Hi Cesar,

I am a proud owner of a beautiful Red Nose pit bull named Romeo. He’s almost two and full of energy and bounce. The problem occurs when we go on walks and meet other owners and their dogs.The other dogs always (always) growl at him and snap. Since it happens ALL the time, I have a sneaking suspicion it's Romeo’s fault that the other dogs don't like him. Romeo’s approach seems to be a friendly one, but when the other dogs sniff him, they instantly growl.

Romeo has not been neutered yet, so could that be the problem? Or is his approach too "in-your-face" and rude? I’m worried because the fear factor of pit bulls is running high here in Sydney, as it is in Canada. What can I do to solve this problem, and why don't the other dogs like Romeo? He has no problems with people (even if people don't always like him because he looks "scary"). Please help! I don't want to cause more unnecessary fear here in a country which has also banned the pit bull (existing registered owners excepted).

Thanks a million,

Jane Kim
Sydney, Australia

Dear Jane,

Based on the information you have given me, your dog is full of energy and balanced. That’s a happy-go-lucky dog! But, when a happy-go-lucky dog is not neutered, other dogs are going to sense him as a possible mate and view him as a dominant dog. You should neuter him as soon as possible. Make sure he’s balanced when you neuter him, and let him recover.

Romeo is what I would call an excited type. Excited dogs often get in trouble because their energy is “hyper”. When another dog is not in the same state of mind, the dog will find Romeo’s approach and behavior “rude,” in terms of dog etiquette. So it’s important to put a backpack on him to drain energy.

Another suggestion is to prevent him from meeting other dogs face to face. It’s not a good idea to allow unfamiliar dogs to have eye contact with one another. Only allow dogs to meet face to face when they are already part of a group.

So far, you don’t have a big problem; your only issue is energy. Your dog is currently in the adolescent stage, which lasts from eight months old to three years old. You need to take control of him now, however, because if he goes into the adult stage without your leadership, he might become dominant, territorial, or aggressive. Consider these behaviors as mild warning signs.

On Dog Whisperer, we have demonstrated many times the best way to neuter a dog, and how to walk dogs in the same direction - without smelling each other and without looking at each other. When dogs walk together, they accelerate the process of simply becoming a pack. I think watching those segments again will help you tremendously.

Stay calm and assertive,

Cesar Millan