We love taking our dogs out for walks and taking them to the dog park to run, play, and be sociable with other dogs. For the most part dogs get along pretty well and are able to run around and play with each other without any problems. But on occasion they don’t get along, and a dogfight might happen. It can get dangerous for you if you don’t know the proper techniques to break up a dogfight.
If you can, try to avoid a dogfight from happening by reading the signals that your dog is making. If you feel things are getting tense between the two dogs, remove your dog immediately from the situation to be safe. If in the park, walk out of the park or separate them as far from each other as space will allow. If at home, place the dog in a crate, or if you don’t have a crate, isolate him in an area free from distractions, till the situation has a chance to calm down.
Some signs that a dogfight is about to happen:
- The dogs are staring each other down.
- The hair on the shoulders are standing up.
- The ears are folded back with the head held low
- The teeth are showing
- Low growling sounds
- The tail is held high
If a dogfight already has started, the main important thing to remember is to stay calm, don’t shout. This will only make the situation tenser and it could escalate. To safely break up a dogfight you will need two people. Grab the hind legs of both dogs and pull them apart and turn them around so they are not facing each other. Immediately isolate them till the situation has a chance to calm down. If there is only one person, do not attempt to break up a dogfight by yourself. It is too dangerous and you can get seriously injured.
The thing you should never attempt in order to break up a dogfight is to grab at the dog’s collar. Dogs typically aim for the neck area when aggressive and by grabbing in this area will result in the dog biting you in the arm or hand, and worse yet both.
To be safe, always know the signs your dog makes in these situations. Knowing your dog’s behavior and acting accordingly will prevent anyone getting hurt. You can have a piece of mind that you know what to do when you go on outings with your dog.