Dogs who are aggressive towards other dogs on leash require a systematic approach that prevents rehearsal of the problem behavior. The more your dog acts aggressively towards other dogs on leash, the more the behavior puts roots and is difficult to eradicate once established. Ideally, for safety and correct implementation, dogs aggressive towards other dogs on leash should be assessed by a behavior professional specializing in force-free methods. This is for safety and correct implementation. Following are some tips for dogs aggressive towards other dogs on leash.
Keeping the Dog Under Threshold
When dealing with dogs aggressive towards other dogs on leash, you need to prevent rehearsal of the problem behavior. This means managing the environment a bit better so that the dog doesn’t get to practice so much acting aggressively.
The most important step is always making sure everybody is safe. Make sure you walk your dog away from crowded areas where other dog owners walk their dogs. Distance is your best friend, especially initially.
If your dog has a tendency to pull and you have a hard time controlling him, make sure to use equipment that gives you more control such a front-attachment harness like an Easy- Walk harness or a Sensation harness or a head halter.
If you find yourself having to drag your dog away because he’s lunging, he is way over threshold, which means that he’s too close to the other dogs to act in a more controlled way. This leaves little room for learning and the need for more controlled environments.
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A more controlled setting with other dogs at a distance is helpful, or even better, get the help of a dog owner and a calm dog which can move in a controlled manner without get too close. This can help provide your dog with an opportunity to learn calmer behaviors.
Creating Positive Associations 
A great exercise to practice first at home is getting your dog to respond to a smacking sound. Sit on your couch, and using very high-value treats in a quiet room without little distractions going on, practice this game. Make a smacking sound with your mouth and toss a treat. Repeat several times in a row. Your goal is to get your dog to learn that the smacking sound means a treat is coming.
Next, start making the smacking sound and then bring the treat at eye level, so that your dog will be forced to look at you. Toss the treat as soon as your dog makes eye contact. Repeat several times until your dog learns that the smacking sound means looking into your eyes.
Repeat several times and then start practicing this exercise in several areas that are more distracting such as in rooms with distractions, then in the yard, then from a window when your dog sees people walking by with their dogs (if feasible).
Warning: Never touch your dog when he barking aggressively at other dogs. This may lead to a redirected bite!
Walking at a Distance
Now move on to walks. Keeping distance from other dogs is very important in these initial stages and can make a big difference in the success or failure of behavior modification. If your dog is too close, he’ll be over threshold, and chances are, he won’t care about the smacking sound. If he is at a distance, he’ll be more likely to respond.
Make it a habit that every time your dog sees another dog, you make your smacking sounds and feed him a treat. Do this repeatedly until your dog comes to realize that, every time he sees a dog, he gets a treat. The goal is to rewire your dog’s behavior by changing his underlying emotional response by creating a positive conditioned emotional response. When implemented correctly, this indeed can be a very powerful technique.
If your dog at any time is unable to pay attention, there are chances that 1) you are too close to other dogs or 2) you aren’t feeding treats that are valuable enough to attract your dog. Increasing distance and increasing the value of treats can be extra helpful.
If you have a helper, you can have more control over distance. Ask your helper to practice walking his dog back and forth from a distance in horizontal manner (dogs are less likely to react to dogs walking sideways back and forth than dogs coming frontally head-on).
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It helps if you can have your helper walk the dog in between two parked cars or other visual barriers. This allows you the opportunity to make your smacking sound and feed treats every time the dog is in plain view and then stop feeding when he’s out of sight. You can read more about this method here: open bar/closed bar.
Keep progressing gradually decreasing distance over the course of several days. If at any time, your dog reacts, remember that likely the other dog was too close and your dog was not ready for this level of distraction yet. Take a few steps back and then help him progress gradually from this former level.
Adding Verbal Cues
Once your dog is better under control, you can start adding verbal cues to get your dog to perform actual behaviors. For instance, you can train your dog to sit or attention heel and incorporate these behaviors in this behavior modification exercise.
For example, when you spot another dog, make your smacking sound with your treat at eye level to get your dog to look at you while he is walking past the dog or ask him to sit as the other dog walks by until he is out of sight. Feed him treats while he is sitting until the other dog is gone.
Once again, if your dog is too distracted to sit and focus on you, he is not ready for this level of distraction. Take a few steps back.
Ideally, this type of behavior modification is best done under the guidance of a behavior professional for correct implementation. The professional can guide you through any challenges and pinpoint any mistakes and prevent them from happening in the future. This is both for safety and correct implementation.
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