What really works?

ok i am trying to find what to do when dogs fight. we have two female terriers who absolutely hate each other. we try to keep them apart, but accidents happen. they are fine with any other dogs, but not each other for some reason or another. well, we need to know what to do incase they get in another fight as we are tired of getting bit separating them.





our current method is to have one person grab one by the collar while the second gets the other dog by the collar and the third pops their jaws open. this works, but results in someone getting bit usually.





what have you tried that works and should you even try to break it up?

What really works?
are both of them spayed? Unaltered bitches do tend to be more aggressive than spayed.





Throw a blanket over them.. or dump/spray water.. when the dogs are shocked at the water or blanket, then grab them.





I also reccommend getting a professional involved.. either a trainer or a behavoirist.








Sometimes you get 2 females that just will NOT get along.. you have to crate and separate them at all times.. take more precautions to keep them separated.. invest in some baby gates.





If spaying and training does not solve your problem, and its impossible to keep them separated at all times, it would be best to consider rehoming one of them. Its not worth someone getting bit or injured.





DO NOT let the dogs "fight it out"! Some dogs will fight to the death!
Reply:I have found a pitcher of water to be handy. But was outside when that fight broke out. I had a baby duck, in a pen in the yard at my parents, my chi, thought it was his, as we were raising it in the house at my place. My parent's chi, thought it should be his new toy, as it was in HIS yard. I was bringing water out for the duck to swim in, and they started at it, and before I thought about it, I dumped the whole pitcher on them! They both stopped fighting and looked at me like I was nuts! They don't fight anymore.





Yes you want to break it up if it's truly nasty, if it isn't, they may just be establishing dominance, and might stop before it gets dangerous, but you don't want to let them actually hurt each other.
Reply:buy each dog a muzzle and try getting them use to each other without having them be able to bite each other.
Reply:You should leave them alone when they fight and let them figure out who is in charge. Dogs do this to learn which is dominant over the other, it is a natural "pecking order" type of behavior. The reason you get bit is because you are getting in the middle of something that the dogs need to resolve on their own, humans shouldn't intervene. Would you try to break up two wolves that were fighting? Dogs come from the same stock as wild dogs or wolves, same deal.
Reply:My grandma had 20 or more dogs and as you say accidents do happen, and what she used was water it really works. GL
Reply:Get citronella spray. Spraying them while they are fighting will disorient them and most likely cause them to disengage without hurting them in any way. Most pet stores carry the spray.
Reply:Terriers are extremely jealous by nature..I had two rat terriers once that were always competing for my affection...Let them see you petting one while petting the other and let them feel they are getting equal attention..crazy but it works.
Reply:Squirting them with the hose works wonders. Grabbing each by the tail works well too but if you want the behavior to stop you need to keep a close watch on them and stop the fight before it starts. It's not that hard.
Reply:There is no easy way to separate dogs that are fighting. You are very lucky no one has been seriously injured (that includes you and the dogs). If they aren't spayed, that may help, keeping one crated while the other is out, rehoming one, or finding a trainer/behaviourist may be able to see the triggers and help work out a solution.