leave before he reacts?
ie, watch out for his early body language signs.
When you catch him early, get him to focus on you by by holding a treat as you walk by and give it to him as he passes with good behaviour.
He should be always on-lead until problem improves, you can use a long line (NOT a flexi).
Avoid locations and situations with lots of dogs, especially dogs charging round.
Sounds like he needs some proper re-socialisation with other dogs, to learn some social skills.
I would get hold of a dog trainer or behaviourist whom can determine what his motivation is and put him on a programme.
At least an hour before going on, he should very calm, ie no playing at home or anything else exciting.
No exciting game swhen out around dogs either, such as chasing balls.
You can do that another time at home or a place and time without other dogs.

My boy is a bit like this now, as he was attacked, and also quite a lot of dogs have growled at him. He is fine if he can approach in his own time, but doesn't like other dogs charging up to him. He is dog friendly but very unsure of some unknown dogs. The leave it command is ok, but doesn't really cure the problem more avoids it.

There is an element of fear aggression, which was exacerbated when he was attacked 3 times in 6 months by the same pair of staffies whilst he was on lead. However when he is out and sees another dog, he holds himself very strraight, tail up very stiffly slightly wagging, ears forward, legs stiff (looks like he's strutting like a peacock!). He also mainly reacts to dogs who also hold themselves in this way. There was a very dominant dog at training who he hated. When I say he tries to dominate us, all I mean is that he constantly nudges for attention which we ignore. He is also insecure and under socialised (he's a rescue who we adopted at 18 months, 4 years ago) and will try to scare away men with "sticks" ie golf clubs, umbrellas etc. We do agility with him which has helped a lot (he doesn't exhibit this behaviour at shows much even though he's surrounded by dogs he doesn't know) but when we are out locally he's a nightmare as I think he sees it as his territory I also wonder if he's guarding me as a resource but his body language says dominance to me as he doesn't constantly scan for threats any longer like he used to.
I hope this clarifies things! I've been working on him since we got him andr he no longer "attacks" every man we see or every dog but I cran'rt get him anty further and we've been stalled at this point for a year or so...

edted to add: I know the leave is not a cure which is why I would like some advice. We've had a behaviourist out but Dan behaved perfectly so he couldn't really help without seeing him "in action"!

The stiff body and tail thing is just a dog that is very tense, not dominant. The fact that he has been attacked so many times in the past means that he puts on a display to try to prevent it happening again. You have to remember that fighting is usually the last resort so a lot of posturing goes on first to try to make one back down.
Have you tried putting him on herbal calmers to try to lower his anxiety levels so he is more able to cope?
Becky

Our first foster dog (SBT) was the same. She had been attacked badly by the dog she lived with previous to us (she was covered in puncture wounds when we got her).

It's not dominance by the sound of it - it's most likely fear.

Krusewalker gives excellent advice. Diffuse the situation before it begins.

HTH

I never said the leave wasn't a cure
In fact, i think it a critical training response to the situation, and part of the solution.
I suggested you strengthen the leave command and put it into place before he reacts, which means learning and observing his early body language.
Which means you say leave when his body is stiff, but not waiting until he is lunging etc.
Fear and dominance don't usually go hand in hand, in my experience.
Dominant dogs dont normally give off strong body language, they dont need to. They just have a 'prescence of being', which normally amounts to 'a look'.
Strong body language (or strutting around) is a sign of tension, like mahooli says, which is down to insecurity.

Your dog is insecure at the site of other dogs due to bad experiences, he is especially reactive to other dogs that also strut their stuff.
(staffies, boxers, and labs and jacks can be strutty, dobermans and rotties and beagles can be stancey, collies starey, etc, etc).
Attention seeking also is not dominance.
Atttention seeking can also be a sign of insecurity, or under-stimulation.
Dominance toward people (which is a questionable concept anyway) does not also automatically equal dominance toward dogs, and vice versa.
Did your behaviourist go for a walk with you and your dog where and when the problem exists (ie, local park with lots of dogs)?
Try googling Turid Rugass and Calming Signals, i would hazard a guess that your dog shows many early warning Calming Signals before you even get to the body strutting stage.
Such as licking lips, averting his gaze, etc, etc, with the other dogs still way over in the distance.
Thats when you need to put the treat work in and keep his focus on you, if he looks toward the dog lure his focus back onto you with the treat.
Dont use the 'leave' word at this stage.
Use a contact word like 'look at me'.
This needs to be trained at home first.
You wouldnt use 'leave' at this point for 2 reasons;
1) Im guessing leave is now a last minute react word when he is lunging at dogs, so it has negative 'panic' associations.
2) You are now several steps earlier than body strutting at other dogs, so to use leave now would be drawing unnecessary attention to these other dogs and heighten your dogs reactions to them.

At agility, maybe he knows he is safe there?
Because everything is controlled and regimented.
Presumably all owners have their dogs under strict control, unlike the park. And because these other dogs have agility to focus their minds, they dont focus on him, so he doesnt focus on them?

I think you need to google APDT, UKRCB, APBC, or CFBA for help.
Also, doe sthe resceu have trainers/behaviourists?
Have you contacted them?

Lastly, if the behaviourist did go to the park and your dog didnt react, maybe it is to do with the messages you give your dog?
Are you tense?
Do you hold your lead tightly?
What equipment do you use?

I've tried rescue remedy in his water, but I can try it again. It won't matter if my other dog drinks it too will it? I have been told my numerous people at my training club who are experienced with dogs that he is dominant, lke I say, he struts around like he owns the place but I'm perfectly open to other ideas! I always praise himwhen he doesn't react but other than that, I don't really know what else to do.
How much would you suggest putting in?

I do tell him to leave before he reacts, although I do get it wrong sometimes as I don't always know which dog he will react to. He unfortunately has started to bark and then look at me for a treat so I've ballsed that up a bit
I'm not sure where to go to resocialise him as most people don't like their dogs being used as guinea pigs!
You say not to play with balls etc when around other dogs, but I do use this to distract him from them. There are a lot of dogs around our area who just charge at him to play so he has more bad experiences than good although he has started to play with my other dog when out now.