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BREAKING UP A DOG FIGHT By Stacy Karron
If you hang out at a dog park, you’ll observe dogs playing happily, romping and running with their canine companions.
But like humans, not all dogs get along with each other. If you are witness to a dogfight and like me, are compelled to take action, do so with great caution as dogs go into “tunnel-vision” fight mode and will not know the difference between the “hand that feeds” from the hand that bleeds.
Use the following tips for the safest, most effective way to break up a dog fight with the knowledge that there is no real safest way to do so.
- DO NOT yell and holler to break up a fight. Fight the impulse and break it up in silence. The loudness is more likely to make the fight worse than to stop it. A dog in fight mode will not pay attention to you, no matter how you speak. That part of his/her brain is shut off!
- Do not punish dogs for fighting other than separating them and giving them a time-out, which involves your ignoring them for a few minutes.
- The safest way to break up a fight is to grab the most aggressive dog by the hind legs and pick its rear up like you are holding a wheel-barrow. Then back up pulling the dog with you. Since the dog is now supporting itself on two front paws only, he/she is not likely to want to continue fighting and it is very difficult for him/her to turn on you.
Then get the dog out of the area, behind a fence, door, or wherever possible as fast as you can so it is separated from the other dog. If two people are present, each can grab a different dog and wheel him backwards.
Note: There is NO safe way to break up a dog fight. Pepper spray (not Mace) may be effective and should not have any lasting adverse affects on the dog(s) sprayed.
- Keep the dogs separate for a number of minutes that corresponds to the severity of the attack. Five minutes is fine for a slight squabble, longer for more serious fights.
- Cautiously reintroduce the dogs together immediately after the time out. This should be done in a confined area but not a small area as dogs tend to be more territorial in smaller spaces. For the less experienced dog parent, it is better to leash the dogs during reintroduction. For the more experienced dog parent, off leash is recommended as dogs tend to be less protective when off lead and there is actually a better chance of them making up if they are not restrained.
- When you reintroduce them, feed, feed, feed. Continuously feed treats to both simultaneously, every few seconds. Do not encourage them to get too close, particularly when food is present, but allow them to if they want to on their own and if you sense that they are no longer in fighting mode. Then separate them for a while after just a minute. Repeat a number of times during the day, each time keeping them together a little longer. End on a happy note, let the dogs think you are not at all worried, but secretly keep a very close eye on them for the next 24 hours (if the dogs reside together).
- If you are having many fights within a short period of time, or if injuries are more than a single small puncture and scratches, seek professional help. Such a dog is too dangerous for you to work with, requiring behavior modification intervention or medication.
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