How to Break Up a Dog Fight Safely

By April 26, 2011 Behaviors Get Updates
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How to break up dog fightThe safest thing for you to do if you encounter a dog fight is to stay out of it.

When canines fight, they focus entirely on the task, and if you get in the way, you can be seriously injured, even by your own dog, regardless of his normal temperament. However, if you must break up a fight, be sure to do it as safely as possible.

Safest Way to Break Up a Dog Fight

If breaking up the fight is unavoidable, try to get someone else to help you do it, so that you don’t have to manage more than one animal at a time.

  1. Circle behind one dog and grab his back feet or legs, and raise them into the air. Without the use of his legs, he won’t be able to continue fighting.
  2. Pull the dogs apart and back slowly away, continuing to hold their legs. Move in a backward arc so that the dog can’t reach around to bite you. He’ll be walking on his front legs only, so he won’t be able to maneuver with much agility.
  3. When you’ve reached a safe distance, perhaps 20 feet, hold the dog safely until he calms down, which is easiest if you turn him so he can no longer see his opponent.

Breaking Up a Fight with 1 Person

It’s incredibly dangerous to try to pull two fighting dogs apart when you’re alone, but if the situation demands it, proceed carefully with the following plan.

  1. If you don’t have a leash with you, go get one. The animals will continue to fight as you do this, but you need to take steps to ensure your personal safety.
  2. Approach one of the dogs quietly. When you’re close enough, quickly loop the leash around the back end of the dog, slip the free end through the leash’s looped handle, and pull the leash taut.
  3. Back away, pulling the dog, until you reach something you can tie the dog to, such as a telephone pole or a fence post.
    Approach the second dog from behind, grabbing him by the hind legs and pulling him away, using the same techniques you’d use if there were two people breaking up the fight. Drag the dog at least 20 feet away from the other one, and then tether or crate him.

Once you’ve successfully broken up the fight, make sure it stays that way. If these canines had their druthers, they’d leap at each other again as soon as they could. Make sure to keep the dogs far apart, preferably out of view of one another.

Prevention Is the Best solution

  • If your dog is aggressive, don’t walk it off the leash in public areas. I know it is difficult to keep your pet confined, but it is unfair to put everyone at risk if your dog is unpredictable. Only you know your dog; be honest with yourself about your dog’s limitations.
  • Gender wars: Dogs fight most often with their own gender, not with the opposite sex. Try to determine the gender of an approaching dog. If you don’t know, ask the owner.
  • Don’t allow your dog to approach other dogs if the owner objects. The owner is objecting for a reason — maybe his dog is aggressive, maybe he is neurotic. Just because your dog “gets along with everyone” doesn’t mean that your pooch will be able to charm this particular dog.
  • If a fight looks imminent, do not yell at your dog. This will serve only to make her more high-strung and could cause her to go into attack mode. Walk calmly over to your dog, put the leash on and pull your dog away.
  • Carry pepper spray. If a dog comes rushing toward you in an aggressive manner, spray it with pepper spray. This won’t stop it for long, but will stop it long enough for you to get away.

Contributed by Sarah Blakemore. Photo: juggernautco/Flickr

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DISCLAIMER: Pets Adviser contains personal opinions and is not intended to diagnose, treat or give medical guidance. Consult a veterinarian, particularly in an emergency. [More Info]
  • http://www.dogwalkersmelbourne.com.au Bruce

    Hi, I hope you allow controversial disagreements on this blog, but as a dog walker, I too have to keep my dogs safe on a regular basis. I would never pull a dog by their back legs because first, depending on the dog, you could break or strain a leg. Second, it usually allows the dog to twist around and bite you, as no one likes being lifted in the air. And for big dogs this might also be impossible to do.

    What I usually do is distract them by a loud negative noise such as “NO!” If this doesn’t work, I will usually push quickly through their fighting zone, effectively startling and breaking any jaw grip -- yes it sounds dangerous and not for everyone, but my concern is my dogs. I make sure that they are concentrating on each other when I do this and that I can move through quickly so they don’t have time to refocus and lunge at me.

    When these methods don’t work, I will grab a dog by the scruff of the neck, holding on tight to ensure it can’t turn around, and drag it behind me, blocking the other dog from access. If the other dog tries to work around me, I will keep swinging around to stay between them, and use my knee as a barrier if it persists.

    We all have different methods, and usually you work out in the moment it’s happening what’s best by the size of the dogs and the aggression.

    • Cindy

      Thank you Bruce! That was very informative. I generally do the same thing as well!

  • http://www.crankyeditor.com/ Tamar Love Grande

    Hi Bruce,

    I’m sorry for taking so long to reply to this post … I meant to do so earlier!

    I’m always open to debate, and I agree with much of what you said.

    Although your technique of making a loud noise first is a good one, I strongly recommend walking between fighting dogs. You may love your dogs, but human life and safety is most important.

    The method I described is more useful for big dogs. When you grab them from behind and swing them back and forth in an arc as you back up, the dog won’t be able to reach you to bite you.

    Sadly, I’ve had to use this technique — but it worked!

    Now when my dachshunds start squabbling, the most effective way to break it up is to squirt them in the face with water. I wish it were always so easy!

  • Terry

    I don’t think anything works when a female Jack Russell has hold of a female lab’s neck. I lifted her up off the ground, and it only pulled the Lab up off the ground. The Jack never gives up.

    When the 13 year old lab is gone, I will never have two female dogs at the same time again. Females are all alpha dogs. After lifting her off the ground several times and beating and yelling at her and leaving them alone, I finally had to get my fingers in the mouth of the Jack Russell (dangerous) and pull her jaws apart. Somehow it worked. This time nobody bled. Usually I do and the Jack does… This time the Lab’s neck is a little sore, but no major blood. Amazing.

  • Brenda

    I am a dog walker and sitter, and I have been doing this for 14 years. I have broken up many dog fights over the years. While most people are standing around crying and screaming, I just step in and grab them both by the scruff of the neck and hold them apart. Once it happened when the dogs were in the water. If I hadn’t gone in, the small dog would have drowned.

    Sometimes you just have to do what needs to be done. Only once I made the mistake of getting in between the two dogs, and I paid for that mistake. That is the only time I was bitten. I consider that a pretty good record. This is not for someone who is afraid, because if you show fear, you will get bit.

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