Breaking up A Fight
Accidents can and will happen. As careful as we can be there can always be a quarrel over something. The bull terrier has a tendency to be possessive, often times over "high value" items such as treats, bones, toys, and even, US! Knowing the correct and SAFE way to break up a fight is necessary for every bull terrier owner to know. Being around bull terriers in large amounts, I have had the unfortunate task of breaking up some sometimes severe dog fights. Bull terriers are so strong and fast many people might just panic without knowing how to handle the situation. Sometimes a fight might just be a bunch of noise and snapping and the dogs jumping around each other, be very careful as we are only human and can often take offense to being bitten on accident by our own beloved bully. Often times there are "waning signs" that can be seen, but sometimes it can happen so fast that no body even knows what happened, in this case when a fight may already be in action, follow these simple rules:
I also have heard spraying water on the dogs will work, I've tried this, and it only stopped the fighting for a few seconds, and I think they just enjoyed the cool down, so for bullies, it might not take the edge off quiet enough.
Another friend told me about pouring ammonia and water on a towel and keeping it in a plastic bag to have near by, and that if a fight breaks out, to throw it over there head and they wont be able to see or breath very well and it can stop the fight.
Never EVER punch, kick, or hit a bull terrier in a fight, this WILL NOT WORK, I have seen mace designed for dogs FAIL in an attempt to stop a fight. Attempting to beat one dog off of another will just add fuel to the fire. I don't know how well human mace, tazers, or cattle prods will affect the out come of the fight. I would be more afraid of doing more damage to the dogs than what they will do the fight itself. Doing things like this may just add more damage in the end.
Never assume your dog's will never get into a fight, even the best of friends, siblings, mating pairs can get into a fight. I always recommend never leaving dogs alone unsupervised, as I have seen this mistake leading to dead dogs. It only takes one mistake, even if there has never been a problem before, you don't want to NOT be there if that one time does occur.
An accidental fight story
I was at the dog park letting the dogs play in a pen by themselves since Scarlett and Bowzer were engaged in a game of tug of war, which they have done many times without problems. This day Scarlett was feeling more pushy and high strung than normal and as I noticed this I was preparing to break it up, as Scarlett's mouth got closer to Bowzer's on the rope, she slipped, and went in to get a different grip and grabbed a small piece of Bowzer's lip which led to an immediate fight. They were jumping all over each other and I started to reach in and realized I would have gotten bit, I waited until one dog grabbed the other by the face and I grabbed one collar, and than the other dogs collar and held them up on there hind legs. They let go of each other and I stood there holding them both by the collar and said "HEY!! Thats enough!!!" They were looking at each other and than they turned there heads away from each other, I let them go, and they walked away without further problems. This lasted a very short time and nothing more than a few scratches, but still no one wants to see the own dogs get into a fight. Fighting within my own pack is a very rare occurrence as I do everything I can to prevent fights, feeding in kennels, bones in kennels, and I always supervise them at all times. I learn what triggers each one of my dogs may have, and pay close attention to the possible warning signs.
- Don't Panic
- Stop and see things clearly
- Never reach your hand in on a fight without the confidence that you have the right timing that is safe
- ALWAYS keep a collar on your dogs, especially anytime you have more than one dog in the area, without a collar on the dog, it will make separation much much harder
- Carefully pick a time to grab each dog by there collar, this will be much much harder if your alone, if you have a leash attach it quickly and try to tie the dog to the nearest object. If with another person, quickly shot who your grabbing and have the other person grab the collar of the remaining dog.
- If the dogs are locked on to each other, hold them tight around the neck as still as possible to avoid more thrashing, if possible lift both dogs strait off the ground, the lack of traction will help keep them from thrashing each other more, often times you just have to sit there and hold them as still and tight as possible until the dogs let each other go.
I also have heard spraying water on the dogs will work, I've tried this, and it only stopped the fighting for a few seconds, and I think they just enjoyed the cool down, so for bullies, it might not take the edge off quiet enough.
Another friend told me about pouring ammonia and water on a towel and keeping it in a plastic bag to have near by, and that if a fight breaks out, to throw it over there head and they wont be able to see or breath very well and it can stop the fight.
Never EVER punch, kick, or hit a bull terrier in a fight, this WILL NOT WORK, I have seen mace designed for dogs FAIL in an attempt to stop a fight. Attempting to beat one dog off of another will just add fuel to the fire. I don't know how well human mace, tazers, or cattle prods will affect the out come of the fight. I would be more afraid of doing more damage to the dogs than what they will do the fight itself. Doing things like this may just add more damage in the end.
Never assume your dog's will never get into a fight, even the best of friends, siblings, mating pairs can get into a fight. I always recommend never leaving dogs alone unsupervised, as I have seen this mistake leading to dead dogs. It only takes one mistake, even if there has never been a problem before, you don't want to NOT be there if that one time does occur.
An accidental fight story
I was at the dog park letting the dogs play in a pen by themselves since Scarlett and Bowzer were engaged in a game of tug of war, which they have done many times without problems. This day Scarlett was feeling more pushy and high strung than normal and as I noticed this I was preparing to break it up, as Scarlett's mouth got closer to Bowzer's on the rope, she slipped, and went in to get a different grip and grabbed a small piece of Bowzer's lip which led to an immediate fight. They were jumping all over each other and I started to reach in and realized I would have gotten bit, I waited until one dog grabbed the other by the face and I grabbed one collar, and than the other dogs collar and held them up on there hind legs. They let go of each other and I stood there holding them both by the collar and said "HEY!! Thats enough!!!" They were looking at each other and than they turned there heads away from each other, I let them go, and they walked away without further problems. This lasted a very short time and nothing more than a few scratches, but still no one wants to see the own dogs get into a fight. Fighting within my own pack is a very rare occurrence as I do everything I can to prevent fights, feeding in kennels, bones in kennels, and I always supervise them at all times. I learn what triggers each one of my dogs may have, and pay close attention to the possible warning signs.
Comments
Danielle,
Well written. That's good information.
There's not too many things more stressful than seeing two dogs fighting knowing they can inflict a lot of damage to each in a quick period of time. Breaking up a fight between two Bull Terriers or similar breed of dog can be very dangerous especially when there's only one person to break the fight up.
Knock on wood; we haven't experienced a dog fight in over 5 years. However, as you explained, there's always the chance two dogs could become aggressive with each other on a rare occasion.
What's always worried me has been the thought of two of my dogs mysteriously ending up in a fight when I wasn't home to break it up and my 5', 105 lbs wife is there in a panic trying to break up two 70lbs male bull terriers. For this reason alone I ensure I have an appropriate stun button available to be used in case of an emergency like this. Many will disagree with the use of any sort of stun equipment saying it would be inhumane or cause damage to the dog. In all actuality the opposite is true. I think we've all seen videos on law enforcement officers using stun guns on people who are out of control and the immediate control a stud gun produces when employed on an individual. The stun itself causes no ill effect but definitely solves the problem. The same goes for its use during a dog fight. The loud electrical snap of a stun button is often enough to deter a dog from any negative behavior without even touching the dog.
Two bull terriers locked jaw to jaw in a fight is extremely difficult to separate with just one person. Often they will not release the bite on another dog regardless if you lift them by the collar or attempt to roll barrel them apart by their hind legs. It's during a fight like this the use of a stun baton can be the difference between serious injury due to an aggressive fight and an immediate stop to the fight resulting in far less injury with minimal risks to the owner breaking up the fight. I would never suggest my wife or kids breaking up a dog fight by themselves. However, the stud baton provides reassurance that if a fight needs to be broken up it can be done safely and effectively with one person without hitting or beating the dogs and causing further injury.
About 5 years ago we had two male bull terriers get into a heated fight for reasons unknown. Both dogs were locked by the jaw and thrashing causing immediate injury to each other. The use of the stun baton broke the fight up within seconds and caused no harm to either dog. However, every time they see the batton or hear the crack of the batton the shy away from it with knowledge of its effect.
The stun baton costs $32 which, in my oppinion, is well worth the investment and security knowing if ever an incident warrants its use it will prove to be effective by minimizing injury and retaining safety for the owner.
If you're a strong adult powerful enough to break up a fight between two Bull Terriers high on adrenalin and aggression you may have the capabilities to break up a dog fight but for many women and teenage kids left a lone during a dog fight the use of a $32 stun baton could be the difference between a dead dog and a fight broken up immediately.
Here's a link to a baton recomended for emergency situations:
http://www.stungunscheaper.com/_Rechargeable_Streetwise_800,000_Volt_Stun_Baton_wzzzHolster.php?ref=stbtns
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
I had to chuckle a little when I read your advice to throw a towel over one or both dogs to stop the the fight or better yet throw a treat in the opposite direction so they'll decide to stop fighting and begin snacking on a scuby snack.
I hope nobody even tries to consider this as a true means of breaking up a fight between two Bull Terriers who are aggressively engaged in a fight. Bull Terriers that are in the midst of a fight will fight hard and fierce with more power than imaginable. A towel thrown over them wont do squat and they'd never notice you throwing a snack to the side of them fighting nor would they end a fight for a snack. For those that have ever had to break up a serious fight between two Bull Terriers I'm sure they can contest to the difficulties in separating the two dogs who are focused on doing massive harm to each other. It's a difficult situation to break up a dog fight and one in which many women would not be able to have the physical strength to handle.
Luckily it's been many years that I've even seen a fight between two Bull Terriers. I guess I'm pretty fortunate that my Bull Terriers have wonderful temperaments and get along great. Jennifer, it saddens me to here your two Bull Terriers fight constantly. It sounds like they are lacking some much needed training. However, if I were to beleive your two bullies fought constantly I would have to say they have it out for each other and have developed some serious aggression problems. One fight between two Bull Terriers lasting 60 seconds can cause serious and permentant injury. I can only imagine the facial scars and damage inflicted on your bullies who you've explained fight "constantly." I feel bad for them not just because they are having to live in a stressful environment where aggression is part of their daily life but also the fact that they are being raised by an owner that fails to train them appropriately.
Maybe you could find a loving family that's also from Campbell, California that would be willing to adopt one of your fighting dogs. I think seperating them would be a great idea since you can't dedicate yourself to train them to get along as they should.
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
At my last bull terrier gathering there were over 25 dogs in one area. Two males grabbed each other by the face and would not let go. Thank goodness I was there and I had a break stick handy, where I was able to hand it to the owner so he could wedge it between the teeth, turn it, and release the bite.
Some people rescue bull terriers and in that case, and it was someone involved in rescue who told me of the unique and extreme ways of breaking up fights. This came from someone who often had 2-3 dogs not from their training and raising and unknown pasts in their home, accidents are bound to happen.
I am not proud to admit that I have broken up anywhere from 20-25 bull terrier dog fights since being involved in the breed. Several of these were from rescue dogs I have taken in, friends bull terriers over at my house, dog parks, ect. Shit happens, but the best prevention is knowing your dog, and knowing how to end it as quickly and as safely as possible. Some people think screaming, kicking, hitting will break up a dog fight but I can attest to this, in a real bull terrier dog fight, all of those are useless.
For someone to claim their dogs fight constantly is really very sad. I have had bull terriers housed in large numbers for several years, including up to 6-7 at one time under the same roof and not once can I say I had 'constant' fights. I had the rarity of fights with my dogs between OUTSIDE dogs of the household, of those I did not raise myself. For my dogs that I have raised the chances of fights were so slim its ridiculous. In over 5 years of owning bull terriers, my own bull terriers have only been in fights less than 4 times, and only one time did I have to intervene seriously. It has everything to do with how my dogs are raised and how there is a zero tolerance policy for anything remotely close to aggression in my house.
So before you come on here and call us idiots, please reread what you posted, because you don't seem like you should be talking. Name calling will not be tolerated on this forum and we will not hesitate to delete you due to trolling.
BAHAHAHA!!! throw a towel over them? yeh, because THAT will stop a dog trying to killing another one
"oh darn! i cant do nothing with a towel on mah head! shoot"
yeh bull breeds were bred to grab and hold while shaking to do the most damage to the opponant wether it was a rodent, another dog or a bull. if they could be so easily detirerd they would not have been good for the job originally intended for.
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
i cant find the video but it was between two pit bulls from a pit bull training facility, they were both straddled over the dogs holding their heads flat on the ground so they could not keep moving, they still had a hold of each other and you can hear one lady say 'we need a break stick' because that is the best way to release the jaws of dogs. One guy did 'finger' the dog in the anus because that is also another technique to get dogs to release.
I absolutely will never ever PULL dogs apart, if latched on, what do you think that will do? Ding ding ding, tear the skin SOME MORE and do more damage, immobilize the dogs, pick them up, straddle them, but if you pull, skin will tear and i assure you will hear the dog scream more in pain.
Worst comes to worse, loop a leash around the dogs necks and hang them, sounds bad i know, but as they start to gag, they will let go!
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
They were growling and going on spins, I waited for them to bite each other and stop, grab the collar of mine, pulled him up, while he was grabbing the cheeck of the other, the other kid didn't know what to do and IDK what he did but his dog was trying to bite me and my dog, so I just lowered mine again (legs up, so the other punk didn't bite his paws and head down, so mine could defend us), he bite the top of the head of the other, and I told the kid to grab the collar of his dog, and pull up when I pull up mine, I told mine to "LEAVE" and they were out, we put the two lay down, next to each other, closer and closer and til this day they get along very well, eventhough they never played again.
A classic jiu-jitsu choke (you don't need to even put asleep, if you never done this, it's better to leave it aside) can work well, but you have to be sure that the other dog is firmly grabbed, as you will have to be very close to their heads and let your dog know that is you, not a stranger.
Oh YEA THAT WAS MY WEEKEND READING. IVE ALMOST READ ALL DISCUSSION. AND I WAS SO RELIEVED ABOUT THE SNAKE BITES cause I've been worried to death if miss ever got bit THAT IVE BEEN TRYING to GET ANTIVENOM AT MY VETS OFFICE.
BUT ID FEEL SORRY FOR THE WORLD if anything happened to my miss I CLDNT IMAGINE I KNOW ID CRY FOR A YEAR OR SO
YEA some of those techniques seem like a wrong choice but I saw a video that u can use a belt or leash and gently choke the dog off dad said to pour water in their nose and it will make them release.
I take pics of miss teeth CAUSE IM PROUD OF HER PEARLY WHITES I brush them. Several times a week
IVE NEVER LOVED ANY DOG LIKE I DO MY BULL and dad wanted one but I told him he CLDNT leave it outside BUT he could I JUST GET CARRIED AWAY WITH DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT that YEA I went overboard on it THAT IT WAS GOOD FOR MISS but I'm lightning up a bit AND I JUMPED MY HUBBYS BUTT FOR THROWING BREAD OUT FOR THR BIRDS AND NEIGHBORS DOGS which resulted in Bianca having to take ZRYTEC. Which I finally had to explain to him HES COSTING MY DAD ALOT OF $ N VET BILLS THAT CLD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED