Dog Fight

How do you break up a dog fight? You might not need to...

It can be super dangerous to get involved in a dog fight. Naturally we feel an urge to intervene if our own dog is involved. The mutual roaring and snarling kind of scuffle is actually a cue to stand back. It seems much longer to us, but they should resolve it in less than a minute. When panicked, shouting humans get involved, it can escalate matters and add to the frenzy. Of course the dogs are prone to injury in a fight, but relatively minor bites can become a bigger tears if the dogs are pulled apart and happen to clamp down.

In a serious fight, the aggressive dog is often silent. Take this as a cue that he means business. There really isn't a safe way we can intervene, assuming you don't have an air horn or a hose in your pocket. You can try throwing a blanket or jacket over the dogs. Try to stay cool, and call out for help. Trying to separate a serious dog fight could result in severe injuries to anyone within striking distance.

Source: Jolanta Benal, The Dog Trainer