Dog Fight

[phetaroi]

We all hear how Thais do not really care for animals well, and to some extent that is true. But yesterday I saw something that was really quite dramatic and showed a level of care I wouldn't have expected.

I was walking toward the Memorial Bridge boat pier, right through the heart of the vegetable/flower market. Suddenly, right to my left, two dogs got into a fight, which a third dog then joined. And, it was bad. I've never seen anything like it, and while it may not have developed into a fight to the death, the results were clearly going to be bloody and at least resulting in permanent damage to one or more of the dogs.

At first the Thai people laughed and paid little attention, but within seconds they began realizing this was not a normal situation. Several jumped up. A couple started throwing bowls or buckets of water on the dogs. Another had a hose and began really hosing them down, all to no avail. A few began hitting the dogs with empty plastic buckets. No change. Finally, three people walked right into this dog fight, grabbed each of the dogs by the scruff of the neck, and dragged them apart.

The two amazing things were that the dogs were careful not to bite the people and that the people risked their own safety to get right in the middle of a dog fight and break it up.

[Bobr]

I love dogs but unfortunately fighting is part of their nature. People from Western countries may not have seen much of this before since most dogs there have to be neutered to get a dog license. There's a big difference between dogs fighting naturally and a dog fight organized by humans, the latter being a disgusting form of evil. As savage and sad as it looks, these "social" animals usually back down or retreat once a dominate male has been established, they usually do not fight to the death.

[sbk]

Actually, the only difference between dogs fighting naturally and dogs fighting in a ring is the ones in the ring have been bred and trained for meanness.

Dogs fighting naturally will kill the other if it does not submit. Or, cause wounds so grievous the dog could die anyway.

Grabbing a dog by the scruff of the neck in a dog fight is quite dangerous and I have the hole in my hand to show for it. Now, I grab one by the tail, someone grabs the other and we pull them apart. They will let go of the other dog and this gives you the chance to break up the fight.

[phetaroi]

I love dogs but unfortunately fighting is part of their nature. People from Western countries may not have seen much of this before since most dogs there have to be neutered to get a dog license. There's a big difference between dogs fighting naturally and a dog fight organized by humans, the latter being a disgusting form of evil. As savage and sad as it looks, these "social" animals usually back down or retreat once a dominate male has been established, they usually do not fight to the death.

I'm well aware of the dominance "thing", and this was well beyond that.

[isanbirder]

I had this happen once in my own house in Hong Kong. I had three dogs, a 14-year-old terrier type, a 3-year-old Alsatian bitch, and a 10-year-old Labrador cross, which all lived together for almost three years quite amicably. The terrier was getting old and crotchety, and one evening the other two dogs suddenly went for her (she was the smallest of the three). I think they had decided her time had come, and this was a doggy way of dealing with the problem. Of course I pulled them off, but we decided to have the old dog euthanased the same night; she was terribly shocked, and it was clear she couldn't go on living in that household.

Yes, fighting is a normal way for dogs to solve a problem.

[bina]

we have in house quabbles daily between my three (sans balls now, even foofoo after his eye incident)... in the beginning i did a separation act ditto sbk: got holes in hand. amazing what a lhasa can do when he means to bite (he meant to bite the rat terrier,bt got me so his bite inhibition was on 'off' mode).

and i ama very very experiened dog handler but when its your own dogs... well, we do stupid things we would harangue someone else about.

outdoor dog fights: sbk the best is the wheel barrow grab, not the tail:

if u are alone: dont do it unless u can lasso/leash/or otherwise restrain one of the dogs very quickly by thowing it behind a fenced area or in a car/lasso/leash looped over head to strangulate for a few minutes while u fling dog in to holding area and let go of the lasso/leash (dont undo frm head or u will get bitten). they will not choke to death as most leashes relax a bit once u dont pull. then fling other dog somehwere else.

two people: again: or lasso/leash round the neck of one and tie to tree or holding area/or both people grab both dogs at same time!!! by hind legs and walk backwords like a wheelbarrow backword move, and get at least one dog in to closed area. move out of way of other dog.

sounds slow but when done is very good way to neutralize animals and avoid bites.

i dont ever interfere with a brawl even if its my dog at the bottom. human bite wounds take time to heal, get infected, cause damage etc. and if they are someone else's dogs, i dont know if they are vaccinated so leave them to themselves. my foofoo was at the bottmo (or in the middle of two mouths) of a four dog brawl . cost 2000 shekels (a lot for me) in staples, emergency treatment, iv, and a few months recovery time both physically and psychologically for him.

his latest adventrure has left him w/o eye so we did the balls at the same time... see how that goes here.

husband uses big stick and thai curses. seems to work also but he is super dominant personality with dogs.

bina

israel

[isanbirder]

I agree with everything you say, Bina... and I don't remember how I separated my three! I've often wondered if the old dog had some internal sickness, and the other two knew. But they never even squabbled before! The Alsatian was top dog, the Labrador X was next... and the old terrier just grumbled.

Another incident, this time in Chiangmai... my Bangkaew was on the lead when he was attacked by a soi dog almost twice his size. I just let the lead go; one thing you can trust a Bangkaew to do is to win a fight! My small terrier came to the aid of the party, too; he went round the back and nipped the soi dog in the haunch. The fight didn't last long. But the moral is this... let the dogs sort it out themselves if possible.

[bina]

i think thta some dogs just have 'bad hair' days and go 'postal'... some days its all hunky dory and everyone eat of same bowl, everyone in their own basket/bed; other days, one will eyeball an other and keep him/her at bay from across the room (our houses are very very small so not a lot of open space to manouever in and bedrooms are off limits. ) sometimes one will start growling under his/her breath and then they all start and suddenly a squall of bodies and then quiet... usually no physical damage. often its enough that i send them 'to place' and they all go off and mutter under their fur, but stay intheir baskets...

a bit similar to 3yr old kids in the house, only with canine fangs ) ...

bina