Dog Fights

Unfortunately dog fights are sometimes a reality of owning a dog. Some dogs are naturally more aggressive than others and want to pick a fight while other dogs feel the need to protect their owner and/or their home territory.

There are many reasons why dog fights occur. Some of the most common reasons dog fights break out in kennels include a desire to establish a hierarchy and/or a level of superiority within the dog ranks; changes in the pecking order occurring (as dogs leave the kennel); protection of turf and/or protection of belongings (such as food, food bowls and toys); the introduction of new dogs to the kennel as well as the reintroduction of old members after they have been gone for a certain length of time; disagreements over food and sleep areas; female dogs who are in heat; a lack of clear cut leadership between the dogs and the humans; a lack of dog training as well as proper socialization, and finally other miscellaneous factors such as personality traits, abandonment or neglect issues and environmental concerns.

If your dog is usually an amicable soul but tends to bark aggressively and/or attempts to go after other dogs on his or her daily walks, consider taking steps to avoid messy and potentially dangerous dog fights. First of all enroll in an obedience class to learn how to control your dog better. These classes not only help teach you how to handle your dog but also allow you to become more familiar with your dog’s unique personality and behavioral patterns. Also taking part in these classes together is a way to instill confidence in both of you.

If your dog is still unruly and dog fights seem imminent, consider purchasing a Halti head collar or a Gentle Leader for your dog to discourage its temper from flaring. A Halti allows for the dog’s mouth to be closed automatically when need be but does not cause any pain or discomfort to your pet. Learn to use it appropriately before you use it on your dog. If you are unsure about how to use it, take it with you to obedience class and have your instructor show you its proper usage.

If you have more than one dog and one or both have a tendency to pick dog fights, then think seriously about walking your dogs separately, not together. When anger strikes a dog can be single minded in its pursuit and very physically strong which makes controlling two dogs double the trouble. To use an example to illustrate this point, the average dog has approximately three times its weight in strength in comparison to a human male. In other words a 60-pound dog would roughly garner the same strength as an 180-pound man.

Dog fights often erupt when one dog is on a leash and another is loose. It is not always a simple task but try to walk your dog in safe areas where there are no dogs running loose to get in your dog’s face and prompt anger. Aggression in dogs is often believed to be contagious. When a calm, well-behaved dog is confronted and/or jumped by an aggressive canine the experience often changes that dog into an aggressor himself, who then goes on to bother other defenseless dogs. And the cycle continues from there. Stop the cycle if you can, before it gets started.

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