There are generally two types of dogfighting: illegal dogfighting and dogfighting over a favorite bone or someone in a heat cycle. But stopping a dog fight in any way can be dangerous if the person involved is seriously injured or killed trying to stop the fight, depending on the severity and the breed of the dogs involved. This article will focus on dog fighting in general and offer five tips on how to stop a dog fight without getting hurt.
Tip #1
If the dogfight is between two small to medium sized dogs, have the owners or two people grab the dogs by the hind legs and quickly separate them in a circular or twisting motion.
Once the dogs quickly part completely, hold on to their hind legs at all costs or they will come back to attack the other dog or you. Each person should take their dog to separate rooms or their own fenced-in yard while the dogs surround each other simultaneously. Speed is essential.
Tip #2
If he’s alone, stay calm and quickly grab a leash or something similar to separate the two dogs.
Quickly get a leash and wrap it around one of the furthest areas of the dog (around the lower back above the hind leg area). Grab the other dog by the hind legs and pull the dog up. The dogs will keep trying to attack each other, so quickly move the tethered and held dogs to somewhere where the leash can be attached, allowing the dog in hand to move to a separate location.
Tip #3
Many trainers advise never using 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 entertain the fighting dogs momentarily, at least long enough to separate them.
What will happen is that the moment the dog feels the prod, pepper spray, or stun gun, it will instantly assume the other dog is the culprit, escalating 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. And you? A dog bite can be avoided by keeping your hands and legs away from the fighting dogs head and teeth at all times.
When dogs fight, the last thing they think is that last week they learned to “sit” and “stay” while biting their owner on the leg or hand. Little Fido isn’t the sweet dog he was last week…right now, anyway. He is defending himself, his favorite toy or his property, ironically, which may be the hand he just bit off.
Tip #5
Use a brake stick for pitbulls or aggressive and ferocious dog attacks as it will be impossible to gain quick control without one. Raising the hind legs of pit bulls or similar breeds to break up their dog fights 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 separation control for dog fights even worse, as the damage to the other dog involves tearing of muscle and skin.
The only way to break up this type of fight is to spread their jaws apart with a breaking rod (necessary in multi-dog households) while someone else ties up the dogs for control. This can be dangerous as all the fighting dogs will redirect their anger and attack when they get separated as they are still in attack mode. Knowing how to stop a dog fight involves a lot of things, but breeds should always be considered first.
