How to Break Up a Dog Fight

How To Break Up a Dog Fight

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Hi everyone, I know breaking up a dog fight has little to do with teaching your dog how to be a Family Disaster Dog but I just posted the answer below at an online board about how to break up a dog fight, especially at a doggie daycare center.

I thought it would be a good idea to share the suggestions here with you too. In case a dog ever attacks your dog while out walking or when you met other dogs around town.

Here's what I posted,

I specialize in biting groom dogs and pets who have been traumatized in fights. Plus having bred and raised Pit Bulls for 15 yrs many years ago with usually 15-30 adult dogs in my yard along with 3 children, many visitors and puppies. We showed and weight pulled the dogs during the 1980's.

About once a week a dog would get loose, ha! and the fight was on somewhere in the yard. One ole boy named Hammer could get out of any chain link kennel or collar as quick as you turned around he would be on top of the chain link cover of his own kennel and trying to fight the dog below him next door! He would also jump up to grab the chain link above his head and swing there, then pull with his weight until he had a hole. Another one, once pulled another dog through the chain link fence, the fence spread to fit the dog, incredible strength.

Most of the brood dogs I had rescued from fighting rings because they had the best and gentlest bloodlines. Real ole time dog fighters did not allow a pit bull to show any aggressive behavior towards humans, if the dog did it was put down. A good pit bull will stop all aggressive behavior if lifted off of the ground by a person, the dog will let go instantly. The old bloodlines had this bred into them but this good trait is lost today.  I've also managed many pet spas, play groups, large and small boarding kennels with dogs who are strangers to each other, along with being a certified advanced level dog trainer.

I agree with the other dog trainer's suggestion above to get educated on how to handle dogs before and when you are pet sitting or boarding dogs, walking other people's dogs. Anytime there are more then 2 dogs in an area there is a potential for a disagreement. Any breed, any age or sex. It is up to the person who is in charge to keep the dogs safe, it is not up to the dogs to get along.

Having worked for 30 yrs with dogs,and myself trained at 17 how to handle animals by vets and show dog breeders before being allowed to learn anything else, I'm one who cannot stand to hear the dog take the blame when we humans are who are responsible. Even a biting dog has been provoked someway,somehow and its is up to us not to allow that to happen.

Anyhow, the wheelbarrow method mentioned above is the safest method to use to break up two dogs who have a hold on each other as long as the dogs are young enough to not get hurt when you raise the rear legs off the ground. After the rear legs are held off the ground, hold still and wait. If one dog is tied or held by rear legs by another person, step back as you hold each dog to where they are tightly locked together then hold still.

Do not shake or pull anymore, let the dogs relax as you wait and watch the mouths to open to grab another bite..right when the mouth relaxes to grab again..pull the dogs apart. If you continue to fight they will too. Hold and relax and they will too.

Once relaxed you can work with them, you can also try pushing them flat on the ground and holding them without hurting them firmly in place until they relax. That takes some practice tho.

Also the "breaker bar' mentioned above that is used on Pit Bulls and other heavy mouth dogs is very helpful and safe to use with dog fights if used correctly. One can be made from a Hickory Hammer handle from the hardware store, all you do is sand the small end down to be a smooth flat rounded edge that will not hurt the dog's mouth, we always put a cord on the other end so we could hang a few around the kennels within easy reach.

To use it, you gently wiggle the break stick in between the teeth where the natural opening is on the side of the mouth about half way up the muzzle. Get to know that spot, it is helpful for giving pills and medicine too, and other dog do things. Do not push the stick all the way through the dogs mouth,no that's not the point. Gently wiggle the stick in between the teeth until you feel the tongue then push downward with the handle of the breaker stick and the dog's mouth will open.

Tomorrow I will be posting a lesson to teach your dog to go between you and another person with supplies and in case you are trapped, how to bring you first aid, water and food.

Thanks for reading,
Amber and Daisy Mayham
Family Disaster Dogs