How to handle dog fights/attacks

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I have 2 dogs, 1 is neutered the other not, the unneutered one isn't a problem.

For some reason, the neutered one gets attacked often, last night for example. Both of my dogs in the lead, they are having a play. Out of nowhere a white snarl torpedo of a Staffordshire cross thing, goes for the throat of the unneutered one.

After 2 or 3 attack/bite attempts I finally kick the Staffordshire in the ribs to get it away, the owner finally comes over and I tell them in no uncertain terms to put their dog on a lead.

Of course, the owner doesn't and faffs by trying to come closer, and not dealing with their own dog.

What's the best way to deal with a situation like this, its not the first time its happened and it wont be the last. I've noticed that a lot of owners are scared of their own dogs and won't take action to control them.

Sorry typo didn't properly proofread

goes for the throat of the unneutered one

Should read

goes for the throat of the neutered one.

Had the same issue with our neutered boy, I've kicked a dog in the past though normally as ddog is off the lead typically I send him away (he's about the fastest dog on the park bar the greyhounds so no chance of a staffie or rottie catching him), there's two dogs I see regularly who have it in for him, one is a rottie/lab crossand one a huge staffie (guessing not pedigree).

Someone once told me that the fights to worry about are the ones where there is no noise. Those where there is lots of noise tend to be scraps which produce no real physical harm. The silent ones tend to involve grabbing and holding which is far more physically harmful. After thinking back to those I've seen I concluded she was right!

Having had to break up a few (noisy) scraps, what you do in the heat of the moment isn't necessarily what the theory says. I've usually ended up hauling one dog off by the collar and hoping the one underneath escapes (sometimes they're idiots and try to carry it on, but there we go). It's probably a miracle that I haven't been bitten, but I take the attitude that I'd prefer to be bitten rather than DDog as my healthcare is both faster and cheaper, and won't cause long term behaviour problems in DDog.

For fights involving a grab and hold, there is a technique known as the "wheelbarrow" which (from memory) essentially involves picking up the rear legs of the dog that's grabbing and holding by a couple of inches, and moving to the side if need be; the idea is that it makes the dog release and turn around to look at what is going on and thus allow the other dog to escape. There is also such a thing as a bite / break stick for use in similar circumstances (not for hitting the dog!).

I think that wheelbarrow technique is a bit odd, what's to stop the dog turning its head and biting the hand that's grabbing at the leg. I don't see how it could work. I've just tried grabbing and lifting the hind leg of one of mine just now, it immediately turned its head and tried to mouth me.

I think that wheelbarrow technique is a bit odd, what's to stop the dog turning its head and biting the hand that's grabbing at the leg

I think the theory is that, with both back legs in the air whilst being pulled backwards, the dog will be too busy trying to maintain balance to be able to turn and bite.

So somehow I have to get behind a fast-moving angry dog and grab both hind legs and lift/pull? All while trying to check my dog and not getting bitten?

Has anyone ever done this in the real world?

It's either something you have to practice constantly to develop the muscle memory to be able to do in a stressful environment with minimal thought or it can only be used in very niche situations.

Well don’t do it then.

I kicked out at a dog that went for my boy. I sort of got my foot underneath it’s belly and propelled it away. The owners got a snarled ‘put that bloody thing on a lead!’ from me. They never said a word.

I have found that charging towards the dog as it comes for me usually works, or standing between it and shouting whatever angry outburst comes to mind usually sends them running off in the opposite direction. I’ve had a few stand and try and work out what’s going on but the rest have all ran back to owners.

The ones that have actually attacked mine have been kicked while trying to choke them away with my lead used as a slip lead, better me doing it than having 3 angry german shepherds fighting back as I’m sure it would end up badly for the intruder

I've got the opposite.... a very gentle unneutered male that has been attacked 3 times by a vile dog and even viler owner in the locality. It's had several other dogs too.

I carry a walking pole that DH has sharpened the end of. And I'd use it if I ever need to.

Take off your coat and throw it over the aggressors head.