How can i break up a dog fight?

Question

i have 2 male lab dogs one is 2 and the other ones 3 that very rarely fight but they had a fight a couple of nights ago and i tryed to break it up and one of them had my hand and ripped it and i needed stitch's. ive been told to leave them to fight it out but i just cant do that as they will end up killing each other apart from there rare fight they get on great they have both been neutered. i dont no why they fight. sometimes they give each other a funny look and it goes from there. could someone please tell me what i can do without getting hurt again. thank you

these 2 dogs really are lovely and calm apart from this.

Answer 1

The time to get in there is when you see the 'funny look'.  However it's not always possible.  I had two, one considerably younger than the other, who started this when the younger one hit two.  He was challenging his uncle big time.  Usually I tended to stand off and let them sort it out because sometimes this has to be done to establish who is head of the pack.  However, this got so bad, and the younger one wasn't for telling (by the older one who was the 'head' of the pack), that eventually I made the very difficult decision to re-home the younger one.  I tried putting them together in an outside pen (so I could let rip with the water -haha), telling them to get on with it and sort it out, but what did they do?  Lay together nose to nose at the gate waiting for me to let them out again.  That went well!

However, there's no way you should be getting injured.  Yes, getting hold of the back legs can work, but remember if they feel they are being hurt, sometimes this makes matters worse because they will go at it even more!  Dropping a noisy can can help, although in my experience, once the 'red mists have come down' they don't hear anything outside the fight.  With little dogs, you can grab the scruff of their neck and pull them apart (risky if one has a hold on the other) but with Labs .....!  I think you have to try to stop it before it starts.  Try to figure out what the trigger is for this behaviour.  Is perhaps one of them hurting?  Arthritis?  Oh and actually it's very rare that one would kill the other - b*tches fights are a deal more 'serious' than males.

Hope you get it sorted, but don't get hurt any more- when it comes to them or you, it should be you every time.  Sadly.

Answer 2

Stay calm around them at all times. Carry around a squirty bottle (or you could use a water pistol) full of water ( you can usually buy from garden centres ) and whenever they start fighting squirt them in their face, avoiding eyes.  Don't use the spray too much or the dogs can get used to it.  Also, check out www.cesarmillaninc.com for tips on how to be pack leader and create a calm submissive pack.  He comes on tv, Sky 3 in uk at 6/7 pm.

Answer 3

Leave buckets of water in the garden,if they fight in  the garden throw the water over them. Or buy a starting pistol and fire this, the noise will stop them. If you use metal feeding bowls throw this on the floor. Either a noise or water will help, but don't shout as your dogs will think that you are joining in.

Answer 4

you can either pour them water, it really works, or use a stick of wood to separate them.

Answer 5

I read somewhere one trainer recommends in his online ebook 2 people break up fights by grabbing the hind legs and dragging them off eachother. I have thank god never had to get to that point and would only use that method in very extreme life/death circumstances. Normally, for the little scuffles I use a full sized squirt bottle with 2/3 bitter apple 1/3 water and aim at the mouth. I normally try to stop fights before they happen, constant watching body language and monitering current pecking order. I've had a few multi-dog fights(2 on 1), my favorite method for breaking these up is placing a chair in the middle of the pit.

Answer 6

bucket of cold water

Answer 7

this sounds like a dominant thing usually when you have two males together one is always top dog the younger of the two might be trying his luck to be the dominant one separating them by hosing when the trouble flairs should stop them but you cannot always be there it would be interesting to know if they are both fed at the same time as this often causes friction.Normally the fight stops when the main aggressor  the dominant one overpowers the great pretender it very rarely comes to a fight to the death,if it becomes worse you should consider separating them all together

Answer 8

When my dogs got into fight I screamed loud and it seemed to break them up for a minute so I could grab one of them. Also I have kept a big super soaker squirt gun handy or a can full of change that I shake. may also want to think about getting some animal handling gloves for this that they cannot bite through just in case.  

Answer 9

water thats wat u need  

Answer 10

Run don't walk to the nearest good dog trainer. They will show you how to stop this before it starts.

Answer 11

Get a trainer get them to behave then you don't have to worry about breaking it up.

Answer 12

spray them with a hose, get a powerful stream going and just spray them or keep a cold bucket of water handy and lob it over them.

Answer 13

If they're indoors, throw some cold water on them. If they're outside, use the garden hose.

Alternatively, put about 5 pennies in an empty Coke can, tape  the top. When you shake it, it should be loud. It'll also be a new sound to the dogs and will tweek their curiosity.

Answer 14

Sounds like they are working out the pecking order in the pack.  This can go on for a while.  They will need to settle it, but you must be able to stop them to remain top dog.  Yell, make a loud noise or do something that will be distracting, yet not rewarding.  You don't want either of them to mistake their aggression as something you are rewarding or approve of.  Just like you probably fought with siblings and a parent stepped in and stopped the fighting.  You would stop out of respect/fear of your parent, but then go back to your squabble with your sibling as soon as the parent was out of sight. Eventually, you fought less with your sibling in time, especially if you were the one on the bottom all the time.  

Answer 15

You might try separating them using a hose and water.

Answer 16

As they are Labrador (gun dogs) try waving a 5-Shot Browing 12Bore... should catch their attention. Should they still ignore you, let rip with a couple of cartridges.... might annoy the neighbours but will surely stop the dogs fighting.  

Answer 17

Grab the most aggressiveone two back legs from behind, lift them up about 3 feet, with his front feet still on the ground.He is in a uuncomfortable, act-ward and strange position,he cant fight like that so he gives up the fighting.

You needs to train your dogs to respect each other, consult a trainer.

Answer 18

separate them

sell one