What's the best way of breaking up a scrap between two dogs

[soddinghormones]

Without getting bitten yourself?

Yesterday took ddog for a walk with a friend and her dog - both dogs young, similar size and energy levels, mine is neutered hers is not

We've taken them for several walks and at first they had a great time, charging about after each other then stopping for a wrestle

But the last time we took them out together about a month ago they had a brief spat when a play session tipped over into annoyance - no damage done and they carried on playing afterwards so didn't think much of it

However yesterday most of the time when ddog tried to initiate play the other dog wasn't interested and on two occasions he turned and snapped at my dog which then escalated into a proper scrap - lots of teeth and growling but no actual damage to either dog

We couldn't break them up for fear of getting bitten ourselves but as soon as ddog was on top I hoiked him off by gabbing his harness. After the second scrap we kept them completely separate for the rest of the walk - both dogs body language seemed fine and relaxed

What should we have done and is there any way of stopping a repeat? (Other than not going walking with my friend)

To be honest I wouldn't bother too much, if they were having a proper fight then they would bite not just do a lot of posturing and growling. It sounds like your dog didn't read the signals properly and the other dog was telling him off.
Perhaps call your dog off if the other dog doesn't look like he wants to play but it may be that yours has learnt an important lesson in understanding 'dog'.

I wouldn't consider that a fight tbh. If it had been a fight, you really would have known it - neither dog would have been unscathed. They had the opportunity to fight properly and really hurt one another, but chose not to.

They were obviously arguing - one dog making it very clear he wasn't up for playing for whatever reason and the other dog ignoring those signals and trying to persuade him to do something else. Add to that one entire boy and one neutered boy, and that explains the argument.

I know I will be the only person on the board who says this, but I would have given them a warning bollocking after the second snapping event. It is not acceptable behaviour in my view.

Thanks both - I was pretty sure it was all noise and posturing but my friends' dc (and mine) were all quite upset

Mine can be a bit of a bugger for being sharp with other dogs
Never split them up from the front, always pull away from the rear, like you did with the harness and try to think what triggered it to avoid a repeat
Mine doesn't like one specific breed of dog ffs so I have to think ahead and lead her prior to anything happening

Short sharp high pitched squeaks - someone will think they've caused pain and it will distract tge.

I've distracted a dog scrap by just bellowing - ehen they looked at me I recalled my dog and leaded him.

A fire extinguisher... But that's not something you usually take on a walk!

I agree with those who say leave them to it. You can tell if a fight has stepped up. Usually by then they are so intent on not letting the other dog go that you usually get them by the scruff of the neck or around the collar. My jrt is a bastard with other dogs so he is only walked on lead so I just hoik him up out of harms way.

Just sounds like handbags to me. You will certainly know a proper fight when you see one and damage will certainly be done. I have only split one fight up between mine and my friends labs, I charged them shouting aggressively and did hit them with the leads, sounds horrid of me but when friend went into grab a collar previous to me doing this she was bitten (not intentionally) they were not going to part, but what I did worked, both dogs did have puncture wounds as did my friend........

Chuck a bucket of water over them. They will stop. I don't carry a bucket of water when out walking either.

Possibly not that relevant to your particular case as it just seems like one dog putting another in its place but if a dog does lock jaws on another dog/human a sure fire way of getting it to let go is apparently to put your finger up its bum - well so says the man in the park anyway.

I think he is after a finger up his bum, the dirty bugger

Doesn't sound like a serious fight, I might be tempted to leave them to it, but if it escalates:

• use something like a large bag, piece of cardboard or coat between the two dogs to break up eye contact
• squirt water in the dog's face
• compressed air in the dog's face works with many dogs if all else fails

Be careful not to get bitten though, when they really mean it there are teeth flying everywhere!