Trainer unveils methods to halt canine altercations, ensuring safety for all parties involved
Preventing conflict is always advisable when it comes to dogs, whether it's stopping a dog approaching you and your pup or managing a potential altercation between two dogs. Juliana DeWillems, a renowned dog behavior consultant and trainer, advocates for safe, thoughtful strategies to manage dog behavior.
In general, DeWillems advises against physically intervening with bare hands to prevent injury. Instead, she suggests using distraction techniques such as loud noises or water spray to interrupt a fight. Tools like barriers, leashes, or a break stick (for professional trainers) can also be employed. Separating the dogs calmly and safely, ideally by redirecting each dog’s attention and ensuring handlers keep control, is another important strategy. Preventative management, such as controlling the environment and addressing unmet needs to reduce fight risks, is also emphasized.
However, specific techniques on safely breaking up a dog fight are not explicitly detailed in DeWillems' search results. To find detailed guidance consistent with her approach to compassionate, ethical dog behavior management, consulting her official training resources or videos, such as her YouTube channel or website, may be beneficial.
If a dog fight occurs, it is crucial to remember not to use hands or grab collars as it can be dangerous and may result in getting bitten. Instead, throw a safe liquid like water on the dogs, use large objects to separate them, or make a loud noise to startle them. Professional advice for intervening in a dog fight includes throwing liquid on the dogs, spraying animal deterrent spray up their nose and into their mouth, picking the biting dog up by their hind end (not pulling them to avoid further injury), and using a leash or collar to restrain.
It's important to keep oneself safe during a dog fight, as a trip to the ER would add more stress to the situation. Familiarizing oneself with these options increases the likelihood of using them when one's body is in panic mode during a dog fight.
Remember, dog play fighting can be normal and is not the same thing as a dog attack. However, none of these techniques are foolproof, and proactive desensitization is recommended to ensure they don't scare your own dog.
In some instances, dogs may attack each other or start fighting, much like humans. Knowing how to intervene in a dog fight can be useful, and products like SABRE Protector Dog Spray, a humane and effective natural dog pepper spray designed to deter dog attacks at a safe distance, can be helpful resources.
[1] Source: DeWillems, Juliana. (n.d.). Juliana DeWillems Dog Training. Retrieved from www.julianadewillems.com
- Juliana DeWillems, a dog behavior consultant and trainer, advises against physically intervening in dog fights, instead suggesting distraction techniques or employing tools like barriers, leashes, or a break stick.
- If a dog fight occurs, it is crucial to remember not to use hands or grab collars, but to throw a safe liquid like water on the dogs, use large objects to separate them, or make a loud noise to startle them.
- In some cases, proactive desensitization is recommended to ensure the dog-fight intervention techniques do not scare one's own pet.
- Products like SABRE Protector Dog Spray, a natural dog pepper spray designed to deter dog attacks at a safe distance, can be helpful resources in knowing how to intervene in a dog fight.
