How to Separate and Break Up a Dog Fight
written by: Joyce Mwangi
It is important to know how to break up a dog fight safely without harming yourself. If you do not, you could bite you seriously. This is because when dogs are fighting they are in survival mode and if you grab your dog then it will see you as an aggressor and attack you.
The safest way to separate two fighting dogs is to use two people. This way each person grabs the back feet of one of the dog and then picked up so that the dog is in the wheelbarrow position. When the dog’s legs up, they are pulled apart.
After the dogs are pulled apart, do not release them as they are most probably going to fight again. After pulling the dogs apart, the best thing to do is to turn in a circle or slowly swing the dogs in a circle while backing off from the other dog. This prevents the dog from curling back so as to bite the person holding their legs.
When you turn in a circle with the dog, it has to step towards the side you are turning otherwise the momentum will make it fall on its chin. It is laso important not to turn too fast to prevent the dog from falling on its chin.
Then drag one of the dogs into an enclosed area such as a kennel before it is released. If you let go of the dog’s feet before, it may go back to fighting or it will attack you if you had held its feet. If you do not have access to an enclosed area, when you are a safe distance away, hold the dog securely until it calms down then try to distract it so that it does not go back to fighting.
However ensure that the dog is calm before you release him otherwise he may bite you if he is still in aggressive mode.
If you find that you are alone and need to separate a dog fight, the first thing you need to do is get a leash. Do not try to stop the fight without one. Approach the dog that is the aggressor and loop the leash around the dog’s belly just in front of the back legs.
Then loop the free end of the leash through the looped handle and pull it so that it is taut. Back off immediately while pulling the dog until you get a place where you can fasten and secure the leash. Then grab the second dog by its back legs and lift them up and pull him away similar to the method when you are two people.
Do not scream at the dogs to stop or try and pry their mouths open to stop. It is not advisable to use shock collars or prod collars as the shock that is delivered to the animals will make them even more aggressive as they think that the other dog is the one causing the pain though break stick may work.