What to do if your dog gets in a fight
It is something we all perhaps have thought about or worried about. I think it is always a good idea of having some sort of idea of what to do should this happen.
Generally when dogs get into a scrap they tend to do an awful lot of whirling around so the idea of grabbing them is actually potentially risky. I would only suggest this to people who are fearless and dont mind the possibility of getting nipped. I have in my time been nipped during a fight when I have pulled two dogs apart – this is normally when the owner to the other dog has stood there and watched them fight (and done nothing – GROAN!).
For the inexperienced owner my advice is to at first shout LEAVE assertively. Repeating LEAVE again, I would at this point be reaching for something in my pocket to throw at the dogs. Whatever you throw it doesnt matter so long as it creates a diversion long enough for you to grab your dog with an element of safety.
You can throw things like your keys (dont lose them) a ball or the lead – bunch up the lead into a ball so that it can clonk the dog – but NOT to hurt. As I say, this is to create a diversion!
Some people say to pull the dogs tail which is great if they stood still long enough for you to grab it. OR worse…. I have heard people say they have BITTEN one of the dogs ears (SHOCK!!). My goodness this is not something I would want to do. As you are going to be bitten on your face.
The most I would do is grab a collar and yank them apart. I say this, as I dont tend to like giving this as advice to other people. I dont want to be held responsible for someone being bitten at the point of grabbing the collar. Dog fights are usually over very quickly. It is the prolonged whirling about and snapping at each other, when a dog has locked onto another dog is when you need to take action. I have had a dog hanging off Archies throat before and it was scary, the only way we could get that dog to let go was to lift Archie in the air. (thank god my husband was with me). Luckily the owner of the dog biting Archie was also very quick at getting his dog under control so no damage done.
It does make a difference if the owner of the other dog actively does something to help. I have in the past been confronted with a dog and no owner, the dog was showing signs of being aggressive, it had come from its garden so I ordered it back in to its garden. Thinking heck – if that had of turned nasty I would have been dealing with it on my own. Though you will find adrenalin should kick in and you will be fine at saving your pooch!
The best advice I can give is throw something at the dogs for distraction, if this doesnt work then another option you can have, is to be prepared with a rape alarm attached to your keys. Dogs will react to the noise of a rape alarm being activated. So if you are in fear of knowing how to react then get yourself a rape alarm for this purpose! Once you see the reaction this is your opportunity of grabbing your dog.