July 22nd, 2009
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Whether at home or the dog park, look for dogs who: have their hackles up (that strip of fur at the top of the shoulders), have their tail down (even if it’s wagging slightly); have a penetrating stare; and/or have a stiff body. If a fight breaks out, do not jump into the middle of it. Instead, pull your dog back by the collar or back legs. Note, though, that this can be dangerous, as a dog might, accidentally of course, bite you. Other thoughts are to carry citronella spray, a squirt bottle, a loud horn, or, for pit bulls, a breaking stick.
At home, you can keep objects they might fight over out of the way (including blankets, cardboard – anything they could “own”). Of course, obedience training and leashing your dog will go a long way. Kelly is a dog columnist and pet writer. She lives in the Boston-area with her three pit bulls and one neurotic cat. |
Dogs don’t have “cackles.” The erectile hair on an animal’s neck and back is referred to as its hackles.
Why would you single out a braking stick for just pit bulls? I have been to the dog park with my 2 pit bulls and have seen other types of mix dogs fight. I think that the statement that was made was inconsiderate to the pit bulls and their owners
I agree, a bit silly to single out Pit Bulls (not an actual breed, btw) as the only type of dog requiring the use of a break stick. I would recommend a break stick for ALL medium to large breed dog owners.
I would think it’s very dangerous to grab a dog’s collar during a fight … pulling away from the back legs is much safer.
Re: “cackles” – oops, sorry, misspelled it.
Breaking sticks should Absolutely only be used on pit bulls or bully breeds. From http://www.pbrc.net:
“Attempting to use a break stick on other breeds could result in serious injury to the person using the stick. Since other breeds will unpredictably snap and bite instead of getting a grip, you are far more likely to be bitten.”
And it was not inconsiderate – I own three pit bulls. I am not saying they’re worse dogs for needing a break stick. But it is irresponsible not to admit that pits have dog aggression more than other dogs and that we need to be prepared for it.
You’re right – back legs is best, but it can be helpful if you can grab the back legs and the collar. Just never get in the middle of the fray.
My 2- 8 month old Thai Ridgeback brothers get into fights. In spite of what all the experts say about being able to tell when it’s gonna happen, you can’t with my 2. They are neutered, and get plenty of exercise. I just need reassurance that they will stop!
I have 5 dogs ranging from a 14 year old St. Bernard to a 6 month old pure bred Golden male puppy. th eproblem is two middle dogs. Nana is a street dog from Quito who wa adopted by a lady who moved to Cambodia and couldn’t take her along. Nana is small but fearless. She will and regularly does attack anything. Canelle si a pure bred Golden, neutered, female. When Canell arrived Nana had been here for quite some time. Nana is the second highest ranking dog in my home. Neil, the Saint Bernard is #1. Canelle got here and immediately decided to be top dog. But Neil was simply too large to take on. So she set her sights on Nana. Nana is about half her size and she attacked regularly. Occasionally there was some blood drawn. then one day Nana had had enough. She turned on Canelle and it was open war. Nana may be small but she is fast and can be nasty. She has very sharp teeth and isn’t afraid to use them. for the pas tfew months the fights have all been going Nana’s way. But it is very disturbing to me when my babies fight. there never seems to be any object or item that they are fighting for. food in not an issue either. They just don’t like each other. Canelle was raised in a very confining area and wasn’t particularly well socialized. When she found out she had an acre to run around she just went wild.
I have tried many things to stop the fighting. I’ve sprayed them and yelled at them and even thrown them both into the swimming pool. They’re OK for a whiel bu thten it starts again.
Sometimes Jake and Elwood will lick each others faces for 5 minutes after a fight.
It’s actually dangerous to grab a dog’s collar if they are about to fight. Chances are it can actually lead the other dog to attack. My suggestion is making lots of noise to redirect both dog’s attention. A spray bottle with water also works, but redirecting helps them to lose focus on what they had intended to do.
Frank – I recommend watching It’s Me or The Dog. There are 2 separate episodes (one with 5 pugs and the other with an older Jack Russell and younger Lab) that sound like what you are dealing with in your home. Victoria Stilwell helps the owners to manage the infighting. Essentially it’s a lot of work, but it’s about rewarding them for being able to be calm near each other (that’s a simplistic description, but accurate). The fighting actually can lead to health issues in your dogs, so hope you can get some answers/help there.
Here is the link to the one with Sydney the Jack Russell http://animal.discovery.com/videos/its-me-or-dog-difficult-dogs/
The five pugs http://animal.discovery.com/videos/its-me-or-dog-difficult-dogs/
Mel – It is dangerous to grab a collar which I tried to note. I love your suggestion re: making a distraction. Far better if that will do it!
Ditte and Frank: I’m so sorry for your fighting problems. I totally understand Ditte – it’s so hard to live in fear of another fight – I do, too. And observing the behaviors before the fight can be impossible; also, what if you’re in another room?
I love It’s Me or the Dog as Mel suggested. I am also a Cesar Millan convert, in that at first his talk about “energy” and such seemed like nonsense but, I swear, it works. His site is: http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/
You can purchase course on aggressive dogs which I’ve actually just done: http://www.sessionswithcesar.com/?utm_source=CMI&utm_medium=nav&utm_campaign=CMIglobal
There’s also a list of trainers. Or, if you live in his area, maybe you can get on his show!
Dogs and trash….
Put the trash can where the dog can’t get at it to begin with. Don’t tempt fate. It doesn’t take much to end up with a very sick or dying/dead dog if he gets into the garbage.
Outside: Use bungee cords to secure the lid if you have to have it where the dog is. Put a couple of cinder blocks on top of it or consider building a “garage” with a flip-open LOCKABLE top for the trash barrels outside.
Inside, use mouse traps–the kind that snap–inside the trash basket. They will certainly get the dog’s attention if he messes with it, and after a few times, the trash may not be quite so interesting. You can also put the trash can up on a counter-top out of his reach. If worse comes to worst, put the trash basket in a room (such as a bathroom or pantry) and close the door.
It’s always best to be very careful of what goes in your trash in the house. If it’s meat papers, rinse them well first and put them inside a plastic bag. Anything that will attract the dog is fair game to him. so make sure that you put those things in a more secure trash container, perhaps even outside the house.
There are dog-proof wastebaskets available, however they aren’t cheap. But, there are dogs who are persistent enough to outwit even the most creative human, so…..
The best way, I’ve found from working at indoor dog parks & breaking up outdoor dog “squabbles” is to throw water on the dogs. It startles them and like children, their mindset is interrupted. Repeat until they stop. Carry a big bottle of water with you AT ALL TIMES. Do NOT put your hand/s on their collar! Do not grab their legs. UNLESS the dog is small enough to put in your purse! If you’re being attacked along with your dog – that is a totally different situation and one I’ve unfortunately witnessed to its tragic end. “Kick” the offending dog in the butt. If you can remember to: Remain calm. Dogs growl, bark, snap. Most dog fights, can be handled with thowing water. No one likes to be wet!
I love the throwing water idea! Keep in mind, though, that some dogs won’t stop and unless you want two very injured or even dead dogs, you may have to subdue your fears and grab the back legs. You’re unlikely to get hurt doing that. Again, check out Cesar – he is an expert on aggression.
Cackles has been changed to hackles – my apologies to our readers and to Kelly for not catching it before it was published.
A lot of cackles overheard at HQ over that one…
–Anders
Editor – Dogster/Catster
I think folks are missing the point here – no truly responsible pit bull owner EVER takes their dog to a dog park – it simply isn’t a responsible action. If the pit bull starts a fight, it fulfills everyone’s expectations and reinforces the negative perceptions the public has of the breed – if the pitbull RESPONDS to agression by another dog, it DOES THE SAME THING. The pit buill owners who insist otherwise are MUCH more interested in makingt heir own dog handling skills and “dog saviness” in general seem like MUCH more than it is…. I’ve seem this time, and time again.
Barry: Please don’t make blanket generalizations such as “no truly responsible pit bull owner EVER takes their dog to a dog park.” It’s fine that that’s your opinion but please keep it as such.
I know many pit bulls who are fine at dog parks. If we followed your lead here, I’d be afraid to even take my pit bull for a walk b/c they can easily get attacked by a loose dog then.
The problem is public perception, that people automatically blame the pit. But that’s no reason to hide inside. We need to change the perception, not the act. I’ll grant that some people take their pits to a dog park w/o knowing they’re dog friendly and watching them CAREFULLY but then some people still think Dachshunds are good dogs for children (hint: they’re not).