WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DOGS FIGHT (OTHER THAN CRY)
They got into a fight Monday night.
Like, a fight fight. And, it’s the second one this month.
Honestly, I’ve waffled about sharing this story for a couple reasons, but let’s first back up a bit…
Way back when Lucas was sick, after his amputation, Emmett and Cooper got in several fights at dinnertime over the span of a couple months. We were shocked because they’ve always gotten along so perfectly. We thought maybe something else was going on, so we talked to our vet, and she gave them the all-clear medically but said that, with Lukey’s illness, it wasn’t all that surprising. She said stress, changes in routine, all of it, could easily cause tensions to flare.
So, we instituted the mat system to keep them separate at dinnertime, and that was pretty much that.
Until now.
It’s sort of the same scenario, though entirely different. Emmett’s mobility diminishes each day.
{{I’m going to write more about that in full in another post. Truth: It’s sort of why I’ve been avoiding writing anything because it’s a lot to process. But… soon…}}
He falls. A lot. He’s wearing boots and a GingerLead almost always. Our routine has changed to accommodate him. And, I don’t know, Cooper is SUCH a sensitive little guy. He is super smart, for sure, but he’s always been reactive… guided by his emotions, not his head.
A couple weeks ago, I was cleaning the kitchen. I had my headphones on listening to an audiobook (Everyone Brave is Forgiven… you guys, after like 11 hours of listening, I didn’t like it. Sigh.). The dogs follow me everywhere all the time, so–of course–they were puttering around my feet.
They were both behind me while I cleaned the counter, and so I have no idea how it started, but in a flash John was running in from the living room and we were pulling them apart.
Neither dog was hurt, thank goodness. But.
It’s always devastating when your dogs fight, you know? We were more shaken than they were because literally within 30 seconds they were totally back to normal, like nbd.
Fast forward to Monday night. John and I were sitting on the couch, watching Friends reruns on Netflix, eating boxes of Girl Scout cookies (yeah… boxes… plural… #noshame). The dogs were puttering around, as usual. Somehow they both ended up between the coffee table and the couch, and I don’t know if it was that Emmett was losing his balance or that we had cookies in hand or who knows what, but again… a flash, and we’re pulling them apart.
This time, Cooper has an injury… sort of a split/fat lip.
Sigh.
And, to be totally honest, I hesitated to write about this because I sort of feel like it’s shameful. Here I am, a pet industry professional, with my own dogs getting into fights. Plus, I’m sensitive about the crowd that crows about them being pit bulls, you know? But, I was talking to a blogger buddy, and she said something like, “You have to write about this because I bet a lot of people who experience this don’t know where to go for help.”
Well, fair enough.
So, here’s a bit of help: Luckily (?) I had the opportunity to research and write about how to stop a dog fight a couple years ago, so I have the tools at my disposal. If you’re facing this in your house, or at the dog park or whatever, go read that piece.
My advice, which I’m trying very hard to take for myself, is to gather some perspective. In our case, I think it’s a matter of perspective, anyway. If your dogs are constantly going at each other or injuring each other, seek a professional, science-based trainer ASAP. Safety is the most important thing, for you and for your dogs, so keep them separate until you can work with a pro.
If you’re like us, where it’s situational, try to identify the triggers. I think we have an overarching stress factor that we can’t really combat right now, but we can be extra cautious when there’s food around since that’s been the consistent trigger for them.
Practice the wheelbarrow technique in the article above, if that makes you feel better. I’ve been thinking about, too, how my siblings and I used to fight. Things that wouldn’t normally push your buttons, on a bad day can totally send you over the edge, and it’s the same for our dogs.
Take deep breaths.
That’s what I’m working on, anyway.
Have your dogs ever fought? Have you ever had to break up a dog fight?
Please do share your experiences in the comments! As my friend pointed out, this community helps us all realize… we’re not alone in our crazy, devoted love for our dogs, even when they behave like idiots.
