Dogs behaving badly - Page 1

I have a question for the board. There have been a few threads about dogs fighting lately, & I have a question, having never had this problem, & hoping I never do......but when dogs do get into a scuffle, how do you handle it? My pups would occassionally scuffle over toys, treats, etc., but it was obviously just a scuffle, they sorted it out for them selves, there was never any real fighting. I would break it up very easily, throw the aggressor into a time out, & a few minutes later, all was well again. My big dogs play hard, but always tails are wagging, & tho' they sometimes they get loud, it's never really violent. But watching them interact today, & thinking about some of the recent threads, I began to wonder, if there was ever a real fight, what do you do? My dogs are never outside without me, but we have a black shepherd or shepherd mix that roams around loose in my neighborhood, & sometimes a neighbors' Chow-Chow gets loose.....so now I have a new worry. If your dog was attacked, or got into a fight, how would you deal with it? Would you risk injury to intercede? Thanks for your opinions. jackie harris

We have shovels & 2x4s readily available here, I'm sure I would be able to use one against a strange dog...if one of mine were going at it, I don't think a garden hose, even on high spray, would deter them. They do get very focused & driven when they are directed at something; as I said, I've never had this happen, so I can only imagine how intense they would get if a fight broke out. I've seen Shelleys' arms after she's had to separate dogs, not pretty; just wondered if anyone had a technique that spared the human & the canine. I've read that you should throw a blanket on the dogs...but I know my dogs, even my pups, could inflict damage through a blanket. Maybe not through a tarp, but how would you know which dog you were grabbing?

4-pack....cool avatar, as usual!...jh

Ed Frawley has an article on his site about how to break up a dog fight, hopefully without getting bitten. It involves using a leash to snare the hind legs. It works best with two people, of course.

I'm too busy to look up the link, but if you go to the Leerburg site, I'm sure you'll be able to find it without much trouble.

The few times one of my dogs has gotten into a serious fight, I've shouted and used my boots to break it up, then grabbed my dog by the collar the moment it was safe to do so. Luckily, I've never been bitten, and I've only ever had one dingbat complain about my techique. Her dog had my pup's neck in its mouth, and wouldn't let go. He tried to turn on me when I reached for his collar. Dingbat owner was standing smoking and yakking, and not paying the least bit of attention to her dog, and hadn't a clue that the way her dog was approaching smaller dogs had 'prey drive' written all over it!

Cool. Thanks, Sunsilver.  jh

2 by 4 if it's a strange dog.  I will protect my dogs.   When the two of my own have gotten into it.   Prior to the fight when I was totally caught off guard.   A swift couple of kicks and yelling from me did the trick.   When I was caught totally off guard, the fight managed to escalate to the next level, but of course I got in there, got a nice laceration in my hand and my older female had a nice laceration on her leg.   I was really shocked that I was able to separate it at all.   Amazing how high my own fight drive was, as I didn't even realize that all of the blood was from me until I had things separated!   It was like oh crap, I think that needs some help!  Don't put your hands in the middle of it!

Kathy

Considering how buggered up I've gotten my arms just in training, I'm totally grateful I haven't had to separate them so far, & I hope I never have to, But I understand about the adrenaline rush, every time I've been injured I didn't notice until the 'action' was over,  It's amazing, isn't it, how oblivious people can be about their pets? My neighbor to the rear of my house lets her 2 dogs roam free, she has an invisable fence. but the dogs ignore it routinely & terrorize the neighborhood, challenging people & other dogs in their own yards. Does she ever apologize? Hell, no! But if I'm out side with my Kali, in my own yard, she has a fit, rounds up her kids & acts like a killer is on the loose.....& Kali has never even been off leash. Kali will bark at her house, because her dogs have come up to our house & challenged Kali---& she doesn't forget that. But there has never been a confrontation, thank goodness.  jh