Should you intervene in a dog fight?
Daisy Yost
2025-05-19 08:46:06
Count answers: 2
You have to stay as calm as you possibly can. Don't: Panic or yell. Panic will do to a fight what gasoline does to fire - intensify it quickly. If the dogs are not locked together you should take something from the environment like a couch cushion, bar stool, chair, trash can, etc. and use that to separate the dogs like a battering ram.
I don’t suggest grabbing the back of the collar or reaching in with your hands but I have done it. This is how most people get bit during a dog fight. If its a pack fight, I use my feet.
Don't: Don't hit, punch, or yell. It usually makes it worse.
If one of the dogs is “locked” on there is an appropriate way to apply a choke hold to that dog to get them to release. Sometimes dogs will release when their back legs are lifted and you can also use a leash.
Read also
- How to interrupt a dog fight?
- What to do immediately after a dog fight?
- What not to do in a dog fight?
- How do I know my dog is ok after a dog fight?
- Do dogs forgive each other after a fight?
- Do dogs get traumatized after a dog fight?
- How to reintegrate dogs after a fight?
- What are signs that may indicate a dog is stressed?