Training - How to break up a dog fight

There is only one way to quickly and safely break up a dog fight with the least amount of damage to the dogs, and this should be the only technique you ever have to use. Here, Craig demonstrates how to break up two dogs in a fight, whether one dog is latched on to the other, or both are latched on.

The technique is fairly simple. Grab one dog by the collar and pull straight up until the dog lets go of the other is all that needs to be done. The idea is that if the dog cannot breathe, it cannot continue to bite or latch on. Then, the dog will have to let go to continue to breathe. It is a good idea to twist the collar a bit before pulling up in order to make sure the collar does not slip off the dog's head.

It is very important to stay calm during these situations. Shouting, yelling the dog's name, punching, kicking, or hitting the dog should NEVER be done. Doing any of these things is not only completely ineffective, but it is more likely to agitate and excite the dogs, potentially causing more harm during the fight. Staying calm and focusing on the task will allow you to break up the fight much faster and can prevent you from potentially getting bitten, as well.

Sometimes during a fight, one of the dogs may not have a collar on. In this instance, you can either grab them tightly by the scruff of their neck with both hands and lift them straight up, or you can use a leash around their neck to tighten and pull up on, which will be just as effective as a collar. Either way, the point is to cut off their breathing or circulation so that they can no longer stay latched on. Once they let go, the fight is usually over and the dogs can be safely separated.  

Please, never pull on a dog’s legs, punch or kick them, or hit them with objects. None of these things will stop the dogs from fighting and will only hurt the dogs even more! Watching two dogs have a fight is never fun and can be traumatic not only for the dogs but also for the humans. Following these steps to quickly break up a fight can be crucial in ensuring the least amount of physical harm to both the dogs and humans, ensuring the least amount of trauma for everyone involved.