Over the years i for some reason have been called "good with dogs". Be it that on a day to day basis i didn't mind taking a dog for a walk, playing with the toys... even yes, eating dog treats, i've never been afraid to get in there and handle looking after man's best friend.
There's times though when your management of dog's will need to step up a notch and i'll explain why in a moment with a bit of a senario for you to think of.
While we look at dog fights i think what we need to establish here is that there's different types of dog fights, in the way that they happen, the reason behind them happening and of course, the outcome. All of these factors need to be quickly and calmly taken into account when it comes to you and how you react to the situation, theres some massive do's and some massive don'ts, and you will learn more about this as we go on. I will point out at this moment that im not a dog trainer, advisor or anything like that, this is just my experiance.
Senario -
You are playing happily with 2 dogs, who both want to play with the same toy. You're throwing it and they're both running for it and bringing it back, with a playful attitude trying to take it off each other and of course when you try to take it away from them, they both team up and playfully growling and pulling so as you can't get it. Suddenly, one dog lets go of the toy and begins to attack the other dog, the dog which has began this attack has bitten into the other dog's neck and of course, it's causing pain... what do you do?
My way of dealing with this -
1) Remove the toy from the area, so as no dog can have hold of the toy. This might be putting it off the floor onto a table or a couch, but away from the two dogs in either way.
2) Keep calm. A strong authority cannot afford to break at this point. Be firm in your actions and know what you want the outcome to be.
3) Focus your attention to the dog who began this attack.
At this point, it is important for you to see exactly what is happening here. Is the attacking dog holding on to it's victims neck or is it still trying to get a hold (which will look like its still trying to bite the other animal). If it is the first option, the dog has a good hold and shows no sign of letting go, it is important that you do NOT try to pull the dogs apart. This could cause the victims neck to have the skin torn, causing futher damage than what is already being done. It is not a case of having to wait, but don't put your hands near the mouth or the victim's neck, you could be putting yourself at risk by doing do.
Raise the volume of your voice, but lower the tone. Make short, sharp noises, a loud but low tonned "OI" is usually a good one to go with. Make sure you get the attention of the attacking dog, so as you can reaffirm your status as the leader. Most dog breeds will have a scruff of skin on the back of their neck, on the attacking dog, grab hold of this, remember not to pull, but grab a hold of this skin and keep hold. If the dog is still trying to get hold of the victims neck, follow this next bit.
Eventually the grip will loosen on the victims neck, but don't let your grip on the attackers neck. When puppies are learning, they will often get into fights as they learn their limits and the mother or father dog will nip at the puppies neck and in extreme cases, hold the puppy down to the ground until it is calm, this is what we are going to do here.
When the victim has been let go, we can now set to work on the next step. At this point, the situation could still be tense. The victim could easily turn around and counter-attack... you don't want this to happen, so keep your eye on what the victim of the attack does, if they hang around or come back, push them away, firmly. You have hold of the attacker by the scruff of the neck, it is very rare for them to be able to turn around enough to be able to bite you should they still be in attack mode. Keep tight hold and bring the attacker down to the ground, manually move their legs if you have to, you want the animal lying on it's side.
If when lying down the attacker is making noises of an angry/upset nature, remember, you are the leader in this situation and YOU need to show who has the power, so remember to use your voice. Be louder.
Next, we're going to work on calming the attacker down. Stroke them. Keeping hold with one hand of the scruff of the neck, with your other hand, stroke from the neck down towards the tail. Do this calmly, eventually it will calm the animal down. Loosen your grip on the scruff of the neck. Does the animal still seem calm? Trying to go away? If it's not calm and is trying to go away, then keep stroking until the animal is calm (it shouldn't take longer than a few minutes, but keep at it).
Eventually, you should be able to let go of the animal and it will remain on the floor. On your command the animal may move. At this point this is when i'd usually send the animal to a "time-out" area, like the animals bed, or away from other people in any case.
Problem delt with.
Now, this is only a guide, but the morals of what to do remain the same, for all breeds and at any time of the day. Dog's need to remember who is in charge here and the only way you can do that, is by being bigger, faster and stronger. Dog's are man's best friend, but sometimes need a reminder of who is actually in charge here.
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