How do you stop a dog fight?
By: Lone Heron

I was at the local park yesterday where I visit regularly with my dog, Baxter.
It is a nice park with trails complete with fields, thick woods and streams and two dog runs where people can release there dogs to play and socialize with others in a large fenced area.

Baxter and I were in the dog enclosure with approximately a dozen or so other dogs and people.
I was throwing the ball for Baxter when I became aware of unfriendly growling noises and shouts of no coming from a group behind me. Two dogs were beginning the engagement of what in just a few short moments would escalate into a full blown dog fight.

Ironically it only took a moment before the people in the dog park had encircled the dogs. The situation was quite dangerous and if something or someone did not intervene blood was going to be drawn. I could see the dogs escalating in there fight and no one making moves to stop it.

I started running and as I approached the circle I began yelling in a very loud demanding commanding tone ” no fighting- you dogs will not fight -NONONONNOOOOOOOOO” – when I passed through the ring of people circling my voice was louder than any single persons in the circle and I was running – I had a ball in one hand which I threw into the face of one biting dog while I kicked the other one in the hip all the while roaring at them-
“NO NOOOOOOOOOO NOOOOOOO NO “. The surprise caused both dogs to take there attention away from one another just long enough for someone to safely grab and separate them.

In these situations it might be tempting to reach in and try to grab the dog— this is something that should never be risked. When the dog is in the heat of a fight he may not recognize or differentiate between your hand and the other dog. I have seen people bitten, dragged and mangled because they reached in to grab a fighting dogs collar.

There are many ways to stop a dog fight- if you have a water hose and can turn water on the dogs
That will often work-anything you can throw into their face that will not do real damage- if nothing else is available pick up sand and throw it- I had a dog attack a dog I was with who then picked up and fought back. I just happened to have a cup of hot coffee in my hand which I threw into the dog’s faces – fight ended, simple- and you thought coffee was just for drinking!

If you have a leash – you can use it like a whip right across the nose’s of the fighters- this will sometimes stop them. – throwing anything relatively safe into there face in conjunction with a shove/kick to the dog’s hip throwing them off balance all the while screaming at the top of your voice in a commanding, demanding tone has been very effective for me personally.