How to handle a dog fight

Thankfully, the two dog gifhts I had to break up were near a hose, and the aggressor hated water with a passion.  I was able to spray them apart, then keep him back with the hose. (He wanted to come back for round two.)

In a dog park, the best way to end a fight is to prevent it. 

Dog fights are scary freaking things. 

ORIGINAL: SisMorphine

Choke out is best.

Of course in the heat of the moment that is NOT the method I used. Ideally all dogs should be wearing flat collars during play. This way if a fight breaks out you can rabies pole your arms (so you don't get bitten) and lift the front legs off the ground. If you can't breath you can't fight.

Hi SisMorphine,

What does it mean to rabies pole your arms? Also, what does choke out mean?

To rabies pole your arm is to keep your elbow straight (like a rabies pole), thus the dog cannot come back at your if you have a hold of their collar.

Choke out is when you grab a hold of a dog's collar and lift their front legs off the ground.  Most people sit and gasp "But that's just mean!"  Your dogs are in a fight.  You could let them duke it out to the death (or close to) or you could cut off their air supply briefly until they left go of each other.  Personally I would rather cut off air supply, but to each his own.

While this choke out is being done, what the other dog doing.  Is this method used only in a lock situation.

Leerburgs method does work. Real dog fights can`t be stopped with a squirt bottle or garden hose.

ORIGINAL: DPU

While this choke out is being done, what the other dog doing.  Is this method used only in a lock situation.

Ideally there should be two people, one to each dog.  If you're alone you could do it to both dogs yourself (it's amazing the strength that adrenaline can give a person!) or you can hook a leash to one dog and securely anchor the dog on something.  Even here I would still try to choke out both dogs and just move the unsecured one once they let go.

This is easiest to use in a locked situation, which is why I didn't use it during either fight I broke up.  Dogs who are not bred to bite and hold are more hectic when it comes to fighting and it can be difficult to get a hold of a collar without getting bitten.  For my first fight I had no tools on me so I just dove right in immediately, rabies poled my arms, and scruffed the neck and butt and threw my dog over the fence.  For the second one I did have tools.  Water didn't work.  Broomstick didn't work.  Hucking metal buckets didn't work.  It was an all out fight.  But because neither dog was biting and holding I double scruffed the aggressor (the husky mix) as I had a good feeling that once he was out of the picture the other dog wasn't going to follow us, but if I had grabbed the other dog the husky mix WOULD have come after us and I probably would have gotten bit.  And believe me, that dog tried to bite me as I walked him to the kennel and threw him behind the door, he just couldn't reach me with my arm placement.

IMO there is no "safe and effective" way to break up a dog fight.  You just need to be smart about whatever methods you use and not panic.  If you panic you are definitely going to get yourself bit.

I was taught to have two people and each grabs a dog by it's back legs lifting the dog off the ground by say 8 inches to a foot depending on the dogs size and walk them backward away from each other in a wheel barrow position.

The reasoning (as I have been told and I am not sure this is correct) is that in nature, there are no situation where a dog's back legs suddenly are up in the air, and it provides a momentary "WTF!?!" for the dog's brain - giving humans a small window in which to separate the animals. The second reason is that in this position it is VERY hard for a dog to turn its body around enough to bite the person holding its legs.

This worked for the only dog fight I've ever had to break up between two pit bulls.

ORIGINAL: Pit_Pointer_Aussie

I was taught to have two people and each grabs a dog by it's back legs lifting the dog off the ground by say 8 inches to a foot depending on the dogs size and walk them backward away from each other in a wheel barrow position.

The reasoning (as I have been told and I am not sure this is correct) is that in nature, there are no situation where a dog's back legs suddenly are up in the air, and it provides a momentary "WTF!?!" for the dog's brain - giving humans a small window in which to separate the animals. The second reason is that in this position it is VERY hard for a dog to turn its body around enough to bite the person holding its legs.

This worked for the only dog fight I've ever had to break up between two pit bulls.

This method is described in detail in the link I included in my post above. 

ORIGINAL: Bobsk8

This method is described in detail in the link I included in my post above. 

Sorry, didn't see that!

ORIGINAL: hdkutz

Leerburgs method does work. Real dog fights can`t be stopped with a squirt bottle or garden hose.

Curious about what a "real" dog fight is in your mind?

First: Prevention (dogs should not meet on taut leashes, etc.)
Second: Know how to tell a blustery tiff from a real fight.  Many people swear their dog was "attacked", only to find no blood anywhere on either dog once it's over!
Third: Bluster - you can try to use hoses, or noise, or put something solid between the dogs
Fourth: If it is an all out fight, yup, Leerburg's method works - well.
Fifth: If you own a bully breed, own a breaking stick, but check local ordinances first to make sure you won't be in violation of a an anti-dogfighting ordinance.

Ideally there should be two people, one to each dog. If you're alone you could do it to both dogs yourself (it's amazing the strength that adrenaline can give a person!) or you can hook a leash to one dog and securely anchor the dog on something. Even here I would still try to choke out both dogs and just move the unsecured one once they let go.

 
I don't allow my 2 to be together when I'm alone, but I was told that if something were to ever happen and I was alone to grab a leash, wrap it around the belly/back leg area and slip the clasp end thru the handle of the leash.  That would create a tightened loop and then drag that dog to whatever was close enough to tie them up to.  If you could manage that, then you'd just have the other dog to contend with.  It's not pleasant to think about but if you happen to own 2 dogs with aggression problems (with each other), you try to stay prepared for anything.
 

dog fights can`t be stopped with a garden hose

I beg to differ here. I have broken up several large fights between all different breeds. You have to aim the stream of water into the dogs throats, causing them to take a step back because they cannot breath with water shooting down their throats. Just spraying water on the dogs is useless, you have to aim directly down they throats and use a steady stream. Using a hose is the only method that I have found to be affective every time. Bite sticks do not always work. Grabbing a hold of the dog always leads to some one being bit - I do not care how experienced you are with training. You will get bit. Dogs do not care who you are at that point in time - they are in fight to survive mode, and you are in the way.
At the dog park you have to keep an eye on your dog, and other dogs around you. I take Casey as often as I can - he loves it. I have never had any problems because we all keep a close eye on our dogs. We do not let them too far out of reach, and even as we talk, our eyes rarely ever leave the dogs. If something looks like it is about to happen - we call our dogs over, and problem is solved. Make sure your dogs have a good recall before letting them run free. If your dog wont listen to you, that could lead to many problems.
 

A trainer I met with 10+ years of experience training K-9s and aggressive dogs told me that she uses an airhorn and says it works every time.  Your mileage may vary, and I have never tried it.   

Fourth: If it is an all out fight, yup, Leerburg's method works - well.
Fifth: If you own a bully breed, own a breaking stick, but check local ordinances first to make sure you won't be in violation of a an anti-dogfighting ordinance.

Personally I think that Leerburg's method can be pretty dangerous as you only have control over the hind end NOT the "biting unit" (head end) and if a dog is going to redirect I would think you're more likely to get nailed.
I also think that break sticks are over rated.  Some pit bull people swear by them.  Personally I think it's going to be pretty difficult in a dog fight to wedge a stick between back teeth AND twist AND hold onto your dog.  Hence why I prefer to choke out.  If the dog can't breath, the dog can't fight.