a dog fight

[dogwalker]

I was out enjoying a nice walk with four friendly peaceful working cockers, we crossed a footbridge over a river and a pitbull type flew over to us and grabbed one of the cockers around the neck and wouldn't let go. Despite the efforts of myself, and I'm a fairly substantial fit female and the owner male and strong, we couldn't make the dog let go, we were in the shallow river by this point, the chap spotted a broken fence post in the water - picked it up and hit his own dog as hard as he could around the head with it, it took about three blows but the dog finally let go, the handler had quite a few bites on his hands, I was okay, our dog went and hid in the nettles, when we got him out he was shook up, had a graze around his eye and water in his ears but was mostly okay. The chap said he would get his dog put down. But he did give us a false address and phone number - I don't think he was local, and to be honest I was so busy that I couldn't even give a decent description of the dog.

At the time I was trying to rescue my dog I was very aware that I was likely to get bitten and what I was doing was the wrong thing, but I didn't know what else to do. Looking it up on the internet later apparently the safe way to break up a dog fight is when the dogs are locked on to each other for a person to each pick up their back legs, pull them back wards and then swing them around in a circle so they are only moving on their front legs and are so busy balancing they can't bite you. Eventually you can separate them enough that they calm down or can't get back to attack each other again. If they are locked on hard enough that you can't make them open their jaws apparently jamming a thumb up their back passage can work. When we were trying to wrestle with the pit bull it was like trying to wrestle a double decker bus.

If you are on you own apparently it is worth trying to put a lead around its body in front of front legs and dragging it back wards and tying it to a tree or something solid, and then going around to the other dog and attaching another lead to its body and dragging that backwards until you find something solid to tie it to.

So there you go, it's what I wish I had known before it happened. I don't have fighty dogs - if you know what I mean, but if it can happen to me it can happen to anyone, and I don't wish to ever jam my thumb up a dogs arse but if I have to do it to save my dogs life I will try it.

[LJR]

Crikey what a horrible thing to happen, thank goodness your dog is fine.

Unfortunately this isn't as uncommon as we might like to think. I have never had a dog lock on to mine but we regularly encounter aggressive dogs when we are out, at least the owner of the dog did something about it, often I don't even get an apology.

Might sound a bit weird but I have been told to put your finger up the dogs anus to get them to unlock the jaw

[Terry]

Horrible, I always walk with a heavy walking stick or a long shooting one , I tell my wife to do the same (but she wont listen).!
I do not hesitate should anything start, i do anything to keep a dog at bay, and as i get older i am even less tolerant .
the owners always say he is never normally like this, I get so mad at them. Keep your effing dog on a lead..........
If your a woman you can take a lightweight proper walking stick they have a pointed end so you can "jab" at the aggressor until
their DH owner arrives.!
Just a thought.

[manorfarm]

12 bore

[t jack]

A poke up the bum will see it release its jaws just in case anyone has a similar experience.

[Teddy]

I've picked them up by the tail which also works.

[snipe02]

If only one dog has a grip as in your case you cold put a lead on the agressor and use a short stick to prize his jaws open also if the dog is wearihg a collar the same stick can be put under the collar and twisted to cut of the air supply the same stick can be inserted in the the agressors rectum so a 10 inch lenght of a scrub handle is a usefull tool to have if your owner of either dog , also the water shove their heads under see how long he would hold on for last resort of course ive owned bull terriers and have a fair bit of experience breaking them its a nightmare that you can never really prepare for glad it worked out

[Rothievale]

How scary for you, you poor thing. Thanks for the advice. Thankfully I don't have to go to dog walking places

Why do people have dogs like this? Surely its scary for them too. It was the incident when a little girls terrier was killed in front of her that got me, she will never get over that poor child. People should be ashamed

[Tungulria]

Thanks for the advice. We often come across feisty or aggressive dogs if I'm forced to give the dogs a quick walk at the end of our road on the playing fields. I'd like to think if ever in this situation I'd remember the above but no doubt adrenaline and panic settles in and you feel helpless as the mind goes blank.
I know if one of my dogs were to be attacked and my lab bitch wasn't involved she soon would be. I've seen her defend her pack and what is a meek and friendly labrador becomes a serious force to be reckoned with. Not necessarily condoning her behaviour but she has to date fought a Malamute and GSD off my cocker. She'd never start a fight but she tends to finish them.

Glad your dog is ok and I hope there are no lasting effects in thier behaviour when encountering other unfamiliar dogs.

[BLM]

lead tablet usually works