I've mentioned a few times on here that our Sam is aggressive torwards other dogs. We have been working on him, and he is doing great!! He went from snarling roaring mauler to calm and relaxed. We were watching the memorial parade this year and a white German Shepherd was sitting behind us...and Sam didn't even care!

 However, I'd like to get to the point were he can go up to other dogs and interact, so we can go to dog events and such. The only way I can think to do this is to let him go up to other dogs and socialize with them...however, I still do not trust him 100% yet, and if I do let him go up to other dogs at the moment, I'll have to get a muzzle and use it for the time being. I don't want to, but I deffinately DO NOT want to put someone else's dog in danger.

 There were several times that he didn't show aggression torwards dogs...he seems fine if he meets the dog in a house for some reason. If we had to go somewere for a while, we use to drop him off at a friend's who had several dogs at her home, and he didn't have a problem with them. My grandpa has a mini rattie and toy rattie, and whenever we visit them or they come up here, he gets along with them for the most part. (The mini, Shadow, actually bullies Sam around, and the toy, Rosie, is afraid of Sam if he just walks up to her)

 Another time were he wasn't aggressive was at his puppy training classes we would take him to when he was younger. They would let the puppies lose and let them interact, and Sam was...scared. He hopped up on the chairs, panting, and stayed away from the other dogs.

 He gets really aggressive if a dog comes up to him...there's some people in the neighborhood who walk there dog without a leash, and once while I was taking Sam out, the lab came running up, and Sam started snarling and raving. The lab didn't get close enough...he backed off and rano off, but it was still a close one!

 So does anyone have any suggestions? I'd like for him to be able to interact with dogs, but like I said, I want to make sure he isn't going to hurt them. We currently use "Ceaser's way" with having Sam heal while we walk him and it has done wonders, but we don't have a pack of dogs for him to sniff and get use to.

 Thanks in advance!!

"Cesar's Way" has a lot of merit. Although I don't necessarily agree with all of his methods... I do agree with a lot of them. MUCH depends on the dog and the dog's personality. It's true that dogs of all ages need social interaction with other dogs and people, and if early socialization wasn't done... a dog will undoubtedly exhibit some type of behavior which reflects this lack of early socialization. In some breeds, the GENES for temperament traits such as friendliness, suspiciousness, aggression, etc. are so strong and so prevalent throughout the breed that it is highly likely that your dog will inherit them. For example, MOST Golden Retrievers inherit genes for friendliness. MOST Pit Bull Terriers inherit genes for aggression toward other dogs. Adult socialization may not be able to change Sam's dog's attitude toward other dogs, but it can control his behavior so that he doesn't ACT aggressive or afraid.

Dog to dog aggression is most often inadvertently (unknowingly) trained in by owners. When an owner sees another dog and tightens the leash, the owner's tension is often relayed to their dog. The dog growls, the owner tightens the leash more and maybe yells at the dog. Over time, the dog becomes conditioned to get tense, as he makes the association between other dogs approaching and his owner's anxiety. So now the dog wants the other dog to stay away, and one of the ways he tries to accomplish this is by growling and barking.

Also... if your dog is uncomfortable with another dog, tightening the leash excludes flight from his possible options and leaves him with fight as the major option. Tightening the leash also distorts your dog's body language and all but forces him to lean forward on his front feet - a posture that the other dog may perceive as somewhat threatening.

Obviously, keep Sam on lead for safety, but you've got to learn to control him without tightening the leash. By keeping the leash loose and acting calm, you may convince him to do the same! Think about using a head halter - this is one time when it could be very handy.

Don't punish Sam for barking or growling at other dogs. (not saying you do... just saying don't) The punishment may teach Sam "I don't like being around other dogs because I am punished whenever they show up, so I'll bark to keep them away."

Instead, try to focus on making Sam enjoy the presence of other dogs by associating them with things he likes. For dog-to-dog aggression, the best method (IMO) is reward training, and the best feedback is treats and praise. Start by hand-feeding Sam and getting him fixated on an object (like a Kong toy or white sterilized bone). This way, you can expose him to one dog (or person) at a time, at a safe distance and give him something to do, such as chewing a toy or eating his kibble. It will give him something to focus on and associate the presence of dogs with things he likes.

The technique here is to go outside and sit on a park bench. Whenever you see another dog, you say, "Oh, look, here comes a cookie dog." And as soon as your dog sees the other dog, you give him a treat. Even if your dog is tense and growling and one might say that you are rewarding the dog for growling and acting badly around other dogs, things will improve quickly. The dog cannot help but make the positive association between the approaching dog and the cookie, and soon he will look forward to other dogs approaching.

Any time Sam acts appropriately when a dog approaches, offer a reward. Be sure you give him enough space from the other dog to feel safe and comfortable. And watch for early signs of discomfort, such as yawning, and excessive panting (sign of stress) or activity. You don't want to push Sam too far too fast.

A variation of this would be to get very happy whenever another dog passes by. Sam cannot fail to make the association between the appearance of another dog and your positive change of mood. This is important because it is the owner's (negative) change in mood can either help or hinder progress.

I hope something I said here will help you. Sounds like you are committed to allowing Sam to be the best he can be, and I applaud you for that! Good luck!