|
Post by RealPitBull on Jun 15, 2009 13:56:48 GMT -5
Just curious do you think having penny cans around could possibly assist in breaking up a fight. I know throwing a penny can would make my dog high tail it for under the bed. this is great info here for me to keep in mind if I ever get another dog and a fight breaks out. Before reaching for collars and risk teeth knicks I could knock furniture over throw over some chairs. Throw some pots and pans on the floor! LOL (: I do tell people they can potentially break up a fight by startling the dogs, at least when they have first started to fight. Throwing water on top of them may help, too. However, for dogs seriously engaged, this is likely NOT to work, so it's a good idea to have a Plan B.
|
|
|
Post by purplepaws121 on Jun 16, 2009 12:40:26 GMT -5
Yep, vigilant is me, you've got that one right. It's a non-stop "ready for action" kinda thing, but it's part of my life and I have two dogs that I love so much, it's worth it. Constant management.
Of course, there are some days when I wonder why I do it...ha! And the days when I say "man, i'll never have more than one at a time again!"
Then I think how many mult homes there are out there that AREN'T vigilant, responsible, on their toes, etc. Yikes.
|
|
|
Post by purplepaws121 on Jun 16, 2009 12:43:25 GMT -5
Just curious do you think having penny cans around could possibly assist in breaking up a fight. I know throwing a penny can would make my dog high tail it for under the bed. this is great info here for me to keep in mind if I ever get another dog and a fight breaks out. Before reaching for collars and risk teeth knicks I could knock furniture over throw over some chairs. Throw some pots and pans on the floor! LOL (: I do tell people they can potentially break up a fight by startling the dogs, at least when they have first started to fight. Throwing water on top of them may help, too. However, for dogs seriously engaged, this is likely NOT to work, so it's a good idea to have a Plan B. Yep, mine hear NOTHING once they're engaged, and my two usually have those "just for show" fights (thank goodness), teeth showing, spit flying, but nobody usually gets hurt except maybe a small knick. Either way, they're super scary and my heart races out of my chest every time, because every time I think "what if I don't get them apart this time?"
|
|
Chloe
I Love RPBF!
Posts: 433
|
Post by Chloe on Jun 17, 2009 14:38:28 GMT -5
It's hard sometimes to break up a fight, but i've managed to and i'm short and average weight, not a strong girl!! lol Most of the time i've gotten lucky and been able to grab collars and keep them apart, stick them in crates until they're calm. My two had lots of fights when we first brought Maverick into the home, and unfortunately they usually happened when I was home by myself. I've been drug to the ground, knocked over, glanced by teeth (not a redirect, just me being in the middle), and all that. I had to break up one by grabbing a collar and using my feet to keep the other at bay while I separated. Fights are scary. I got lucky once when they broke out into a fight and knocked over a chair, it scared them both and they stopped. My two have been fine for quite a long time (Mav's been with us about a year and a half) and this morning I awoke to a fight right on top of me. The hubby had left to go fishing and let the dogs out of the crates and they were sleeping with me. I was DEAD asleep and woke up to a fight right over top of me...disoriented, I started grasping for anything I could (they didn't have collars on), got knicked on the arm by someone's teeth, and finally Mav fell off the side of the bed, knocked the table over and at that point they quit. GEEZ was I freaked...a fight is bad enough but waking up to it!! I still have no idea what caused the fuss. Oh d*mn! That is scary! I'm glad everything turned out ok tho! Wheeeew!
|
|
|
Post by valliesong on Jun 17, 2009 22:17:06 GMT -5
My boys can go for walks together, but haven't been off leash together in about 3 years. Two fights with holds, and I didn't want to wait for a third. And that's without doing anything "wrong," so it is always good to have a back up plan.
|
|
Chloe
I Love RPBF!
Posts: 433
|
Post by Chloe on Jun 18, 2009 2:12:27 GMT -5
How common is it for dogs (both altered) of the opposite sex to fight? I mean a serious fight, not the just for show fights.
|
|
|
Post by RealPitBull on Jun 18, 2009 7:57:08 GMT -5
How common is it for dogs (both altered) of the opposite sex to fight? I mean a serious fight, not the just for show fights. Depends on the dog AND the management capability of the human part of the equasion. Hint: dog-directed aggression is the most common behavioral problem I deal with in Pit Bulls. Fights between housemates is a VERY common concern, I will say that much. But a seasoned home should be able to circumvent all/most fights. Multi-dogs does NOT mean you should just live with fights happening. If fights ARE happening, it's a sign that something needs to shift in the household dynamics.
|
|
Chloe
I Love RPBF!
Posts: 433
|
Post by Chloe on Jun 19, 2009 2:01:31 GMT -5
Thanks for the input! We havent had any fights....yet & hopefully we never will!
|
|
|
Post by pitunia on Jul 29, 2009 20:47:39 GMT -5
As a owner of 8 personal pits and 5 foster dogs, I always have a break stick availabe just in case. My dogs have their CGC, two their TDI but stuff happens. My alpha girl is having a bad fur day and I need to be on my toes.
I mainly worry when I am out with my personal dogs about other dogs. One nasty snarling evil lip biting loose bishon can ruin my day. Whose fault will it be, my bully with the little fruit dog hanging from its lip. We also have the bully owner who is denial their dog might have dog aggression issues and the intact beagle humping the face of my male 80lb Amstaff.
I believe in being prepared just in case I am having a bad fur day. :-) On occasions, I bite too
|
|
|
Post by pistis on Jul 29, 2009 21:42:13 GMT -5
Lola and Ergo are both altered, are of opposite sex, and they get along alright. We don't have break sticks. We keep on us, or within arms reach, at all times a blow/fog horn. Have you ever heard one of these things go off INSIDE a house? To say its 'loud' is a serious understatement.
Since we got that thing Lola and Ergo both rarely get into scuffles anymore. The last straw was when they got into it twice in two days. The first of those times I got sliced pretty good in the head simply for being in the middle of it, laying down on the floor. Ergo is giving me kisses, Lola walks over with her tail wagging, I say 'Hey Lo!', and then I see it- the bodies tense up, the ears go back, heads lower, and I'm laying in the middle. Ken wasn't around and BAM. Lola lunges at Ergo. Her nails scrapped my head so bad I was worried I was gonna have to go get stitches. Then, the next day Ken and I are sitting on the steps. Ken is petting Lola and I'm petting Ergo. We're all sitting right by each other and Lola gets a bug up her butt about Ergo and attacks him again. This one didn't last long, just a few seconds. Long enough, however, to send Ergo to the emergency vet for a puncture wound on his bottom jaw. He didn't get it stappled, they just cleaned it, but it was deep and bleeding everywhere. Her tooth got him good.
She is definately the alpha dog, but it seems like the older Ergo gets the more he wants to challenge her position. They play together and any time it gets too heated we blow 'the horn' and they drop cold, whatever they're doing.
We used to squirt them with a water bottle, which still works unless, we found out, if they are already in a fight and it's been going for just a few seconds. Then, the water bottle doesn't work so good anymore- but the blowhorn does, and I think that works faster than having to go get a break stick and get close enough to the dogs to use it. We hear the scuffle, horns are always on us, blow it, and they come running in to lick us as if they were saying 'sorry'. But, since we have gotten the horn and used it I don't think they've had more than one or 2 incidents. Neither lasting long. There has been definate improvement. It's been about a month- 2 months now. *Shrug* Idk, that's just the best solution we came up with for those times when you need to be prepared with something. Maybe there's a better way but it works for us.
|
|
|
Post by pitunia on Sept 7, 2009 14:34:54 GMT -5
When one has a multi-animal household and one of the dog or dogs are pits, it is very important to follow certain rules to reduce the chance of a fight. (personal experience)
1. Dogs are always crated when they cannot be watched. I go to work, my dogs go into their crates, I go to the store, dogs are in their crated, I go outside to mow the grass, dogs goes into their crates.
2. High valued treats (rawhides, bones, busybuddies, etc) are only given upon close supervision or the dogs go into their crates. I have had fights over a treasured piece of string from a budda bone on the floor because my alpha was having a bad fur day.
3. Learn body language of your dogs. You see hard stares, positioning, t-ing off at doorways, CRATE the dogs until the tension is reduced. A dog never just "goes crazy" something lead up to the moment a fight breaks out.
JMO
|
|
Chloe
I Love RPBF!
Posts: 433
|
Post by Chloe on Sept 11, 2009 21:43:42 GMT -5
Wow! Thanks Pitunia and Pistis! Lots of good info and I love the idea of a fog horn! Can u get one of those at walmart?
|
|
|
Post by AmyJo27 on Nov 15, 2009 0:11:22 GMT -5
Well....At the beginning of this thread I opposed to break sticks and after reading more I had opened my mind.
Today made it official, I am going to buy a break stick! Today my parents decided to bring over their hyper retriever mix to “burn energy”. Boomer and Jake (Retriever Mix) got into a bit of a scuffle. (Which I think is kind of ironic because I gave this dog to my parents when I found out I was pregnant because I
|
|
|
Post by pitbullpassion on Nov 15, 2009 11:51:28 GMT -5
I like this point!!
|
|
|
Post by RealPitBull on Nov 17, 2009 11:33:48 GMT -5
Well....At the beginning of this thread I opposed to break sticks and after reading more I had opened my mind. Today made it official, I am going to buy a break stick! Today my parents decided to bring over their hyper retriever mix to “burn energy”. Boomer and Jake (Retriever Mix) got into a bit of a scuffle. (Which I think is kind of ironic because I gave this dog to my parents when I found out I was pregnant because I Hey Amy, YIKES, how scary. I'm glad everyone ended up being ok. Some dogs just like to push buttons - sounds like Jake is one of those dogs. There is a good lesson to be learned, here, if you don't mind me pointing it out, that is, it is so important that humans keep a mindful eye on dog to dog interactions, interceding if the dogs don't seem to be able to maintain harmony themselves. Persistent, pushy, rude, behavior can trigger a lot of dogs. Sounds like Boomer just reached his limit - but showed great bite inhibition by just holding and NOT breaking the skin! So kudos to Boomer for that. I'm not a 'fan' per se of breaksticks, I just think they might save a life or prevent injury and if that is a possibility, they should be kept around. It's cool that you can purchase break sticks, and have the money go to support a good cause, like the break sticks PBRC.net sell.
|
|
|
Post by AmyJo27 on Nov 17, 2009 14:50:02 GMT -5
Yeah. I realize I should have put Boomer in his kennel. Not to punish him but to help him escape Jake! Thanks for the link! I’ve been trying to figure out where the heck I am going to buy one!
|
|
|
Post by adoptapitbull on Dec 18, 2009 11:11:16 GMT -5
My mom's 2 pit mixes have gotten into quite the scuffle a few times. At first she didn't know what was causing it, but then determined it was all due to excitement, like when all the dogs greeted us as we came in. She's since learned to crate one of them while the other greets. Anyway, to the bite stick...
I wasn't there to witness the biggest fight, but my brother was. He used the end of a broom as a makeshift bite stick and it worked. Both dogs are about 100 lbs and there is no way he (at 300lbs himself) or my 130 lb mom could ever break it up on their own. He's tried the bucket of water before, and that did nothing. Since then, there have been no issues. I think the bite stick probably saved her rednose's life.
We don't have one at our house, not because we are against it, but because my guys have never gotten into a fight of that nature, and I can read when someone's getting pushed to the edge. I might get one as a "just in case", but luckily they've never given me a reason to buy one before.
|
|
|
Post by pistis on Dec 18, 2009 18:48:38 GMT -5
Sorry to Chloe as I haven't looked at this thread in forever (obviously). ;D Yes, you can purchase blow horns/fog horns at Wal-Mart (it's where we got ours. We bought the biggest one they had if I remember correctly). Only word of caution is to remember these things are LOUD, LOUD, LOUD!!! So, if you do go the fog horn route (this is just if you haven't already, and anyone else who reads this thread) make SURE*** you never set it off next to, NOR near your dogs' heads or your head. Trust me, it'll make your ears ring so bad, so imagine what it would do to your pets. Other than that, using the fog horn has produced the best results. They are smart dogs and it only took once or twice for them to learn to tolerate each other better "or else." And that is the only time I would use that thing. (Lola and Ergo are still always within our supervision- that hasn't changed). Each dog is different though, so what works for some may not work for others- in which case having a break stick may be a necessary back-up to have anyways. And like Pitunia said: ALWAYS monitor, no high value ANYTHING laying around, and just learn your dogs' body language. Although I think a lot of what I just typed goes without saying, I did anyways just to be on the safe side, or for those new to the breed.
|
|
|
Post by tank on Dec 19, 2009 1:40:00 GMT -5
I have read through this thread but not in a while. Are break sticks only designed mostly for pit bulls? Are they recommended for other breeds? The only fights I have had to break up were at work mostly between labs. We mostly just shout and distract and pull them apart. The one time I got bit was when a lab and a newfoundland wouldn't let go and really it was my own fault for getting between them.
|
|
|
Post by pistis on Dec 19, 2009 2:14:17 GMT -5
According to Pit Bull Rescue Central (PBRC), no you should not use break sticks for other breeds. www.pbrc.net/breaksticks.html"Why Should Responsible Pit Bull Owners Have a Break Stick? Because canines are pack animals, fights are possible in any multi-dog household, no matter what breed of dog you own. A responsible owner should take measures to prevent such fights, but he or she should also be prepared for the worst. The goal of any owner should be to break up a fight quickly and efficiently. The majority of breeds will snap erratically at their opponent, biting and releasing repeatedly. As terriers, pit bulls will usually bite and hold. Contrary to popular myth, this is not some kind of special pit bull behavior; it is merely terrier behavior. As its name suggests, a break stick is designed to break this determined terrier hold. This is the safest, easiest, and most effective way to stop a fight. Do not attempt to use a break stick on other dog breeds. Attempting to use a break stick on other breeds could result in serious injury to the person using the stick. Since other breeds will unpredictably snap and bite instead of getting a grip, you are far more likely to be bitten. You also should not attempt to use a break stick with other terriers. While all terriers grab and hold, pit bulls are far less likely to redirect their bite on an intervening human than, say, a Jack Russell Terrier. For the same reason, you also need to be very careful when separating your pit bull from another breed. Your pit bull will probably not bite you, but you might get bitten by the other dog." I believe PBRC is a very trustworthy site to gain information. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
|
|