Blog

i don’t know if this will even be allowed here bc it’s not technically a question about training, more about general knowledge about breaking up dog fights (for the average owner, not industry professionals).

i am going to preface this because my question is weird as hell without it lmao.

i work in ER vet med, and today we had a dog that came in after being stabbed multiple times following a dog fight in a park. the dog coded within minutes of being here, and owners elected to stop CPR. from my understanding of the story: 2 dogs (a pitbull and a JRT looking thing) were fighting, and the owner of the pitbull was no where nearby. the owner of the JRT was trying to break them up, but got bit in the process. another 3rd party person came in and stabbed the pitbull, after which paramedics rushed the dog to us via ambulance.

obviously this is a case where owners did not know how to properly break up a dog fight, as most of the general public is unaware of (a conversation for a different day).

this just got me thinking about hypotheticals: what quick methods would you advise in a situation like this? assuming the owners know nothing about the wheelbarrow method, etc. i’m talking you see someone about to stab a dog and you have 10 seconds or less to intervene to keep the dog from being stabbed. originally i was thinking pepper spray would be a much better alternative to a knife, but still carries health risks & can cause other problems (i personally feel i would rather deal with the risks & issues that come from pepper spray than multiple stab wounds over my dog’s whole body, but that could just be me).

this isn’t even the first horrible case we’ve received this week, so i’m just rocked from it all. welcoming any and all suggestions!! not that it helps this current situation, but just trying to think of things most people would either have on them or have near them to break up a fight without having to kill one of the animals.

I have a senior German Shepherd and a 6 month old Golden Retriever. Our senior has always been iffy about other dogs, but she has coexisted with the puppy very well… Until recently.

She's always been a resource guarder against other dogs with her food and toys. We have been very good with making sure that they are separated or supervised when food is out and make sure that they only play with their own toys.

However it's gotten to the point where she is now guarding water. We had a large bowl that is shared but have recently gotten their own bowls to prevent any issues. But now our senior will proceed to drink all the water to the point she throws up and we think she's doing it so that the puppy can't have any – even when she is not in the room.

I'm at my wits end and would love to hear if anyone has experienced the same issue and what was your fix.

I have tried so hard to potty train my weenie and she just will not stop having accidents in the house!

I take her out right when we wake up, after each meal, we walk 1-3 times per day, I take her out right before bed, and I give her a treat every time she potties outside.

I don’t know what else I can do and I’m at the end of my rope. I just want to cry because it doesn’t get better. The problem is most of the time I take her outside she won’t go to the bathroom we just stand in the patch of the yard for 10-15 minutes. Even in the morning right when we wake up she WONT GO! But we will come inside and then she will hide and potty in the house.

Is my only option to try to crate train her?? Are there tips of how I could start that? She’s extremely needy and has separation anxiety so I worry that will also not work well, but I will do anything at this point.

Please help me!, I’m desperate!

Should a dog be able to yawn while wearing a Halti head harness? I measured my dog and ordered the size that fit her measurements, but it seems a little small? I spent 2 months slooowwwlly desensitizing her, so she is totally happy wearing it and she doesn't seem to mind too much that she has trouble yawning. She'll try a couple times and then forget about it.

To address all the people who will tell me not to use a Halti: I am pregnant and I need to be able to walk my dog (who is a high prey drive and extremely extroverted working breed) to and from the park where we play fetch. She wears a front clip harness, which (together with training) got us 95% of the way to loose-leash walking, but there is still the occasional moment when she'll lunge at a bird, fixate on a dog/person/rabbit, or find a scent that she NEEDS to track down. I'm planning to use both the front clip and the Halti to reduce the risk of hurting her neck.