Orca got into a squabble with another dog today.
It was not really her fault—she was straight-out attacked by another dog who was clearly used to bullying, scaring others, and getting away with it.
Both dogs were off-leash. The other dog—a large male poodle mix—lunged at Orca, dirty-biting her on a foot and clearly expecting her to yelp and submit. However, Orca, who is normally wussy and docile, pushed back this time—and pushed back hard—getting a hold of the loose skin on his upper neck and giving him a good shake of shame.
She let go almost immediately, and it was clear that her only intention was to correct and discipline the intruder. However, the other dog, not used to being pushed back, started screaming like he was being killed (a behavior we very often observe in dogs who are faced with the stress of hearing “no” for the first time in their lives).
The screaming made Orca curious and quite likely triggered her prey drive, which prompted her to lunge forward again. At that moment, two things happened.
The other dog’s owner jumped in between the two dogs, facing Orca—arms outstretched and very close to my dog’s mouth—probably intending to shield her bellicose “baby” with her own body.
I yelled “No,” followed by “heel.” Orca complied, and we left the scene without inflicting any further harm.
About 100 feet later, I stopped, leaned against a tree, and let out a long breath, allowing myself to panic for a hot second. Really, lady?! You were going to “protect” a large, hairy dog—armed with teeth, power, and speed—from another big dog with your own mostly naked body?!
Once my emotions settled and common sense returned, I realized that this strange, completely senseless reaction to a dog fight is actually quite common. As with many issues, the humanization of dogs (“aww, he is my baby!”) is a major part of the problem.
That said, there is a way to safely intervene in a dog fight without putting your own life and well-being at risk, while also minimizing potential damage caused by dogs’ teeth.
Of course, there are many possible scenarios in which dogs can fight, so I will focus on situations where the forces are relatively equal, as they were in Orca’s encounter.
Most fights like this lead nowhere dangerous. Dogs establish boundaries and then disengage.
Sometimes, however, things escalate and dogs can lock up—meaning one or both dogs’ teeth are clamped onto an opponent’s skin, usually the neck, with shaking. This is where fights become dangerous and where it is crucial to know how to stop them.
The first step is to secure each dog’s head in a safe manner. “Safe” means that no part of your body is accessible to a dog—even your own—because dogs redirect onto their people.
To secure a dog’s head, approach your dog from behind, grab the collar from the top, and twist it slightly so it tightens. This collar-grabbing must be done by both owners. Very often, once the collar tightens, the dogs will let go. If they do not—keep twisting and tightening.
As soon as the dogs release, pull them apart and secure them with a leash. Assess for damage, and if no major injuries are present, walk away. Then let yourself panic, stress, and melt into a puddle if you need to.
Throwing your body in front of fighting dogs will result in getting bitten. Twisting a dog’s testicles—if the dog is an unneutered male—will result in getting bitten. Throwing water on fighting dogs will do absolutely nothing. All of these myths you have heard? Forget them. They are fairy tales.
A real weapon is teeth. Teeth are in a dog’s head. Once the head is immobilized and secured, you are in control.
To wrap it up, a bit of humour:
What do you do if you are attacked by a tiger? You twist his testicles.
What do you do if the tiger is a tigress? You twist yours—because you will not need them anymore.