# is there a correct way to break a dog fight up?



## landdweller (Mar 12, 2011)

I have a 9 yr old neo mastiff about 160 lbs. I have a almost 6 yr old english mastiff about 175 lbs but tall.These two dogs are both fixed and have been for the 5 plus years I have had them. These two get along for 5-6 months like best friends then all of a sudden on eof them gets rubbed the wrong way and a fight breaks loose. It never happens when we happen to be watching and we have to feed them seperately. These tow do not give up. My husband is disabled and unable to help me try to break them up. I have tried a stick, I have tried a belt. They bothe wear chokers and pulling on them affect them in no way when they are going at it. I am hesitant about putting my weight on one of them like I did last time with my knee cause the other one accidentally bit my leg instead of the other dog. Toight was their first fight in a long long time. I love both these dogs and they never fight around the kids. I wanted to know if theres a proper way of making them release each other without practically choking one to death and hurting myself in the process? WHen you do get them seperated they still try to go at it. LIke I said its not all the time just once about every 6 months or so. I need help cause if not I will have to get rid of one or both of them and they are like my babies and my kids love them and they are very protective of my children and home.


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## Pink_Carnation (Apr 21, 2006)

Hose or bucket of water might work


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

If you can get one of them attached to a tree or secure tie-out (ie clip a sturdy chain around a tree, and the other end to the dog's collar) then you only have to pull the non-chained one away instead of dealing with pulling both of them away.

My ex had a bunch of mixed breed "huntin dogs"  and I had to break up a lot of fights between them. We had two tie-outs in the yard for this purpose, and if I could drag them to the tie out and get one attached, then aim the hose at the face of the other one, the other one would let go because he couldn't breathe thru the water and I could take that opportunity to grab his collar and haul him to the OTHER tie-out that was out of range of the first one.

Sounds complicated, and its dangerous because you're putting your hands on the collars of very pi**ed off dogs, but it worked. I only got bitten once - granted I almost lost a finger and part of my hand, but all's well that ends well....right?

Do you know what the "trigger" is for their fighting? Is it over a toy, or a space, or food? Figure out what causes these rare arguments and you can stop them. Or you could consult a good dog behaviorist/trainer and see if they can help.


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## FoxyWench (Jan 22, 2010)

as a friend of mine found out, anything but your hands!

well in reality hers was trying to break up a cat fight between 2 siamese cats, and she almost lost her hand as a result (tendons and ligaments were actually ripped away mucle shredded and then the bacterial infection almsot finnished the rest off...) but it goes for dogs too, putting your hands between 2 angry critters is a bad idea...
personally strong gollars are always good, and wooden handles (broom rake ect) anything you can get in there without getting your hands too close to the chompy end

i also 100% agree with blue moon, a couple of strong tie outs so that once you can get the fight broken your not wrestling 2 very large dogs that want to get right back at it...
getting one on a tie out then getting the other back would be a huge help.

i have found hose pipes helpfull in about 1/2 the cases if just used as a "shock" to work well you realy need to get a powerfull jet RIGHT in their faces so as blue moon said they literally cant breath through the water...they have to back off in order to breath...

ive found a ucket of water pretty much useless instead of having to dogs fighting you have 2 WET dogs fighting lol.

i also agree wth blue moon in figuring out if theres a trigger, it could be anything from a small toy to a treat to a spacial issue, ive seen dogs get into tussles because the dog thinks thats "their space" and another enters that space uninvited...

knowing if theres a trigger will help avoid the situation.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

You grab the back legs and pull. I've had to pull an aggressive Boston off my collie, but once the Boston was off, my collie stopped if he'd been defending himself. For your dogs, you'd have to know if one will stop if the other does. Otherwise, you need two people.

Bostons do not let go, but the back leg trick seems to trigger a release. Another way is to cover the nostril openings so they can't breathe. I've also used this, but Bostons are way smaller than your guys.

As a prevention, I'd give each dog a special "place", different corners. Put a mat or pad in the place, bait with treats and tell each dog to "place" or "go lie down".


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

What Maura said! You grab and lift the back legs while turning the dog in a circular motion. By circling the dog is unable to whirl around and bite you. By lifting the back legs the dog is confused and unbalanced which breaks it's concentration on fighting. Of course, this is best if there are two people who can each grab a dog's back legs.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

They fight. You have trouble separating them by yourself. The only solution is to keep them separated at all times.

You are going to get yourself severely injured trying to separate two 160 pound dogs all by yourself.


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

oregon woodsmok said:


> They fight. You have trouble separating them by yourself. The only solution is to keep them separated at all times.
> 
> You are going to get yourself severely injured trying to separate two 160 pound dogs all by yourself.


Um, yeah. *Maybe* if they were smaller dogs, but then I've been in the ER for a cat bite. We used to have a goofy ACD mix, one of those happy go lucky dumb dogs you can't help but love. He got into it with another teenager, DH grabbed him, he whipped around and bit DH's arm. 

Of course, the dog realized his mistake and went "OMG he's going to KILL me!" and became a submissive ball of pee and belly up apologies, but Dh still was bitten. That dog was 35 pounds, and my DH is a strong man. 100+ pounds of angry dog, I wouldn't touch with anything other than a bucket of cold water.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Pink_Carnation said:


> Hose or bucket of water might work


I was going to say hose also. > Marc


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## HTG_zoo (Apr 18, 2011)

Prevention would be best, probably foundation obedience and NIFL type work. Eventually you will get bitten, it's just a matter of luck and time (and it sounds like you've already been bitten once)

I've had great success with the hind leg method. Grab the hind legs and start walking backwards and in a circle. Doesn't work so well if the other dog wants to continue the fight though. Very difficult to get them to a tether too.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

hotshot (electric cattle prod) at full power will take the fight out of 99.9% of all regular dogs and even many game dogs can be sorted out w/ one.


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## landdweller (Mar 12, 2011)

thats what myhusband thought a cattle prod and shock them. They are both very strong dogs and both strong headed and neither wants to be the submissive one. There is never food down between the two of them they would kill each other neither likes to share food with other dogs. They will share with the kids or the cats but not another dog. OUr neo mastiff wants to be outside all the time, but our english would rather be inside except to potty. BUT the neo doesnt want to let the other come back in. I think I will try the cattle prod but would they consider that animal abuse using it on a dog? Thanks for the ideas


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

not if the alternative is a fight to severe injury or death.


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## Cynecagsd (Apr 1, 2011)

Im not sure what to tell you honestly. shock collars, as much as I hate them, maybe in this kind of emergency might be better then a cattle prod. I worry that youd shock 1 dog and the other would take advantage and seriously hurt the shocked dog. If both have shock collars set high and are shocked at the same time it might break both their concentration long enough to seperate them.

I had a couple of bitches running in my home (GSD's) that would on occasion get into a fight, usually because one of them in particular tried the dominance thing over the other and the more dominant of the 2 took offence to being challenged that way. Hubby and 2 adult kids were there one day when they had their altercation and were trying to figure out how to seperate them without being bitten, and I heard it from the back room. I walked in and yelled "STOP" and both seperated and went to seperate corners, no question. But then I was the Alpha, and they knew it.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

there is a lot more juice in a cattle prod and you can often nail both of them just by tagging one close to where the other is hanging (assuming since they are mastives, that they are getting into holds rather than the continuous regripping common to hounds & herders when they fight).


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