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WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR DOG GETS INTO A HANDBAGGING SESSION WITH ANOTHER DOG?
A dog attacking another dog during a calm and peaceful walk is the most heart stopping moment in any dog owner's day. The snarling, growling and hanging onto each other's fur is a frightening sight for everyone around. People shouting and yelling the dog's names, other dogs barking and yipping, merely adds to the excitement of the moment. Then the owners make that big mistake of trying to separate them by grabbing collars. B.....A.....A.....D move! Touching dogs while they are fighting can result in what is called “re-directed aggression,” and a dog may bite you because he thinks you are part of the conflict.
Here are a few common sense ways to separate two fighting dogs.
1. Stand back, take a deep breath, stop yelling at your dog, then take off your hat, scarf or jacket and throw it over both dogs. That immediately disorientates them and the fighting stops instantly as they struggle to get away from the obstacle that suddenly fell on them.
2. If you have the presence of mind, pull on one of the dog's tails. This distracts the dog's attention and it will swerve around to see what is happening. This will give you time to yank your dog up by the scruff of the neck and get away from the other dog.
3. However, if the dog is in a scuffle with a proper fighting dog, then you have a big problem as your dog will continue to be attacked while hanging mid air. If this happens, punch the other dog hard on the nose (and yah boo! to the owner who may start yelling at you). The nose is the most vunerable part of a dog's anatomy and hitting the nose will stop anger and aggression. If it still jumps up, get another person to grab the back legs and lift it off the ground a little. Since dogs move backwards, this confuses the attacking dog.
4. If your dog draws blood or has been injured by the other dog, yell to someone to take pictures. In many cases, owners of attacking dogs will run away and leave you to pick up the vet's bills but keeping a photographic record of the person and the dog will be useful when you report the incident to the police. Many times they are spotted in another nearby park and get stopped by the Police.
Bet you didn't know this ..........
The Beatles song "A Day in the Life" has an extra high-pitched whistle, audible only to dogs. It was recorded by Paul McCartney for the enjoyment of his Shetland sheepdog.
Let your dog play. Its good for them!
You made it through January and up to now in one piece didn't you? Good! Then I will see you in March when the next blog will come out.
Dawn (*^_^*) (text speak for Big cheesy grin)
