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Best way to break a fight apart? Ideas?
Hello friends! I have been working at a daycare for almost a year now. I do it for the experience of being with so many different breeds and getting to watch body language and play each and everyday. The other day I had my first dog interaction- I would call it. It was not a terrible fight, but I thought I would ask, what is the best way you discovered to break up a fight. Having dogs be in a room with really no choice you are bound to have something happen one day. I watch closely everyone’s body language but we all know we can’t catch everything. This dog was actually resource guarding me and didn’t like another dog come into that space. I yelled and clapped my hands and it stopped. But this got me thinking what if….I have more dogs in the room so as I yelled I backed them up knowing one would join probably due to the arousal level. In my mind I think call for help, make a loud noise, if that doesn’t work use a split like a chair or something in between the dogs, if that doesn’t work maybe water? Along with backing other dogs out of the room. I would love some ideas- I knew their would be a great place to ask. Maybe even some people encountered a fight situation, what worked for them. Thank you for any suggestions!
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15 Replies
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@pawsup Sorry to hear you had a close call and glad you were able to interrupt it.
Stay calm- in most situations you have plenty of time unless it is an immediate life or death situation (large dog has hold of small dog and head shaking) or, another dogs airway is cut off etc.
In your setting, if you do not already have them, start with a low level interrupter such as a few coins in a 1/2 gallon plastic container to having visual blockers to place between them, and escalating to an air horn. Having Spray Shield or Pet Corrector could be a wise investment to keep near-by also. Water hose can also be useful as well as other items you can drop or make noise with.
There are also techniques that involve hands on dogs to separate. I think finding online may be best for finding a method you may be comfortable with and “directions”. Use these with caution as you and the dogs can also be hurt. Techniques and equipment can vary depending on the intensity of the fight.
Speaking on my 2 experiences of personal involvement;
Fight one involved my 3 dogs. I removed the easiest dog and focused on the other 2. My escalation was- bar stool between them, near by water hose, banging pots and pans, air horn and then finally jumping in to physically separating them. I sustained significant injuires to my hand and arm. It was also the event that propelled me into learning about behavior!.
Fight 2 (years after the first, since I did not learn my lesson). Two dogs fighting, got piece of plywood as a visual blocker and to push between them, water hose, Spray Shield, was able to leash one and tried to remove behind a door but other dog was latched pretty good so, I finally used a break stick with being able to guide the aggressor into a kennel area and close the door.
Always evaluate your surroundings and use what you can. It is important in my opinion to stay calm. Dog fights if serious, can last 30 minutes plus. You have time to think and act. to keep yourself safe.
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@jenz Thank you so much for your response! I will be writing these things down! I appreciate everything you said – I know I read that you have time and of course in the moment I feel like I have to move fast! So that’s great advice!! I am sorry to hear about the fights you saw but it gives me some great ideas!!
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I hope you never have to use any of it!
I felt the same way, that I had to act NOW in the first. It is a natural response. As I learned more about aggression (one area I want to focus on with dogs), I’ve learned to be prepared (with the Spray Shield, air horn, break stick etc), stay calm (even during the escalation of equipment use), evaluate the situation. Keep your safety a priority!
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@jenz thank you!! I am going to get myself and air horn or pet corrector to keep in my room. Thanks for reminder to keep myself safe! I am usually on the training side if things- so I feel like I definitely needed help in the “fight” area! Plus you really start to bond and liove these dogs you see each day, so than my heart gets involved:) I have to remind myself to stay out! Thank you for everything, I feel a lot better. I was really sensitive about the situation and was reading everything I could get my hands on and my last CATCH book “Fight” I appreciate all your kind words!
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Hi Krista, Thanks for bringing this discussion and for your vulnerability in sharing your scary experience. It’s good to remember that MOST “fights” are super noisy and completely ONLY a giant display of snarling and teeth, elevation and domination/submission- it’s not actually a FIGHT for the purpose of harm, but simply a ritualized set of behaviors to sort out a conflict. It’s terrifying to watch, and often, the dogs will sort it out themselves, especially if their is a clearly physically stronger/more experienced dog who is putting a sassy younger dog in their place. If you know the dogs, it’s okay to give them a few seconds to let them sort it out… UNLESS… unless one dog is at a clearly physical disadvantage, or one dog is clearly overreacting while the other is giving cut off signals (but the antagonist just keeps coming) or, like @jenz said, there’s any holding and shaking going on. That’s super serious stuff.
I echo Jen’s caution for your own safety. It’s rare that a “fight” will end in real harm to the dogs, as I said, but when we get involved, we can acutally cause more damage, especially if one dog has a grip and we are pulling at either dog. That’s when we cause tearing to the victim.
In shelter playgroups, we’d usually keep long (horse lead) lines on suspect dogs… so that we could stop them before they started, or redirect them if we saw them gazing too long… but inevitably we didn’t see all the precursors and I had a few fights break out in my presence. Air horns, lightweight big barriers like trash can lids, thick blankets, and break sticks are essentials to have on hand if things get serious. All hoses ever dig for us was make the dogs more wet & slippery so they weren’t something we used.
Our staff were trained in breaking up fights and we communicated who had which dog as we came in. It’s critical that everyone stay calm. Although your adrenaline is pumping, you have to be as “zen” as possible so that you make good decisions, use the right equipment, don’t escalate the scene and keep everyone as safe as possible.
In a daycare situation, since you have the same dogs often, you may be able to teach some handy go-to place behaviors – each to a specific bed, for example, or to isolate groups of dogs that get along well behind another barrier, at your verbal cue. I don’t mean that the fighting dogs will stop fighting and go to their place (though they might, if they are not all that serious), but rather, the other dogs know where a safe place is to be in that tense moment. It’s something worth working on; the last thing any dog fight needs is more players in the game! Get the other dogs out of the way; interrupt the fighting dogs, and keep yourself safe.
After every incident another thing we did was to debrief all the people involved so we could learn, just as you are doing here: Is everyone okay physcially and mentally? What could we have done differently (there’s always something)? What signals did we miss? How can we improve as a team? And of course, because we were a shelter, we had to talk about the individual dogs involved and what their behavior might mean for their outcomes. It was tough stuff; but necessary.
Thanks again for bringing this up, and do let us know what ideas seem good… have you discussed this with your employer? Do they have preferences about how future events are handled?
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@catherine Thank you Catherine for more ideas and sharing more techniques I can put into play!! I did talk to my boss and they gave some tips, but you guys really helped with so much more. I plan on suggesting a pet corrector and also writing all your tips down and reviewing it with my team. Hopefully it will help all of us!! I loved how you explained you use long leashes and that’s what I encounter more in training. In daycare they don’t wear collars (for safety) and of course the rest of the crew seeing how they can join us a learning experience for me. I love your tip on go to place. With my smaller room I think I can do that. I actually had a shepherd that barked at the door ( everyone else let her do this) and I trained her to go to the bed if she barked and once calm ( no barking) I let her out to play! So I love your idea. Thank you again!
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@pawsup that’s so great that you were able to train the shepherd to go to place rather than continue barking – I bet EVERYONE, including the other dogs, loved that! ????
You are so very welcome for the tips – that’s the whole reason we are here is to help each other through situations and continually learn & improve how we care for and train dogs. I’m so glad you had the courage to bring this topic to the community. It’s great to be able to talk about these things and help each other.
Please keep us posted on how these tips are received; you may not be able to do them all, but perhaps it will get your team thinking of other solutions as well.
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I love all the suggestions here, @catherine and @jenwalker …I have had a dog fight happen between sibling Bichon-poos and wound up getting bitten (accidentally) by the one, trying to pull him off. It was early in my walking/pet sitting career and it was horribly scary. The other dog who had gotten bitten was bleeding, too. The owners were horrified and worried about me, mostly…but it happens and it was my fault, as I should have put the muzzle on him. I was sharing the pet sit with another pet sitter with the company and she was older and more of a veteran and told me (against owners written word about please muzzle him) that I wouldn’t need to use the muzzle, that she didn’t use it and nothing had ever happened… I always follow those rules now! Both were so cute and sweet…what a way to learn.
@jenz–I also keep Pet Safe spray shield and an air horn on me, on my treat pouch (in the cell phone holder part, lol). Thankfully, I have not had to use, but I’ve seen lots of off-leash dogs on my walks (and sometimes I’m walking a dog who doesn’t like to be greeted) and just want to be prepared!
Thanks for such a great question, @pawsup! I think you are doing a great job planning ahead and talking to your team. Great to have a plan!!!
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It is good to be prepared! Glad you have never had to use it!
I had to use spray cheese one time to fend off a Pomeranian! Luckily he found the stringy spray in his direction aversive enough to keep a (barely) safe distance from me! He was not even interested in eating it- (over threshold).
Keep up the good work with pups and stay safe!
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@bernerlabreclectus That must of been so scary! I never encountered anything like fights before- usually in training I have leashed etc. so I love you carry pet corrector in your treat pouch. I am actually going to do this too. You never know dogs coming at your dogs off leash! So smart!
@jenzthe spray cheese made me laugh:) All these stories and people replying has made me feel so much better! I really took it to heart for a couple of days. I am actually writing something up this weekend to share with my group so I appreciate everything!
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@jenz : SO FUNNY!!! That really is a hysterical image, although I am sure you didn’t think it was funny at the time. Thank you for sharing. It helps to have a smile in my mind when I think of this next time I’m in a possible fight situation. You’re amazing! I don’t think I could have thought that quickly!
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I have used field flags effectively. A good snap of the flag gives a scary noise as well as a visual cue and there is length with the flag pole so you are somewhat protected. Water hose works, and last resort may be pepper gel if there is serious risk of injury to you or the dogs.
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@hollyjmartinez Great idea Holly! I am sure a snap of the flag must make a really loud sound and gives you some space!! Thank you for another idea!
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I’m tagging into this conversation a little late, but I had a client ask me about this today. Their 2 dogs got into a mild tussle and the clients overreacted a tiny bit. They were somewhat calm; there was no yelling or screaming. I think they were more concerned that their older dog not get hurt, which I understand.
I am getting better at not getting internally triggered/upset when a client tells me methods they use. I think no matter what it’s important to maintain composure and professionalism in front of clients, (of course) even if their methods upset you. A client told me they used a device that blasts air (I thought it was an air horn at first, but it just blasts it).
I told them that it was preferable to using an actual air horn. I think I need to follow up with them on this and give them some other options. I told them it was better to use things sparingly and that it was better to not get in between the dogs if they’re going after each other. But, I think I need to prepare a response and a handout.
Looking forward to feedback @catherine . 😀
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It’s never too late to chime in @zaneb !
I’m sure you are always professional and kind in your consults. No doubt at all about that.
Remember, the dogs get to decide what’s aversive – for one dog it might be spray cheese (see above!) for another dog, something else.
In the end, I can surely empathize with the pet owners. Witnessing a fight is so scary! It’s good to remember that anything that cuts the fight short and reduces harm is worth trying. Most dogs aren’t being serious about causing harm, but for those who are, stopping them is imperative.
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