In general there are two types of dog fighting – illegal dog fights and dogfights over a favorite bone or someone in a heat cycle. But stopping a dogfight either way can be dangerous with the involved person becoming seriously hurt or dying while attempting to break the fight up, depending on its severity and the breed of dogs involved. This article will focus on general dogfights while offering five tips on how to stop a dogfight without getting hurt.
Tip #1
If the dogfight is between two small to medium sized-dogs, have the owners or two individuals grab the dogs by the back legs and quickly pull them apart in a circular or curling motion.
Once the dogs are quickly pulled completely apart, keep hold of their back legs at all costs or they will re-attack the other dog or you. Each person should pull their dog into separate rooms or their own fenced in yard as the dogs are circled simultaneously. Speed is of the essence.
Tip #2
If alone, keep calm and quickly grab a leash or something similar to separate the two dogs.
Quickly get a leash and loop it around one of the dog’s loin area (around the lower back above the back leg area). Grab the other dog by the back legs and pull the dog upwards. The dogs will still be attempting to attack one another, so quickly move the leashed and held dogs to somewhere where the leash can be attached, allowing the dog-in-hand to be moved to a separate location.
Tip #3
Many trainers advice to never use a stun gun, pepper spray or cattle prod to break up a dog fight. Others suggest using a water bottle filled with vinegar as it will divert the fighting dogs momentarily — at least long enough to pull them apart.
What will happen is the second the dog feels the cattle prod, pepper spray, or stun gun, it will instantly assume the culprit is the other dog, intensifying the attack.
Tip #4
“A dog can bite only one person at a time” – this may be a true statement but it sure doesn’t make me feel any better – how about you? A dog bite can be avoided by keeping hands and legs away from the head and teeth of the fighting dogs at all times.
When dogs are fighting, the last thing they think of is last week they learned how to “sit” and “stay” while meanwhile biting their owner in the leg or hand. Little Fido is not the sweet dog he was last week… at the moment, anyway. He’s either defending himself, his favorite toy or his property — ironically which may be the hand it has just bitten.
Tip #5
Use a break stick for pit bull or aggressive and vicious dog attacks, as it will be impossible to gain quick control without one. Lifting the back legs of pit bulls or similar breeds to break up their dogfights will not work as their bites are made to rip and tear.
The jaws of the pit bull and many other aggressive dog breeds use the “lock and hold” mechanism. This makes the pulling apart control for dog fights even worse, as damage to the other dog involves torn muscle and skin.
The only way to break this type of fight is to pry their jaws apart with a break rod (necessary in multi-dog households) while someone else is leashing the dogs for control. This can be dangerous as all fighting dogs will re-direct their anger and attack when pulled apart as they are still in the attack mode. Knowing how to stop a dog fight involves many things, but breeds should always be considered first.