Anyone who owns more than one dog has probably had to break up a dog fight at some point in there lives. Whether it’s resource guarding, play time gone wrong, or something even more serious, dogfights can lead to serious injury if not handled properly.
First off, remain calm. If you act without thinking you risk hurting yourself and the animals.
The next big mistake most people make is reaching for the collar. Do not do this! While it may seem like the easiest way to regain control of the animal, a collar offers much less control than most people realize. Larger dogs can easily break or sprain your fingers by lashing side to side and almost any dog can turn and bite the new “enemy” attacking it’s neck.
Ed Frawley, a dog trainer with Leerburg Enterprises, suggests that the best way to break up a dog fight is with the help of two people. Simultaneously, each person needs to pick a dog and lift their back legs off the ground.
This will almost instantly break up the fight, but the danger isn’t over yet. In the heat of the moment with all that adrenaline pumping, your dog won’t know it’s you and will usually strike at whoever has entered the fight. With the dog’s legs in the air, start backing up slowly and begin rotating the dog in a circle around your body.
This distracts the animal from the fight and makes it difficult for the dog to bite you. By keeping the dog moving, he or she never has enough footing to curl backwards and bite your arms or legs.
Use this method to separate the animals into different rooms until you can get them back on their leashes. Don’t release the dog too quickly, or they may just return to the fight! Give them time to calm down, and if the dogs know each other they’ll often forgive and forget faster than humans ever do.
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