Dog Fights & How to Prevent or Stop Them

Dog fights are rare these days because most cities have leash laws, the number of strays has been reduced, and more and more people are having their own pets spayed or neutered, thereby removing the reason for most fights. When you are a responsible pet-parent and take the time and effort to attend to your pet's health needs, train and socialize your pet, and keep him safe with the right equipment, you greatly reduce the chance a dog fight will occur.

Steps to Avoid a Dog Fight

1. Be responsible. Take care of all of your pet's health needs right away to avoid behavior problems. Be sure your pet has all its shots and is spayed or neutered young.

2. Have the right equipment. Keep your dog contained in a fence, in your house, and or on a tether. Do not leave your dog tied out or chained on a permanent basis. That is a sure way to create a vicious dog. Have a strong, high-quality leash and a training collar to use when taking your dog on walks. An airline kennel is an excellent piece of equipment that will give your dog a safe haven and help you to keep him safely contained occasionally.

3. Socialize your dog. Be sure your dog knows how to behave around other dogs and strangers. Take him on walks in busy areas. Take him to the dog park. Enter him in agility classes.

4. Train your dog. Take him to basic obedience classes and spend lots of time with him. Make sure he is responsive to your verbal commands and is willing to obey you.

Even with these precautions, a fight may break out occasionally. If this happens, remember to keep yourself safe.

Situations in Which Instincts Take Over

Even the most docile dog can be a victim of "the green-eyed monster". When you introduce a new dog into your home, a fight may ensue. Additionally, there are rare occasions when a strange dog may attack your dog.

Steps to Take to Introduce a New Dog

1. Choose neutral ground. Let the dogs meet and become friends at a dog park or other neutral location.

2. Stay in control. Have another competent person on hand to help you. Keep the dogs on leash until you are sure they will get along. Allow them to meet several times if you can before expecting them to cohabitate. Let them sniff each other thoroughly and become completely acquainted before letting them off leash. Keep the leashes loose so the dogs can exercise natural body language and communicate with each other using peaceful body language. Understand that there may be some growling and fussing. Let this happen, but keep a firm hand when it comes to actual fighting.

3. Stay safe. If your two dogs do get into it, remember to stay safe. Your impulse will be to reach between them, but don't do it! You may be bitten. Instead, use your most "in command" voice to say, "No!" Pull the dog's apart using their leashes and separate them. If you are unable to get get them apart, toss a heavy blanket over both dogs and then grab one in the ensuing confusion. However, you should never have to do this. If you have good, strong training collars and leashes on both dogs, you should be able to stay in control. Once separated, place the dogs in their crates or in different rooms until they cool down.

Deterring a Strange Dog

1. Safety first! Never try to physically separate an unfamiliar dog. You don't know what to expect. You could be badly bitten, and the animal could have rabies.

2. Be authoritative. Using your best "in command" voice, say "No! Bad dog!" as authoritatively as you can. Threaten the dogs convincingly with a rolled up newspaper (the universal dog sign for STOP!) Just brandish it sternly - don't actually hit the dogs. Done correctly, this tactic may send the meanest dog packing with his tail between his legs. Don't try this if you are not commanding enough to pull it off. You will only make matters worse.

3. Instead: Call 911 and if you have access to a hose (especially with a high pressure nozzle) give the dogs a good, hard spraying. This may break them up.

The chance that you will ever have to break up a dog fight is small, but if it happens, remember to stay calm, in command, and safe.