"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight

...it's the size of the fight in the dog." Dwight D. Eisenhower

Remember Goldie, the happy dog I posted a picture of the other day?  Well, she recently got into a nasty fight  with another dog.  Since reading Suebob's post and the comments left by her readers this subject has weighed heavily on my mind.  So many people have no idea what to do if their dog gets into a fight.  And why should they?  It's not like there's a course like "Correct Dog Fight Breaking-Up 101" in college and this isn't in the manual they send you home with when you get a dog.

Wait a minute.  There isn't a manual, is there?  You get a manual on how to program your DVD player but not one on how to properly care for your dog.  Does this make any sense?  Sorry I'm getting off topic.

I left a comment on that post telling Suebob what to do if it ever happened again.  I still stand by what I said but I feel like I should have elaborated more on the correct way to break up a fight.  Breaking up a fight is not easy and very rarely safe for the people involved and should never be approached in a cavalier manner, this is very important to know should you think that after reading this post you are suddenly suited to be your local dog park's unofficial referee.  Before I write about the correct way to approach a dog fight I think it's important to know why fights happen, what to look for so you can diffuse the situation before it happens (that is what you should strive for) and, ultimately, the right way to step in and stop it if it comes to that.

Yes, this will be a long post.  If you don't have the time to read it now and it interests you please resist the urge to scroll down to the breaking up fights how-to's and read it all at once.  Most dog training involves recognizing a situation before it becomes a bad habit and stopping it in it's tracks.

On with the info...

Unfortunately, if you share your life with a dog there is always the possibility (if you socialize your dog with other dogs, and you should) that a dog fight can happen.  Dogs settle their disagreements a lot differently than we do.  You'll never see a couple of dogs debate rightful ownership of a rawhide, for instance.  Dogs will usually display warning signs that a conflict is brewing, but if one of the dogs doesn't pick up on the other's signals, doesn't care about the signals, or if the owner(s) of the dogs don't notice the subtle signs and step in to diffuse the situation, a fight will start.  And oftentimes it's brutal and ugly. 

Fights start for specific reasons.  Some of them are:

• Fear
• Competition between same sex dogs - male/male or female/female
• Frustration
• Improper play - for instance, when two dogs are playing and one wants to stop but the other one doesn't
• Poor communication skills
• Possession aggression (Fido has a tasty marrow bone and Snoopy tries to take it)

As a dog owner you should socialize your dog with lots of other well socialized dogs starting during puppyhood (Was that enough emphasis?  I am nothing if not subtle.).  Proper socialization actually starts when the puppy is still with his litter, which is why its so important that a dog is not taken from his mother or siblings too soon.  You, the new owner, can help further this by exposing your dog to other's very early on and continue to do so for the rest of your dog's life (note: consult with your veterinarian about the correct vaccinations and scheduling of vaccinations for your dog before bring your dog to a dog park or other places where other dogs you are not familiar with have been).  I hate to stop this stream of thought now but this is a topic for a whole other post.  Let's assume you've done this or are in the process of doing this.  Okay?  Okay.

The key to stopping a dog fight is noticing the signals your dog is giving and stepping in before something happens.  Some of these warning signs are:

• A hard stare, or "hard eye", in the direction of the other dog.
• Stiff posture and deliberate movements toward the other dog.
• The dog's tail held erect and ears either held forward in an exaggerated way or pressed back onto the head.
• Posturing - for instance: mounting, a dog placing his head over the other dog's head or neck/shoulders.
• Growling
• Lips pressed against the dogs teeth, lip raising to expose teeth.

If you see any of these signs remove the dog from the situation immediately and calmly.  But the dog on a leash (if he is not already on one) to do this.  If you live in a multiple dog family and one of your dogs is exhibiting this behavior then now might be a good time to consult with an animal behaviorist.

There are several methods to breaking up dog fights that many people have heard of or tried with varying degrees of success.  Which method works depends on how serious the fight is.  A lot of owners will misinterpret a squabble between dogs, usually a warning sign, as a true go-for-the-jugular, knock down drag out fight.  This is the time that a spray of water from a garden hose will often work, or a stern "stop it".  A true "serious" dog fight is a horse of a different color.

When dogs are seriously fighting, when they're both using their teeth to grab, puncture, rip and shake, there are some things you should never do to stop the situation.

• Never scream and yell for the dogs to stop.  It will only get them more excited.
• Never try to grab for one of the dog's muzzles or stick your hand anywhere near the dogs' mouths.
• Never grab the dog or dogs by the collar(s): collar = neck = where the other dog's teeth usually are.

If you have to break up a fight please remember that by stepping in and physically removing the dogs from one another there is a good chance that you could get bitten.  The dogs are very stimulated and everything around them is going to be perceived as a threat.  I've witnessed and been involved in breaking up a number of fights and, yes, once early on in my career when I didn't know what I was doing as well as I should have I got bitten.  A frenzied dog bit me on the hand, on the soft spot between the thumb and forefinger.  I can tell you that it's not fun to see your hand covered in blood, so please take care if you have to do this.

In my comment to Suebob I mentioned throwing a blanket over the dogs's heads.  This will not stop the fight and, possibly, might ultimately make them more frustrated, but it will give you a second to proceed with the following correct way to stop a fight and might stop the dog's head from nearing your hand to bite.

Even if you don't have a blanket, and in most situations you won't, the best way to stop a dog fight (you need two people for this):

• Grab each dog by the back feet.
• Pull up and away from the other dog (think: moving a wheelbarrow)
• While pulling away move the dog in an arcing motion. 
• Loop a collar around the dog "noose style" (loop the clip end of the leash through the loop of the collar creating a noose, slip the noose around the dogs head and tighten enough so the dog's head won't slip out) and remove the dogs from each other's sight.

By pulling up the dogs will, hopefully, release their hold on each other.  By pulling away in an arcing motion the dog will have to concentrate on moving with you, instead of turning around to bite you, or he'll go chin first down onto the ground.  Keeping the dogs from seeing each other will reduce the frustration.  And you never want to try to clip a leash onto a dog's collar at this point because you might get bitten.

I sincerely hope you'll never have to use the last bit of information.  Dog fights are horrible to witness and somebody usually gets seriously injured.  But I do hope that you'll take the first parts of this post and continue to do more research and reading of your own.  Please remember that you are living with an animal and it is up to you to help this animal live in a world full of people.  Educate yourself.  Your dog will thank you.

-----------------------
Recommended reading (or viewing):
- Anything by Dr. Ian Dunbar.  In my eyes the man is a god.  I was lucky enough to hear him speak and I can't even describe how personable, not to mention knowledgeable, the guy seemed.  His videos are fabulous.  His books are legendary.

- Included on that page of Dr. Dunbar's books is another one:  The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson.  This is hands down one of the best books I've ever read about understand dog behavior in relation to a human world. 

Comments

[crunchy carpets]

And we were just heading to the dog park.

We have been lucky so far and haven't had anything too freaky...but I always remember my friends mom...she came between a whippet and a Mastiff....she barely has use of her right arm after trying to stop THAT fight.

And just as an extra...it is my greatest peeve (as a new dog owner) to see owners not picking up on their own dogs cues as well as those AND the humans around them.

It is pretty clear when YOUR dog is the annoying and aggressive one.

It is just like parents and toddlers.

[Kristen]

I got all scared when I read this post- but I'm glad I toughed through it because since we will be getting our new puppy soon, it is important that I know these things!

[Binky]

Ugh. This is one of my biggest pet-related fears. Unfortunately, I think I err on the side of caution by not putting my dog in situations with other dogs, which is counter-productive because now my dog lacks socialization. This is not to say she is never around other dogs, it's just not a regular occurance. For example, I refuse to bring her to a dog park. I just do not want to take that chance, and I think that's a very rational move on my part. But we go to regular parks all the time, with Roxie on a leash, of course. I also use a Halti on her, which seems to make her more submissive (though she freakin' HATES it). She was well socialized as a puppy, where she stayed for about 4 months with a foster family that had two other pit bulls (a male and a female). Today, Roxie does well with some smaller dogs, but acts questionably with dogs her size or larger (males and females alike). I am not totally sure if it's play or aggression sometimes. You mentioned that an erect tail can mean aggression--but what about a wagging tail? Does that always mean she's being playful, or can the tail sometimes wag even when a dog is being aggressive? Anyway, thanks for bringing up this issue.

[Dirty Birdie]

I had to break up a fight between my dad's boxer and another dog once. It happened so fast there weren't any warning signs. It went "sniff, sniff, growl...attack".

The other dog was the pet of a guest and as our boxer had never shown any signs of aggression it never occured to us to socialize them slowly. Our bad, TOTALLY. The dogs had never met before, both were alpha males and there were two female dogs in the house. It was a recipe for disaster looking back. Our boxer of course would feel threatened by another alpha male trespassing on his territory and messin' with his bitches.

I've seen dog fights get ugly and it's a horribly helpless feeling to see your dog hurting or getting hurt. As 'parents' we need to be prepared to deal with the situation calmly and correctly.

Great post!!

[Suebob]

Thanks for the post and the links, Mrs. Chicky. I hope I never have to use this advice about breaking up fights but it is still nice to know.

I posted photos of Goldie's head over at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11302994@N00/
for the voyeuristically inclined (like me). Warning: it isn't pretty.

[mamatulip]

I kinda wish this post had been around when I was a teenager and took it upon myself to try and pry this teeny tiny baby Husky out of my mutt's grip...it didn't go over so well.

[Izzy]

Our dearly departed dog was found wandering around, no pack or family in site, when she was a teeny, tiny puppy. I think she missed out on that socialization with other dogs that you mentioned because she was separated too soon.

She always acted wacky around other dogs. It's as if she didn't realize she was one of them. They scared the bejeezus out of her and she would hide behind us like a toddler while barking nervously. Poor girl :)