Ever been bitten?

[missygetz]

Good evening all. Hey, I have a question. For those of you who have two or more babies (doggies), have they ever gotten into a fight and you tried to break them up? Well, that happened to me last Monday. My 2 babies got into a fight out on the deck. I usually let them go to settle things themselves but they wouldn't stop. So, yes, i tried to separate them. BAD move!!! Actually it was an accident. My boy's mouth came down on my hand and yup, he sliced it. My hubby and I got them apart and in different areas so they'd calm down. I felt my hand stinging and looked, and it was sliced open. It was pretty gross. You could see all the meat inside. It was about an inch long. I think he got his canine caught and just ripped it. Needless to say I did not go to the hospital, but i did go to the Dr.'s the next day and he pulled my skin apart and said "Yup" you should have gotten stitches. I thought I was going to pee my pants when he did that. He gave me some antibiotics to take a nd gave me a tetnus shot. It's almost completely healed now. I just don't know what get's into theses dogs sometimes. Well, I was just wondering if anyone else's babies do this and what do they do. Thanks for your time. Sorry it's so long.

Melissa

PS, about 3 minutes after their fight, they were out playing like best friends. Goofy Kids!!!

 

[Tulsa-Dan]

It isn't unusual for dogs living together to get into some tiffs. My dogs don't fight because I have never allowed a situation to escalate into a fight. If one dog warns another and the warned dog doesn't take the warning, I will step in and separate them BEFORE it becomes necessary to do so in the middle of a dog fight.

But, that's not to say my dogs haven't been in fights. They all have with other dogs.

There is a more safe way to break up a dog fight. A loud police type whistle often will do the trick. A bucket of water on the dogs sometimes works.

If you have to physically separate fighting dogs, grab the back legs of the top dog at the crook. Lift the legs off the ground and "wheelbarrow" the top dog off the pile or other dog. The top dog's first instinct will be to turn and bite you but, if you have the dog's back legs off the ground he won't have the leverage to turn and bite you. He can't phsycially do it as you now have control of his body movement. He will let go of the other dog and try and turn and bite you. But you can move his feet away so he can't get to you and he has no leverage/traction with his back legs to lunge or even turn properly to bite you. Much safer.

Grabbing a fighting dog by the collar will 99% of the time result in the owner being bitten. Don't do it. Grab a garden hose!

 

[Adelle]

This happened to me several years ago with my veryfirst foster dog when she got in a fight with my boxer over food, I got bitten while trying to break them up. Needless to say I never break up fights with my hands now.

A glass or water, a hose, throw a blanket over them, cintronella spray what ever it takes, its just much safer than getting in the middle. If there are two people present if you each grap one dog by their back legs and walk them away kind of like a wheel barrow but turn them in a circle that way they can't bite you either.

I don't foster any more and fortunately my two rarely fight now and it only really takes a raised voice to stop it now but when fostering I had my share of fights to deal with and learnt the hard way how not to break it up.

From that bite I only had one tiny punture but my entire are swelled up like a balloon.

Adelle, Finnegan, CGC & Nessa, CGC
Boxer Buddies Rescue & Adoption Inc.

 

[yobdlog]

Wish I knew that 15 years ago...

I have a nice scar on my left hand from my dogs growing up.

One rottweiler and one doberman, and one hand in the wrong place trying to grab a collar.

Ouch.

 

[ulbsterx]

stopping fight - hind legs

Tulsa-dan and others,
If I try to stop their fight this way (by lifting one dog's hind legs) how do I stop the other dog who is STILL trying to continue the fight with the dog I'm holding? Water, in any form, has not worked for me nor does anything I say.

 

[kpdangermouse]

you want to grab the haunches of the aggressor. the one who started the fight. the other dog *should* back down after you remove the aggressor.

i have never tried this, but i have heard other say that a squirt bottle with a water/ammonia solution works--i guess because it smells so horrible...however, i would worry about this possibly getting in the dogs eyes.

 

[Faughtey]

I've used a squirt bottle of just water to break up dog fights. Yelling "NO" sometimes works. This is most effective if you don't usually raise your voice, so it suprises them. And don't keep yelling or it may entice them to fight harder. Really the best thing to do is to grab the back legs.

 

[boxerlove]

I snach up one dog & turn my back, so the other dog can't get it it, yelling at the other "NO" ......no bites to date.

My dogs very well socalized...I have been fostering since they were both pups.... they will nost start a fight but they will defend themselves....so if I'm able to snatch up the foster dog....a sharp "NO" will stop them cold.

I prefer to pick up the whole dog rather than the back legs because it's quicker & the other dog can't keep attacking ......but if I were extremly concerned about getting bite.....I would pull the back legs......I also put harnessess on foster dogs that I think might could a ruckus....

The best thing is to try to stop it before it starts.....I do not put up with dogs growling at each other & giving "the stare"....I make it "clear" I'm the boss in my house. Dogs understand alot more than we give them credit for I think.....If you show attitude...you get a good talkin too.....& you can go to your room until you can play nice.....just like my skin kids, LOL

Shannon