Stop Dog Fights
Do you want to learn a good tip about how to stop dog fights? Learn how to recognize aggressive dog body language. For example, on my walk with my dog this morning at the local park, we came across a loose dog whose body language was obviously all wrong. Because I already was experienced in how to recognize aggressive behavior, I could easily see that to stop a dog fight from occurring, I would have to avoid this dog . The approaching dog looked as if he could become a problem. He appeared quite aggressive and was heading straight for us. He wasn’t barking and growling, but even before this dog got close to us, I could tell by the dog body language he displayed that his intentions weren’t of the friendliest nature. This was obviously a dog that needed to be avoided-kind of like the schoolyard bully. The easiest way to stop dog fights, is to prevent them from getting started in the first place.
How did I know this dog was a potential problem? Well, it was easy, because after spending so many years watching my own dogs’ various behaviors, I was well acquainted with the various postures of dog body language, especially recognizing aggressive behaviors. I had a couple of very aggressive German Shepherds that had already taught me to stop dog fights before they could start-they used to be aggressive themselves, so I knew exactly what to look for. Just like people use more than just words to communicate with each other, dogs also use their body language to “talk” to each other. They use a variety of vocal and non-vocal expressions to make their intentions known. The body language an aggressive dog makes is quite distinctive to other body languages they employ, and it is important for you to recognize an aggressive behavior in dogs to stop dog fights from happening. Often dogs will demonstrate to each other who is the dominant dog and who is the submissive dog. As long as one of the dogs remains submissive to the dominant dog, there should not be a problem with a dog fight. It is when neither dog will show submission (since both want to show their dominance) that there is a real potential for trouble. This is when it is up to you to stop dog fights before they can start, by being aware of how the dogs are interacting and the body language they are displaying. Please read my article on stopping dog on dog aggression.
Here are some signs of aggression that you can learn in order to recognize aggressive body language in dogs and help you stop dog fights by avoiding encounters that could lead to a dog fight. When you recognize these sure signs of aggression, whether in your own dog or another dog, you need to defuse a potentially dangerous situation by taking action. That could mean calming and controlling your own pet, or finding a way to avoid an altercation with the other dog, by leaving the area.
- An aggressive dog will display some familiar behaviors that everyone has seen before. He will put his head above the other dog’s head, and perhaps put his paws over the other dog’s shoulders. He may even try to mount the other dog. These are signs of dominance and can be a real problem if the second dog does not submit. You can help stop dog fights from starting by preventing this behavior.
- If he adds a snarl and displays some teeth while doing this, ( perhaps even snapping his jaws), then he is definitely in an aggressive mode (not just demonstrating dominance) and this can be a very real problem just waiting to happen. You will want to avoid ever letting an aggressive dog get close enough to do this to your dog and stop dog fights from perhaps breaking out.
- An aggressive dog also can be spotted by recognizing the strong tension in his body posture-his tail will be raised and not wagging at all, and his ears will be back. He is clearly not in a friendly mood.
- One of the most easily recognizable of the several aggressive body language postures dogs use is putting the hair on their back, “putting their hackles”, up. That was the first thing I noticed this morning at the park-the approaching dog was clearly aggressive, and I could see that his hackles were already up before he even got very close to us.
- The dog with aggression on his mind is very focused and his eyes will be staring intently at the object of his bad intentions.
If you put all these behaviors together you can see that you have observed aggressive body language many times, even if you didn’t recognize what it meant. Now that you are aware of the danger that this aggressive body language made cause, it is up to you to be pro-active and stop dog fights from happening before they can get started. I had problems with my own dogs being aggressive, and until I trained them better, I would never take them out in public without a leash without worrying that I would have to stop a dog fight if another dog showed up at the playground. If your dog is aggressive, it is only being responsible for you to maintain control of your dog when he is out in public. Please click here to read about how to stop dog aggression towards people.
Once you can recognize and pay attention to aggressive body language in dogs you will be better prepared to stop dog fights by preventing them from breakig out in the first place. In the case of another dog in the area that is acting aggressively, by recognizing the aggressive dog’s body language in advance you can avoid coming in to close contact with that dog. That is exactly what I did this morning, and no doubt avoided a problem encounter, perhaps even a dog fight, with the aggressive loose dog. Do what I did and just alter your course away form the other dog. That way you don’t let your own dog get involved with the other dog’s bad energy and ruin the nice time you guys are having.
If your own dog is responsible for the aggressive behavior you can take action by really doing a good job of obedience training your dog. After he has learned to pay attention and listen to you as the boss, you can control your dog’s aggressive instincts. So, learn to recognize aggressive body language and you are well on your way to beng able to stop dog fights-before they happen.
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