When your dogs get in a fight

[GYPSY JAZMINE]

Samson & Pippin have been getting into some moderate intensity fights lately. (thank goodness Pippin' neuter is coming up soon!) I have found little to know problem breaking it up & gettting both dogs into the "down & stay"...I'm going to guess that it's not too hard to break up because Pippin is still pretty young & Sammy is long since fixed...Anyway, I'm wondering if your dogs listen to you & stop when you tell them to when they fight or am I just lucky?

[RedyreRottweilers]

My humble opinion is that by stopping these interactions you are making sure that one day there will be a real fight, and these dogs will not be able to be together anymore.

Each time you interrupt their altercation, you allow their frustrations at not being allowed to act out their ritual "fighting" in order to determine rank to escalate.

If no one is bleeding, you need to stay out of it, and let THEM work it out. IF at all possible.

*********DISCLAIMER: IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OR FEEL IN ANY WAY THAT YOUR DOGS WILL HURT EACH OTHER, PLEASE DO NOT LET THEM CONTINUE WITHOUT STOPPING THEM.

[PupDaddy]

I'm the alpha dog here, When I wade into a fight yelling and stomping, the fight ends RIGHT THEN! But that's the puppies fighting. When the big dogs got into a fight, I just grabbed one by the hind legs and started draging him away from the other one. They stopped fighting each other, if they had persued the fight, there would have been nothing I could have done. I just pray I never get to that point.

[GYPSY JAZMINE]

Ty Red & PupDaddy!...Jackie (Pippin's breeder) even told me that the most violent sounding fights are usually the most superficial but it is so hard to just let them go at it!...How do I know when to stop them?...& a big fear is that is I let them get to far into it I won't be able to stop it...Both dogs definitely look at me as alpha...How I managed that god only knows as these are my 1st two dogs...So, I should just let them work it our between them then?

[GrumpyBunny]

Ranger and Gwen have lived together sucessfully for over a year so far with no real fights, knock on wood!     Pretty good, considering his snippy behavior with dogs other than her.... 

That being said, they have had like 3 minor skirmishes....  These usually occur when j= mik87u  (LOL, I set the computer down and Ranger just stepped on the keyboard) when Ranger gets too close to a toy that Gwen is protecting.  She will normally growl him off and he ignores it, but on occasion he takes offense and they will spar for a couple seconds.  These usually are over by the time I take in a breath to yell at them...

But, I am the boss in our house and on the very rare occasions I have to use my patented "Bad Mommy" voice, all fighting ceases and everyone is very apologetic indeed.  I was a Theatre major in college, I can get VERY LOUD!

(P.S. - Jackie is sooo right.  The fights that sound the worst are lots of times mostly for show.  Those are the only kind we have ever had in our house.  They sound horrific, but it is all just part of the display.  In a truly serious fight, they are too busy trying to kill each other to make much noise.  Scary stuff.)

[Tulsas' Dad]

Tulsa and Sophie, (her Dalmation friend) got into it last night over a tennis ball.
I told Patrick,(Sophies' Dad) to let it go, let them work it out.
Tulsa backed off, but Sophie kept coming.
Sophie is about 20 Lbs. lighter, and Tulsa is very agile, so she had no problem gaining the upper hand, but Sophie wouldn't back down. All I had to do is step up and start shouting "Hey", and Tulsa retreated, Patrick grabbed Sophie, and peace reigned. Although there was a bit of blood on Sophies' ear, I think she may have bitten herself.
Tonight when we walked together everything was cool. They played, romped and wrestled with each other.
Most dogs don't hold Grudges.
Some owners can learn from their dogs!
John

[GrumpyBunny]

The dog book "Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson has some interesting info on this kind of stuff....

[GYPSY JAZMINE]

The dog book "Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson has some interesting info on this kind of stuff....

I've heard that is good...I'll look into it!...Ty everyone!

[nickerbokker]

well.  i usually scream, then pull them apart.  sometimes, i'm just like, SCREW IT!  YOU WANNA GO AT IT GO AT IT!  if it get too out of hand, which has happened 2 times, i'm in there right away, i dont care if i get bit, mabye im dumb, maybe im just sooo mad. 

interesting topic though....it happened tonight.  not a bad thing, but i was proud of cody.

angus always tries to hump cody, cody always squirms his way out of it, tonight angus would not let up, and cody grabbed his lip and DID NOT LET GO.  I WAS LAUGHING SO HARD.  he just layed there with ang's lip for like 2 minutes, and as soon as cody let go, angus, with tail between his legs, ran into the other room.  about 5 minutes later, he came crawling back into the room and layed next to me, didn't look at cody LOL.   it makes me so happy, cuz i love them the same honestly, but cody was here first and this is HIS house, and i was worried angus would take over.  can't speak too soon, cuz he's only 10 months, but cody is pretty good.

but yes, if it gets out of hand, i jump in. 

[Tulsas' Dad]

There were times when I wished Tulsa would step up, and open up a can of "Whup @ss"!
Chloe is a standard poodle with the most annoying high pitched bark. Her owner has the personality of birdshit on a fence post. So talking to him was not an option.
Tulsa would be playing with other dogs in the park and Chloe would attack her. Sneaking up from behind her, and biting her on the neck! Tulsa would whirl and lunge, teeth flashing, and jaws 'popping' and Chloe would run. Tulsa never gave chase. One day Chloe, barking with that annoying, high pitched bark, came up behind Tulsa, and attempted to grab her by the neck, Tulsa turned, leapt into the air and grabbed Chloe by the throat, pinned her to the ground, and just stood above Chloe, with her throat in her mouth. She didn't bite down hard,(I've seen her destroy big beef bones with little effort.) She held that position for about 15 seconds, and then released and walked away.
Chloe has never again bothered Tulsa since, One BIG can  opened up!
We still see them at the Dog Park, but Chloe doesn't approach Tulsa, or me.
That's the Way I Like It Uh Huh.
J &T

[LaurieW]

.....grabbed Chloe by the throat, pinned her to the ground, and just stood above Chloe, with her throat in her mouth. She didn't bite down hard,(I've seen her destroy big beef bones with little effort.) She held that position for about 15 seconds, and then released and walked away.

J &T

I was really glad to see this post tonight....I'd sent an email to Pup Daddy, Bagheera's mom & Cindy Tuttle asking for advice about this same subject......I usually stand back & just watch when the 3 dogs (and sometimes the cat) play fight - they have to figure things out.....but I do step in when I'm worried someone is going to get hurt.....

Usually that is when Bella has Lucy pinned on her back with Bella's jaws on her throat - there is no sound from either and Lucy's legs start flailing madly in the air.....I give Bella 20 seconds (sometimes less) to let go, but she doesn't show any sign of doing just that.....it doesn't seem to register with her that she might just kill Lucy and it worries me - so I end the fight.
 
Doesn't take much - just a firm "Bella! No-off!"  I then ask Bella to sit & fuss over her for obeying.  (Lucy then tries to take advantage of Bella not paying attention to her & bites her, trying to get her into the "play" fight again.  Little Minx!)

I'm not worried at all when the situation is reversed & Bella let's Lucy pin Bella to the ground by the throat.  Nor am I worried about Casper - he's a big guy & can take care of himself...alth ough one of the girls clobbered him with a paw & superficially scratched the skin of his face right next to the inner corner of his eye.  Poor dear got lots of sympathy from mommy after it happened.

[Tulsas' Dad]

Puppy play is a lot different than big dog play. Tulsa had been fed up with Chloe, and all of Tulsas clues didn't register in Chloes simple mind! Tulsa told her in no uncertain terms, "Don't F**K with me", and Chloe got the message.
My dog will growl and bark at dogs outside the fence of the park. It's just like they are on a leash, once they are inside and free to roam, she lets them have their space. She usually comes to me and lays at my feet until I tell her to "Go Play".  Then she will venture out and find someone to play with. It's funny, but it usually is a smaller dog, and Tulsa lies on her back and lets the little dog chew on her!
John

[greek4]

Every once in a while my guys get into it pretty good.  Never seen blood but it sounds like a voilent dog fight.  I let them fight it out unless we have company then I stop the fight and shove them both outside where they unite in their barking to come back in.  Rocco wins all fights by pinning Maia by the nose to the floor and growling. 

Rocco has had a couple fights with other large males where the playing got out of hand and one or the other started fighting instead, still never any blood.  But since I didn't know the other dogs as well as I know my own, I grabbed Rocco at the tops of this back legs where they meet his stomach and pulled him back and to my side.  Both times just getting them apart stopped the fight, which I don't really think either one of them really wanted to fight they were just getting too rough and neither would back down.

I'm sure the boys are just getting comfy with each other and are now deciding who is the coolest dog at your house.  Just don't trip over fighting (play fighting or not) dogs because they will bite your toe by accident and it will bleed.   

[GYPSY JAZMINE]

Thanks all!...I'll have to let it go a bit further...This is most certainly not play fighting I'm talking about...I watch them play fight all the time & lmao about it...I am talking watching my sweet little Pippin turn into a killer dog right before my eyes & tries to rip Sam's face off...I'm not always sure what triggers it either...I know when it's over a bone because both dogs try to push the card, get real close to the other & take their bone even though they both have their own...Yesterda y I just finished giving treats & oth dogs were sitting in front of me just as cute as can be & BAM it was on...No warning at all...I stopped it & Pippin reminded  me a whole bunch of a wearwolf when the moon goes under a cloud...lol... He was trying to take sam's face off & as soon as I stopped it he was just as sweet as can be that quickly...lol. ..Sam always looks a bit dazed & goofy as per usual...lol... I'll let them work it out but keep a close eye!

[DixieSugarBear]

Dixie and Sugar Bear have done the same thing.  It has happened to one degree or the other about 6/8 times.  The first two times my heart almost stopped.  I jumped and to stop it and had black & blue marks just trying to get them apart.  Dixie is the one that will not let it go.  Most of the time it is over him finding something she would hide at work.  I posted on several boards and was told that if is sounds bad most of the time it is just that it only sounds bad.  Now I watch but do not get in the middle of it.  It is so funny to see Dixie go lay down with her head on Sugar Bear to sleep after it is over.  The first time was when Dixie was about 5 months. How old is Pippin now? 

Lisa