How to Break Up a Dog Fight Without Getting Hurt

#AlphaDogTraining #dogtrainingsaltlakecity How to Break Up a Dog Fight Without Getting Hurt Published by Alpha Dog Training https://www.alpha-dog-training-slc.com Breaking up a dog fight can go bad in a heartbeat. This is serious business. So, know your limitations and don't get into the middle of something you can't physically deal with. This past week I had an incident at my kennel that reminds me how important it is for everyone who works with dogs or owns dogs to know how to break up a dogfight without getting hurt. I will start with a warning. Unless you have a lot of experience do not try and break up a dog fight by yourself. Never step in the middle of two loving pets and try and grab them by the collar to stop a dog fight. If you try this, the chances of you being badly bitten are extremely high. People don't understand that 2 animals in the middle of a fight are in survival drive. If they see you at all, they don't look at you as their loving owner. When you charge in and grab them, they either react out of a fight reflex and bite, or they see you as another aggressor. When they are in fight or flight mode, they will bite you. You can take that to the bank. The Safest Option Requires Two People The safest way to break up a dogfight requires two people. Each person grabs the back feet of one of the dogs. The dog's back feet are then picked up like a wheelbarrow. With the legs up, both dogs are then pulled apart. What To Do If You Are Alone The worst case scenario is that you are alone when a serious fight breaks out. There are a couple things that you must keep in mind: 1. Keep your cool you have a job to do. 2. Do not waste time screaming at the dogs. It hardly ever works. 3. Your goal is still the same; you must break up the fight without getting hurt. 4. Go get a leash (allow the fight to continue while you do this). 5. Dogs are almost always locked onto one another. Walk up and loop the leash around the back loin of the dog by either threading the leash through the handle or use the clip. I prefer the thread method. 6. Now slowly back away and drag the dog to a fence or to an object that you can tie the leash to. By doing this, you effectively create an anchor for one of the dogs. 7. Then walk around and grab the back legs of the second dog and drag it away from the dog that is tied up. 8. Remember to turn and circle as they release. 9. Drag the dog into a dog pen or another room before you release the back legs. 10. Go back and take the dog off the fence and put him or her into a dog kennel. 11. Sit down and have a stiff drink (or two). Living with Two or More Dogs If you have 2 or more dogs that you are trying to get to live together, it's best to make them wear muzzles all the time. They are not expensive but very effective for this work. With muzzles on, you can test your training and if the dogs become aggressive, you can safely step in and correct the dogs. It's important to make sure the muzzles are properly fit and on securely. It's also a good idea to have the dogs wear 18-inch draglines.

Some Things to Keep in Mind Remember that females usually fight with females and males usually fight with males. It's seldom that a male and female will fight. When a male fights with a female, it is usually a very dominant male who is displaying his dominance over the female and she wants nothing to do with it. This usually is going to happen with a dominant male who is very self-confident and thinks that he is the pack leader. The bottom line on dog fights is that unless you are trained, it is best to never step into the middle of them. In the worst case, let them fight. It may result in death or severe injury to one of the dogs, but it's not worth the damage it could cause to you if you make a mistake trying to end the fight.