How to Break Up a Fight Between Two Dogs
If you have multiple dogs, you will undoubtedly find yourself having to break up a fight between the two dogs at some point. You may even find yourself witnessing a fight between your dog and a neighborhood dog. This is an incredibly stressful moment, and some people have no idea what to do. Not only do they not want to get hurt, they don’t want their dogs to get hurt either. Here are some tips on how to handle this situation.
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Instructions
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Don’t freeze up when you see a fight start. Keep a cool head. You don't want your dog(s) to get injured. The longer the fight goes on, the worse it could be in the end. If you suddenly start to panic, you're going to do the wrong thing and you or your dog could get hurt.
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Throw something at the dogs that is soft, such as pillows or anything that you have around you. You don’t want to injure them by throwing something at them that is hard or that could break. Sometimes this simple act could distract them enough to have them break apart.
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Distract them with water. If the fight is outside, spray them with a water hose. If it’s inside, immediately get a bucket or cup of cold water and throw it on them. Many dogs hate water so much that they will run the other way. Even if they don’t hate the water, the water will shock them enough to make them separate.
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Use something that is incredibly noisy to break it up. Screaming at them won’t do anything, they won’t hear you. I bought a wiffle ball bat, cut a hole in the bottom of the handle, put marbles in it and sealed it up. I slam it on the floor when my dogs get into a fight. It distracts them enough for me to put something in between them to separate them. If you are outside, you can use metal garbage can lids or if you are inside you can use pots and pans.
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Tips & Warnings
Check for injuries on the dogs after the fight is over.
Never try to break up the fight by getting too close to them or by putting yourself in the middle of it. This is a surefire way for a dog to turn on you and attack you.
Don’t grab the dogs, even after they are separated. They are still incredibly agitated and they could bite you, even if it‘s your own dog.
Keep the dogs separated until both have absolutely calmed down. Another fight could erupt if you put them close together too soon.
