Do you know what to do if your dogs get in a fight? Of course I know about this. I know so much over it for so many years and years in fact it becomes like a dance going on in front of me, literally. Why? Because it happens immediately with me and what is going on, and I am in the middle of it, it is like using my brain without even knowing why I have to. It just happens so fast, and I am so thick in the middle of it watching, moving, saying what I need to say, and working it over the dogs so it stops and all gets settled again. It’s literally like a dream. Anyone who can get their mind wrapped over this can do it too, if they try.
So listen to this little story. It so happens this morning one of my cranky very larger LGD females has been in heat and safely locked up in one of my barns. And she’s a huge female too and always trying to get something started, and that means being edged on her and what’s going on. Of course, the male pack is always edging around, moving, smelling, waiting, hoping, and finally, if one of the big studs gets the edge over the rest of dogs, well – the fight starts!
And that is what happened today with three of my very large LGDs got into it in front of the farm. I’m talking three huge dogs, and just one male that runs 230 pounds and a jaw on his head that could kill anything or anyone! So I get two of the big males pulled down more, and as it happened the smaller but very older ten year old male got ripped up on a whole side of one leg. It took me being in the middle of it to break down the other two males to stop and leave the old timer off, and get everyone backed down, separated, and moved. The old timer got my time with cleaning him, fixing his leg, washing off blood and medication and pain to get him settling and calmed and quiet. His thick beds will help him stay warm and quiet with his other same year old stud dog who’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he’s okay, too.
But how many LGD owners know what goes on behind a big dog fight? How many of you think about it after it is too late or through? How much time do people take to undertand what makes something like this happen? Does anyone think about how setting things up better, and being calm and steady when the fight is going on and you must take the chance and guts (yes, I mean YOU people) and do what is the best way to take care of things. Don’t people understand, this is using your brain, your eyes, your ears - always listening, watching, what is going on? Why are so many lazy farmers and ranchers too fat, too “important” over their Facebook, their fancy new car, their big money on their horse trailer?
Hmmm, something people need to think about, yes?
Well, here’s the big tease for those of you who still sit back and hem and haw about whether or not they should ever take the time sit down and read this book and take it seriously. No, I’m not talking about the panty-pants whiney cry babies who are always too lazy to get serious about their farm, ranch, livestocks and dogs. You need to know and read it and understand! The whole book is what you need to buy on and take home and read it and really study over what I say and try to get people understanding about what happens, what makes it work, move, fight and get over it. There is a whole world there on just that chapter; no telling what else is there you need to write, too!
Here’s the treat: part of the whole page. Get your mind focused and LEARN!
Dog Fights: During & After
The best fights are the ones we avoid.
— Jackie Chan
Love is more powerful than kicking ass.
---Jet Li
No decent, compassionate human likes to see two or more dogs getting into a fight. It is a traumatic sight for the owner and traumatic and stressful for the dogs involved. When you are running two or more LGDs to guard livestock, even under the best circumstances and most attentive shepherding, occasional dogfights are inevitable. Most of the time, dogs can sort out their own conflicts. Not all fights need you to step in and become involved, in fact, most of them will end quickly as the dogs figure things out themselves. Ah, but then there are those other kinds of fights…and that is what this chapter is for.
Here are some of my observations and tips for owners of working Livestock Guardian Dogs who typically are outside, i.e., not enclosed inside a building or home, when their dogs get into fights. Please understand one thing: when it comes to breaking up a dogfight, nothing is set in stone! Keep your mind open. Do not get stuck in the “it has to be this or that” mode.
Breaking it up
Some of the methods used or promoted to break up a dogfight include:
• Spraying water on combatting dogs with a hose
• Hitting them on their legs with a stick, shovel, etc.
• Throwing a blanket over their heads
• Making a very loud noise
• Placing a rope around the neck of one dog and pulling it out of the fray
• Stepping into the middle of it and trying to pull the dogs apart
• Throwing buckets of water at the fighting dogs
• Grabbing legs, collars or tails
• Honking a car horn, revving a truck engine
• If a fight is related to a female in estrus, removing the female
• Turning my back and walking away (“Letting Go”)
I have used every one of these “solutions” at one time or another. Sometimes they work. I have seen each of these methods fail more than they worked, many times. In other words, do not trust them to be the answer, all of the time. There IS no answer for all of the time. It will depend on the dogs, and the intensity and reason for the fight….
/////
And there the rest of it can be found on my book in this chapter! This is just the beginning of it! So see how much is left to learn on this alone?
Amazon.com $35.00 or $15.00 for eBook.
So stop hemming and hawing, and get on to it and learn!
