If you are visiting Dr. Woof's website, then you, like many of our clients, may have a pet that has problems with aggression. Aggression is problematic for a number of reasons including liability, danger to other pets or people, bodily harm, and lasting trauma. Aggression can take many forms such as growling, barking, lunging, snapping, nipping, and biting. Dr. Woof consultants emphasize the importance of prevention and management in our treatment plans, making a point to control the environment so that the risk of aggression is minimized if not eliminated entirely. That said, it is wise to always be prepared for emergencies.
What is a dog fight and how can you tell it apart from rowdy play?
Dog fights tend to be preceded by several signs including body language and inappropriate interaction patterns. For example, two dogs are playing in a yard. They are loud, active, and somewhat chaotic as they paw at each other, turn in circles, and take turns chasing and releasing one-another. You're starting to get concerned about their safety. You begin to observe carefully and note that the dogs seem to be taking turns with one in assertive postures while the other runs, rolls over, or paws at them. These role reversals are characteristic of rowdy play. The dogs are likely practicing their species-specific skills with each other, and as long as the role reversals continue it should be safe. Problems arise when the role reversals stop or when two dogs have characteristically different levels of arousal. If one dog remains in the assertive posture while the other cowers in fear or repeatedly tries to escape (no role reversals occur, nor does the stressed dog have the opportunity to leave the situation), then rowdy play is not only inappropriate for these dogs, it may also escalate into a fight. You can spot an uncomfortable or stressed dog by looking for certain body language cues. See the attached flyer (below) by Lili Chen on dog body language for some examples! If you see things like whale eye, tail tucking, excessive lip licking, or yawning, then you may want to call your dog away from that situation to prevent escalation.
But what should you do if they're already fighting?
Let me begin by advising you on what not to do. It is no secret that we care about our pets deeply. Nobody wishes to see them come to harm, and so it is natural that we jump to their aid during stressful moments. The truth is that dog fights are often worsened by human involvement, and there are several reasons why our presence might escalate the situation. Perhaps they see your presence as a new threat during an already stressful situation, or perhaps they don't pay attention to you at all until you reach out to pull them away from the fight. Either way, they might respond to your intrusion with a redirected bite. Redirected bites are a common source of dog-related injuries among humans, and even dogs with no history of aggression toward humans can engage in redirected bites during high stress moments. Thus, it is important that you keep your distance during a dog fight! Instead, be prepared to call your dog away from stressful situations before they escalate to a fight. Learn dog body language to help you intervene before a fight occurs. A certified dog trainer or dog behavior consultant can help you understand subtle body language cues that indicate distress.
If it is too late to call them away or they are too stressed to respond, let it play out for a moment and see if they disengage. Dogs are often good at setting and maintaining their boundaries, but the process may look chaotic to onlookers. If it continues, no role reversals occur, or you're worried about bodily harm, then you may want to make use of a humane animal deterrent product such as Spray Shield by PetSafe. Products such as these allow pet owners to safely interrupt unsafe interactions between dogs from a distance and without any lasting side-effects. (Disclaimer: Dr. Woof, LLC is not sponsored by PetSafe or Spray Shield). Animal deterrent sprays are preferable to hands-on intervention because they eliminate the risk of redirected bites, and because they distract aggressors quickly enough to provide an opportunity for you to get your dog out of the situation. A sturdy board of plywood can also be a useful tool to physically separate fighting dogs without risking a bite to yourself.
Inter dog aggression typically doesn't resolve on it's own, and often progressively worsens over time. If you are having inter-dog aggression problems, enlist the help of a certified dog trainer or behavior consultant that uses humane, evidence-based training methods.
Image Credit: Lili Chen at https://www.doggiedrawings.net/
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