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My GSD bit my lab

5K views 40 replies 18 participants last post by  Bridget 
When a dog is in true 'fight mode' they do not hear you. You are not as important to them as the other animal.

Get a break stick (if you do not have a dog who redirects). Learn to use it.

Do NOT just try to rip the dogs apart or pull them apart, you will do much more damage. Learn how to separate dogs, keep leashes around the house/yard so you can grab one if needed.. if you HAVE to, like if you have a dog who redirects (can't use a breakstick) and it won't let go, put a slip lead around it's neck and choke it out. They have to let go if they can't breath.

Water and blankets can work with two dogs who are not completely into it, when my bulldog was very young and got into a scrap with my GSD bitch a pail of water in her face broke her off, but she immediately went for another hold.. if she was mature that wouldn't have made her flinch..

Also, beating a dog who's in a fight does not help... I wouldn't expect any of mine to redirect on me if I did, but that could make the dog even worse, making her think you're attacking her TOO. And she might fight harder. Dogs are animals, don't feel hurt if they ignore you when they're fighting another animal.


As I said, with a dog like her choking will break them off, HOWEVER, be prepared for her to snap at you, GSDs were not bred not to redirect on people and she very well may.. MY bitch did, nothing serious, but she nipped a human while fighting.

Keep them apart while you're not there. Keep all resources up while they're together, and just be prepared for it to happen again.. When my bulldog (the aggressor) has my GSD but the neck and I had no breakstick on me I grabbed the bulldogs collar, put her neck/shoulders between my legs and twisted the collar so it tightened and she had to let go to get a breath... I then pushed the GSD away with my foot and snapped the bulldog's front end off the ground, until the GSD had backed far enough off that I could take the bulldog away.

Dogs fight. The appropriate reaction to her is nothing really.. she did nothing wrong. Break them up and clean them up, if you want to keep them together introduce them and be ready to break them off of each other. Beating a dog who's fighting, or correcting one after you break them up, will help none..

Good luck with them.
 
Something about the blanket method, it does work, but be CAREFUL getting near the dog's head if it's under the blanket.. an a-hole I knew got his 10yo daughter involved in breaking up two adult american bulldog bitches. They put a blanket over them and one of them bit the girl's leg through the blanket, it's been many years and she's still got substantial scarring.. The dog can't see who or what it's biting when using the blanket, so you have to keep that in mind.
 
Well DJ. I"m sure you have lots of experience with dogs but I don't think you know everything. Throwing something over them does work. Sorry...been there, done that and I know for a fact it does.
She wasn't saying it didn't, she said in a serious fight it won't.. especially is high-drive or fight bred dogs are involved.. Water worked for me once, the next time with the same dogs (older dogs then) she snorted and started shaking more violently when the water hit her. Never tried a blanket myself because I had to be able to keep the dog's from shaking each other and it would be hard to do with a blanket over them.. can't see what they're doing.
 
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