Dogs Fight: Injuries from dog fights are a common reason for veterinary visits. Injuries can range from minor to fatal.
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If your dog is involved in a fight, always take a veterinary examination, even if the injuries seem minor.
Bite wounds and lashes are more likely to be infected and harder to find under the hair.
Wounds that appear only as normal puncture wounds cause deep damage and tear the tissues under the skin.
Why do dogs fight?
Dogs might fight for various reasons, and it’s not uncommon for dogs that live together or meet often to get into scuffles. Sometimes, these fights can be serious and only stop when one dog gets hurt.
Why Dogs Might Fight:
- Living Arrangements: Dogs living in the same home, especially if they’re all males or all females, might fight to establish a pecking order.
- Natural Pack Behavior: In the wild, male and female dogs have separate hierarchies, which allows them to coexist peacefully. At home, they might try to do the same, each trying to be the “top dog.”
- Family Dynamics: Even dogs from the same family can start fighting, particularly as younger dogs reach adolescence.
- Spaying and Neutering: Contrary to what many think, spayed and neutered dogs can still fight, sometimes even more so.
One reason why dogs might fight is their reaction to other dogs, whether real or fake. Here’s a scenario and explanation based on this thesis:
Scenario: Imagine you’re at a park with your dog, and there are several other dogs around, including one of the opposite sex and a realistic-looking dog statue. Your dog might show aggression towards another dog of the same sex, trying to assert dominance.
They might show slightly less aggression towards the opposite-sex dog, possibly due to mating instincts. Interestingly, your dog might even react aggressively towards the fake dog, mistaking it for a real one.
Explanation: Studies have shown that dogs often react similarly to both real dogs and lifelike models. In fact, about 81% of dogs that show aggression toward a real dog of the same sex will also be aggressive towards a fake dog.
This response is slightly less when it comes to dogs of the opposite sex. This behavior suggests that dogs don’t necessarily need the presence of a real dog to trigger their aggressive instincts; even a fake one can do the trick.
What This Means: When dogs encounter other dogs or dog-like objects, their natural instincts can kick in, leading to potential fights. Dog owners need to be aware of these triggers and manage their dogs’ environment to prevent such conflicts.
Always keep an eye on your dog’s body language and be ready to intervene if necessary to ensure a safe and enjoyable time for everyone at the park.
Common Triggers and How to Avoid Them:
- Food and Toys: Dogs often guard their food and toys and may fight to protect them. It’s best not to feed dogs together and to remove toys if they cause issues.
- Possessiveness: Some dogs are very possessive of their belongings. If this leads to fights, it’s safer to remove these items from the home.
- Interventions: Never try to take something directly from a dog’s mouth. Instead, distract them with something else or use commands they know to change their focus.
Risks in Public Spaces:
- Dog Parks: Dogs can get overly excited and form packs, which can lead to aggression, especially if there’s competition over toys like frisbees or balls.
To keep things peaceful, it’s important to understand these triggers and manage the environment to prevent fights from happening. Always supervise interactions, especially in new or exciting situations, and be ready to step in safely if needed. Remember, a happy dog is one that feels secure and understood.
Also Read: How to Train a German Shepherd with a Bark Collar?
In addition, some dogs are a protection to their owners and the dog park is a threatening place, so he or she wants to keep everyone away from “his” or “her” owner. If your dog park is busy, go off-hours or other off-peak hours.
Family vacations mean many people and multiple dogs who do not know each other in the same house.
This is a major cause of dog fighting injuries during the holidays. When many new people and dogs come to the dog house, the dog that usually lives in the house comes under threat and possession, even though he or she is usually a very quiet dog.
Why do dogs fight over the same toy?
Dogs, much like humans, have their own set of desires and possessions they hold dear. When it comes to toys, a dog may view a particular toy as a prized possession, leading to competition and conflict.
This behavior is rooted in their instinctual drive to secure resources that are seen as valuable for survival or pleasure. A toy, especially a favored one, can represent such a resource, triggering a protective response.
The intensity of the fight over a toy can vary based on several factors, including the dogs’ individual personalities, past experiences, and the level of attachment to the toy.
Some dogs may have a stronger predatory drive, making them more likely to engage in aggressive behavior over a toy. Others might have learned that possession of a toy results in positive attention from their owners, reinforcing the behavior.
To mitigate such conflicts, owners need to understand their dogs’ behavior and manage the environment accordingly. Providing each dog with their toys and monitoring playtime can help prevent fights.
Training dogs to respond to commands like ‘leave it’ or ‘drop it’ can also be effective in managing possessive behavior. Ultimately, ensuring that each dog feels secure and has their own space and resources can reduce the likelihood of fights over toys.
How to stop dog fighting
If you see dogs fighting, it’s important to stay safe while trying to stop them. Here’s what you can do in simple steps:
- Stay Calm: Don’t use your body to break up the fight. Dogs are in a high-energy state and might accidentally bite you.
- Avoid Kicking: Kicking a dog might make them turn and bite as a reflex.
- Use Distractions: Instead of getting physically involved, use a broom, chair, or water hose to separate the dogs. A loud noise, like banging on a door, can also distract them.
- Don’t Shout: Yelling can make the dogs more excited and worsen the fight.
- Separate Them: After breaking up the fight, keep the dogs in different rooms for a few hours.
- Get Help: Always consult a vet after a fight to check for injuries.
Let’s dive into a couple of real-life scenarios to illustrate how to safely break up a dog fight:
Scenario 1: The Backyard Brawl Imagine you’re enjoying a sunny afternoon in your backyard when suddenly, your dog and the neighbor’s dog start growling over a shared fence. Within seconds, they’re snapping at each other through the slats.
What to Do:
- Act Quickly: Grab a broom and use the handle to gently push them apart.
- Make Noise: Clap your hands loudly or bang on a pot to distract them.
- Stay Calm: Keep your voice steady and firm without shouting.
- Aftermath: Once separated, check for injuries and consult a vet.
Scenario 2: The Water Hose Method You’re at a dog park, and two dogs begin to tussle over a ball. The play quickly turns into a fight.
What to Do:
- Find Water: Use a nearby water hose to spray a gentle but firm stream of water towards the dogs.
- Distraction: Toss a different toy in the opposite direction to redirect their attention.
- Separation: Lead your dog away on a leash and give them time to calm down in isolation.
- Health Check: Even if they seem fine, a vet visit is a good precaution.
Key Takeaways:
- Prevention is Best: Understand your dog’s body language to prevent fights before they start.
- Tools Over Hands: Use objects around you to intervene without putting yourself at risk.
- Professional Care: Always follow up with a vet, as some injuries may not be immediately visible.
By handling such situations with care and smart intervention, you can ensure the safety of both the dogs and yourself. Remember, it’s not just about stopping the fight; it’s about preventing the next one.
Make a lot of noise to control Dogs fight
The sound of wind horns or car horns can be as loud as fighting dogs pulling you out of it. It is less likely to operate in extreme combat.
Screaming and yelling at dogs rarely works and usually has the opposite effect of intensifying the fight.
Use objects strategically
Sometimes you can use the objects at hand to break the fight.
Throwing a huge blanket over fighting dogs will distract their attention in an instant and help end the fight. This will give you the opportunity to separate the dogs more safely.
Opening a long automatic umbrella between two fighting dogs is sometimes a successful method. You need to make sure your arms are long enough to stay out of the dog’s mouth.
You can try to place items such as chairs or laundry baskets on top of the dogs.
At the very least distraction can give owners the opportunity to safely remove their dogs from the fight. However, unlike many other methods that are generally advised, they usually do not work well in extreme combat situations.
How to prevent dog fighting
- Always keep an eye on your dogs.
- Feed multiple dogs separately in one house.
- Run when the dogs are outside.
- Avoid common dog parks if you have a dog that is agressive. Also, keep in mind that not everyone in the dog park will have the same observation, and even a quiet dog can take part in the fight.
- Especially keep the desired toys unavailable.
- If possible, when adding a new dog to your family, choose the opposite sex to the existing dog.
- Take care of visiting family and dogs and make some time for all the dogs.
Talk to your family veterinarian about options for referral to a specialist.
Keep in mind that with basic obedience training, dogs learn to listen well to owners, and as aggression increases before a fight, the owner can stop it by giving the dog alternative directions and changing the focus.
Brain training takes commitment and time and should always be tailored to each individual family and pet.
