Call Us! Button

Request an Appointment Button

Dog Fights
May 30, 2017

Dogs can fight for many different reasons; from fear, feeling like they need to protect resources, working out pack dominance, pain & illness, and even being around an intact dog can all be causes for dog fights to break out. Once dogs have been in a fight it is important to get to the root of the reason and fully assess whether or not your family is prepared to handle the responsibilty of maintaning the delicate balance of pack life after a fight. Sometimes training and keeping dogs who have fought in the past separated can help, but it makes for a very delicate home situation. Even just leaving for a few days and having someone stay with the dogs or having them boarding seperately at a facility can upset the balance of home life. If no amicable solution can be found it may be in the dog’s best interests to rehome one of them where they’re the only dog. A new home should be chosen carefully to ensure it is the appropriate fit. You can also try meeting with a veterinary behavior specialist. If a dog fight occurs in your presence DO NOT PUT YOURSELF BETWEEN THE DOGS!!!! Adrenaline is usually very high during a dog fight so they may mistakenly bite you. You can use water or loud noises to distract the dogs and lawn chairs to separate them safely. Since adrenaline is so high during these events dogs also may not feel pain so it is very important to have all dogs involved in the fight examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible after the fight. Wounds may not look as serious as they are and there is a huge risk for infection with dog bites.