Great and an informative write up on how to break up a dog fight.
Main thing is to gauge the situation and have a calm approach to the fight.
As a dog owner, I also believe it is an owners job to learn their dog’s behavior and body language.
I have prevented many fights by just being able to read my dog’s signs and avoiding bad situations.
In many cases, a dog park or a dog play date is not the best thing for a dog.
Even if you know how to control and tea your dog, others at the park might not and that will lead to fights. This avoid dog parks with people you don’t know and with owners who panic at the first sign of rough play. Excreted and frantic owners will cause dog fights faster then aggressive dogs.
I would also like to add to the technique described. As you pick up the sego by hind legs, start moving back and in circle. Of you are the only one who is breaking the fight, than move one dog back and use a leash to toe it’s hind legs to something stable (fence or a pole). Then repeat the process with the second dog by lifting it’s hind les and moving back until dogs separate.
I witnessed my first dog fight in an agility class. I was 17 years old, and was taking my parent’s obnoxious adolescent Labrador to classes, which I earned through apprentice work with the trainer. One of the other dogs in class disliked my dog’s bouncy, oblivious body language, so she pulled the leash out of her owner’s hands and jumped him as he exited the tunnel. He fought back loudly, and I stood in shock for what seemed like forever (but was really only a few seconds) before the trainer pulled the attacking dog away from my dog by her back legs. There were no injuries other than a tiny scratch on my dog’s flank, but I was horrified.
Since that incident, I’ve broken up my share of dog fights. Between shelter playgroups, loose dogs on neighborhood walks, and a revolving door of foster dogs, I’ve unfortunately had plenty of experience…
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FlowHound 