Dog Fights

My experiences with dog fights and prevention tips.

Dog fights are scary, but most of the time, they can be avoided. Knowing the personalities of the dogs means you often know who gets along, and which dogs have problems. When free-running the dogs, you can control the group sizes, and hopefully keep an eye on the dogs. If tails are up, generally everything's okay. Kennel-mates often play-fight, but when they get interrupted by other dogs, a fight could occur. Resource guarding is also a common cause for a fight, so it's important to listen for any growling. If you feel the atmosphere change and tension suddenly arises, the dogs can go home early.

On my second day back, when I was in the kennel alone, there was a dog fight during free run. I had 15 dogs out, and suddenly at least four were piled on top of Tush. I yelled at the dogs really loudly, and Joyce heard the yelling and came running over to help me break it up. Tush got lucky with only a few puncture wounds, and after a week in our hospital room, he was back in the kennel. He doesn't free-run with that group anymore.

Now when I free-run alone, I take precautions.

1. I run smaller groups (up to 8 dogs)

2. I stagger the dogs (open a kennel, wait a minute for the barking to settle, then open another kennel)

3. I have something in my hand (usually a plastic pole) that I can use to deter the dogs, or use to break up a fight.

I hadn't heard of 'fence fights' before this season, until Juli ripped Smulan's leg badly through the fence. Smulan's leg got caught in a gap in the fence one morning, and Juli latched onto it from the kennel next door. Joyce heard Smulan screaming from the house, and ran into the kennel. Smulan's ligament was visible and torn, and the muscle was ripped as well. After a few days, the decision was made to put Smulan down. Losing a dog is always the hardest part of working in the kennel.

Smulan