So my dog bit my girlfriend...

[MannyC]

Let me start by giving you a little background. My gf moved in with me a year ago and brought her dog(Diamond). She is a 2 1/2 year old pitbull who is the sweetest dog in the world. Pic1.
Well I was starting to feel guilty leaving Diamond at home all day by herself, so I went and got another dog... a male red nose pit bull(PapiPic2. Well Diamond and Papi got along great from day one, they played all day until they were just too tired to move. Weve had them together for 2 months now and everything was going great... until this past Sunday. I was at work and my gf let the dogs out to play and do their business, when all of a sudden she heard snarling and barking. She didnt get too excited beacuse if anyone has seen two pitbulls play, its pretty intense. Well she noticed that they werent playing and they were actually going at each other. She ran over to break them up... shes 5' 2" and about 110lbs... the female pit is about 35lbs and the male is prob around 50lbs. Any dog, much less two, that is close to your weight and is pissed is probably going to end badly for you. Well the gf sticks her hand in between to grab their faces and push them apart but the dogs react if she is not even there and proceed to bite her. Pic3 Neither one has ever even snarled at a human before much less bite them. She then jumped on the male to hold him down, he stopped fighting but the female would not stop. She scratched up my gf pretty good, luckily my brother had spent the night and heard her scream for help. He came running out and proceeded to drop kick the female and shock her out of kill mode. Luckily there was no life threatening injuries to anyone, but Im in shock of what happened. Both dogs are very good and have never done anything like this before... is it possible one is getting tired of the other? Before someone starts saying its because their pitbulls obvously doesnt know what their talking about and would appreciate you keeping your uninformed opinion to yourself.

[jcamaro]

Just going to say the obvious first, sticking your hand between two fighting dogs is not the way to get them to stop. All they see is something else fleshy to bite and don't care who it is. But she's probably not to blame since your dogs have never fought before.

I know that just about anything can set off two dogs to fight. We had a chocolate lab a while ago and ended up staying with some friends for a few weeks while we found a house after moving back to Oklahoma. Our chocolate lab was the friendliest dog you'd ever met. Our friends had 2 dogs, both mixes that I couldn't really tell what they were. They got along just fine for a while but then one day their dog Pepper started to get in to it with our lab (Goliath). We still don't know why but we had to keep them separated from then on. And for the rest of his life, Goliath never had any trouble with any other dog.

My suggestion would be to look into training and instructions on how to integrate two dogs together. And it may sound really stupid, but check into the Dog Whisperer show. There is probably an episode where he deals with a situation like this and you could learn a few pointers. If you don't want this to end with one of them having to be put down, then you'll need to make an effort to train them to live together.

[Iwantone2]

Our two dogs, Snoopy and Simon, live in harmony most of the time. The other times they are growling at each other and trying to bite each others' hind legs. It's only until we have to go over and regulate on them that they behave, but it's just their nature.

With Snoopy, he know's that I'll whoop that ass if he doesn't behave. All I had to do with him is grab him by the throat and pin him to the ground and talk in a firm voice. They need to know that I'm the boss...like Tony Danza.

[toesuf94]

Wow...ugly bites. And it is because it is two dogs...not because of the breed. Use a hose to break it up if it happens again. Never get between two animals when they are fighting. And I would say it happened because one wanted to dominate the other, to be ALPHA...and you have two Alpha dogs on your hands. Eventually they will have to fight it out on their own (dangerous) or one will have to go.

[20Camaro11]

I won't touch what is and what is not an agressive breed...its a worn out argument that goes nowhere. People love their pets...no matter what they are. That being said, I wouldn't keep a dog that has bitten a person. The liability is just too high IMO. The circumstances are different in that it was two dogs fighting and the GF tried to break it up. What if that had been someone elses dog and they were trying to seperate the dogs? If children are around...whether my own or somebody elses...that dog would be in a chain link fence and tied. The risk is just too high.

[Ladybugsmom]

Hope she went to the doctor for that bite! It's been said already, but I'll repeat it - never get between fighting dogs! I have a Rottie - sweetest dog ever, but she used to fight with our other Rottie (who passed away a few years ago) and I would just let 'em work it out or get a hose...

[PoorMansCamaro]

so you have shock collars on your pitbulls...oh the irony...

[MannyC]

Originally Posted by PoorMansCamaro

so you have shock collars on your pitbulls...oh the irony...

They are big ass dogs and they jump and get excited when they see people so its how I keep them from going nuts out of EXCITEMENT.

[heRS]

Dog trainer here: When 2 dogs fight your best bet it to figure out who is the "aggressor" and hold that dogs' tail to give the other one a chance to get away. Never try to get between them! In the above scenario, I would have taken a hold of the female's tail to let the male get away. When you hold their rear legs or tail as described, the dog is still focused on the other dog and is less likely to bite you. Hands off procedure, a deck chair between them, not your hands! Or the hose. Or an air horn.
Why were they fighting? Possibly over a toy or chewie, possibly a dog outside the fence got them excited and they took it out on each other? Or, he wouldn't quit bugging her and she took him to task. Will he go there again? He's male. Most likely. If it becomes a regular thing, I'd rehome one or the other. Some dogs just do better as "only dogs".
The dog on top pic looks to be part boxer. Is that the male? They are a more high energy dog than a pit, and they have poor social skills with other dogs quite often.
Shock collars? No wonder they're frustrated! Are those bark collars, UG fence collars or some sort of training collars? Sounds like you need to find a good trainer who uses positive reinforcement training to teach you and your girl how to be better pet parents so you can lose the shock collars.
Dog training isn't always about the dog, it's about the signals we send when dealing with them. Learn how to understand the dog, you'll have a happier relationship all the way around.
If she goes to a hospital, they will require the dog to go into quarantine and it will not go well for the dog because it's a "bully" breed. Clean those wounds well!

[20Camaro11]

There is a lot of good information on the web and maybe talk to your vet about your specific breed. Since many people don't know what they are talking about...maybe you should do some research...

[MannyC]

Originally Posted by heRS

Dog trainer here: When 2 dogs fight your best bet it to figure out who is the "aggressor" and hold that dogs' tail to give the other one a chance to get away. Never try to get between them! In the above scenario, I would have taken a hold of the female's tail to let the male get away. When you hold their rear legs or tail as described, the dog is still focused on the other dog and is less likely to bite you. Hands off procedure, a deck chair between them, not your hands! Or the hose. Or an air horn.
Why were they fighting? Possibly over a toy or chewie, possibly a dog outside the fence got them excited and they took it out on each other? Or, he wouldn't quit bugging her and she took him to task. Will he go there again? He's male. Most likely. If it becomes a regular thing, I'd rehome one or the other. Some dogs just do better as "only dogs".
The dog on top pic looks to be part boxer. Is that the male? They are a more high energy dog than a pit, and they have poor social skills with other dogs quite often.
Shock collars? No wonder they're frustrated! Are those bark collars, UG fence collars or some sort of training collars? Sounds like you need to find a good trainer who uses positive reinforcement training to teach you and your girl how to be better pet parents so you can lose the shock collars.
Dog training isn't always about the dog, it's about the signals we send when dealing with them. Learn how to understand the dog, you'll have a happier relationship all the way around.
If she goes to a hospital, they will require the dog to go into quarantine and it will not go well for the dog because it's a "bully" breed. Clean those wounds well!

Thanks for the info... there are two minature poodles next door that always rile up my female(the first pic) when she goes outside. The collars are remote trainers and work very effectively, I dont just go holding down the button to watch them jump around, the collar has an audible beep button to warn them and 90% its enough to stop the unwanted behavior, so I dont have to shock.

[heRS]

Oh, and if they are not spayed/neutered, get that done asap! Part of the problem is asshat breeders who have no clue about genetics who just breed 2 dogs without understanding the ramifications.
A well-trained and socialized pit bull terrier is an amazing dog. An untrained and unsocialized pit bull is a dangerous nightmare! The breed was referred to as "The Childs Nursemaid" back in the 30s and 40s. They are excellent with kids. Just work with a good trainer and learn how to understand the furry alien you invite into your family, regardless of the breed.

[heRS]

Originally Posted by MannyC

Thanks for the info... there are two minature poodles next door that always rile up my female(the first pic) when she goes outside. The collars are remote trainers and work very effectively, I dont just go holding down the button to watch them jump around, the collar has an audible beep button to warn them and 90% its enough to stop the unwanted behavior, so I dont have to shock.

A good trainer can show you how to get your female to ignore those toy poodles. Should your girl get through the fence somehow, they are history and so will she be if she kills them.

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by MannyC

Thanks for the info... there are two minature poodles next door that always rile up my female(the first pic) when she goes outside. The collars are remote trainers and work very effectively, I dont just go holding down the button to watch them jump around, the collar has an audible beep button to warn them and 90% its enough to stop the unwanted behavior, so I dont have to shock.

First off, I do hope your GF is OK. Her bites don't look too deep, but as others have said. Clean them out, wrap them up and be sure to check that your GF is up to date on her tetanus shots and such, as well as your pups being up to date on their shots as well.

So stupid question here, if you have the remote training collars why didn't your GF use them? I can understand if it was just her being in the moment and not thinking about it, heck I know I've done that a few times. Not with dogs, but tunnel vision is something everyone can fall victim to.