So when I go out to run with my dog, he sometimes faces other dogs that bark and growl at him. He is normally distracted by those dogs but once I pull him he snaps out of it. Whenever there are dogs that are off their leash and go up to him. They bark and growl at him and he barks and growls back. Is that normal? He is very nice with people and he is very nice with dogs that are nice to him.

Does he attack or just growl when they growl and bark like he's ready to play? Sounds normal to me but I'm no expert. My dog hates other dogs and is usually attacking as she growls. If the strange dog is growling at your dog it's normal for your dog to stand his ground and let the other dog know he isn't going to just bow to him or let him hurt you. If your dog is fine with non-growling dogs and will listen when you tell him to go on by then you sound like you're doing fine. Just pay attention to when the strange dog maybe up to no good. There's been a lot of dog attacks lately and we don't want to add to it.

Yes. His growl will probably end up in an attack. The other day, A rottweiler escaped his house and came to attack my dog. I held my dog's head and tried to pull him away. The rottweiler smelled my dogs butt and he became more docile. He eventually left because the owner came and whipped him (I was like "wtf?"). should I have let my dog smell his butt? Around nice dogs, he is nice.

Dogs smell each other. It's how they get to know each other, exchange information, and in my experience when they are willing to take the time to smell then they are willing to put the attack on hold or abandon it completely. When Kenzi meets other dogs she growls and snarls and throws a fit. I usually keep a tight hold on her but I want her to be able to smell and be smelled in return and if the other dog isn't interested in just smelling I want her to be able to defend herself. His demeanor is mirroring the approaching dogs it sounds like since he is good with friendly dogs. When the Rott became more docile did your dog? I think the best thing you can do here is stay calm in the situation since your dog will sense your reaction to the new dog and let them smell but be in control in case something does break out. If you meet a lot of dogs that come at you off leash and semi-aggressive you may want to carry a squirt bottle or mace if you think an attack is a possibility. It doesn't sound like your dog would initiate an attack so your main worry is an off leash dog starting something with you. There are tons of threads on here about how to deal with dog attacks by off leash dogs unfortunately. I assume the dog you are referring to is the one in your profile picture, he's beautiful.

no, my dog did not become more docile after the dog smelled his butt. If the other dog would've been on a leash I probably would've let my dog smell him.