# Nasty Dog Fight



## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Well, I am just back from the emergency room.









Looks like I will have to knock off shooting slingshots for a while.

A neighbor's dog got loose this morning ,,, a German Shepherd cross at about 100 pounds. I was walking my dog ... the world's largest Airedale Terrier at 120+ pounds. Long story short ... there was a fight. I got them both by the collars, but the shep's collar was a loose leather thing. He managed to spin and nail my arm. I finally got them both on the ground, but the damage was done ... to me ... both dogs were fine ... heavy sigh ... Trying to control well over 200 pounds of snarling dogs was a bit much, but I really wanted to avoid either dog getting shredded.

Tetanus shot, antibiotics, soak in salt water 3 times daily for a week or 10 days, blah, blah, blah ...

Good news is there appears to be no damage to tendons, major blood vessels, or bones. I needed a rest from the garden anyway ...

Cheers ...... Charles


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

Scary stuff!
Here's wishing you a speedy recovery!


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Get well soon Charles. Glad there no major injury ! Those are some big dogs.


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## Marnix (Mar 29, 2014)

Wow. Hope you will recover soon, and happy your dog is alright. Glad you got them both under control before anything worse could happen to you or them. Dog fights can be really bad. A friend of mine, who has lots of experience handling large dogs, owns a 140 pound Boerboel (A large mastiff) The dog had had bad experiences with previous owners, most likely having been raised for dogfights. A good size Labrador ran at my friends dog, who freaked out and bit the Lab's neck. Told it was 1/4 inch away from the Jugular vein... Both dogs lived, and the Boerboel is getting much better. Dogs can be great, but can be dangerous too..

Marnix.


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## TLG_Catapults (May 5, 2014)

Charles said:


> Well, I am just back from the emergency room.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You should sue for everything they have got


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## TLG_Catapults (May 5, 2014)

also i hope your not im much pain


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## GHT (Jan 22, 2013)

Wishing you a swift recovery.


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## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

Sorry to hear about that Charles.


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## D.Nelson (Feb 20, 2014)

Charles so sorry to hear. Glad you're ok, for the most part atleast. Good luck on the speedy recovery.


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## DougDynasty (Jul 8, 2013)

Get well soon Charles! I'm so sorry to hear of ur accident


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## TLG_Catapults (May 5, 2014)

Charles said:


> Well, I am just back from the emergency room.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How did you get and airedale to 120+lbs , thats almost double the weight standard


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## ChapmanHands (Oct 14, 2013)

I do not agree with the whole law suit thing as suggested, accidents do happen, no reason somebody should lose everything they own due to a dog. Maybe they didn't know it was out? Regardless, I am truly glad that you and your dog are ok, dog fights can be vicious. Also I give you great props for getting both dogs down by yourself, I wish you a speedy recovery Charles, all the best,

Quentin


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.

I felt bad for everyone concerned. I know the other dog (Milo) well and like him. I am also friends with the owners. When Milo is walking with his owners and sees me, he lies down and refuses to budge until I come over and pet him. My dog (Zulu) loves people and small dogs, but anything half his size or bigger he just wants to trash ... and he is very jealous. I spotted Milo loose across the street and I wanted to get Zulu home into the house so I could go back and collect Milo before he got hit by a car or wandered further afield. But Milo crossed the street and began following us. When I turned around to see where he was, all H broke loose. Here is a photo of me and Zulu taken last fall.









Several folks came rushing over. I had one hold Milo while I took Zulu home and got another leash. Milo's owner showed up just as I got back. Everyone offered to drive me to the hospital ... it looked pretty gory! But a friend was about due ... we were going to ride our bikes down town for a movie and lunch. So I called her and asked her to drive me to the hospital instead!

It was unfortunate all the way around ... but it was just one of those things that comes when you live in a city. I think we are much more easy going about such things here in Canada than perhaps in the US. I have no plans to sue anyone.

Cheers ...... Charles


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## Cjw (Nov 1, 2012)

Your a good man Charles and know things can happen with dogs. One of the problems here in the US. Is people are always ready to sue. Than complain that insurance is to expensive. Bravo Charles .


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## Quercusuber (Nov 10, 2011)

Oh my goodness, sir ... So sorry to hear this almost tragic accident. 

Luckily, it didn't affect you in a permanent way, or even the dogs.

I wish you a fast and full recovery, Charles!!

I hope my parcel arrives very soon, to brighten your day.

Cheers ...Q


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

dankungmaster said:


> How did you get and airedale to 120+lbs , thats almost double the weight standard


I got Zulu when I had my remote place on the north end of Vancouver Island. There are a LOT of cougars and bears up there and frequent cougar attacks. I wanted a dog that would be tough enough to stand with me if need be. This breeder has been breeding large Airedales for years for predator control ... cougars, bears, coyotes, wolves , etc.

http://oorangsonline.com/index.html

Zulu's father was 117 pounds and his mother was over 100. These folks are very careful about their genetics.

Cheers ...... Charles


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

Yikes -- wrestling two >100# dogs (both in full fight mode) to the ground! The fact that you managed to do it is a major accomplishment but pulling it off without any tendon, ligament, bone or blood vessel damage is bordering on miraculous. Congrats on managing the situation without any serious damage to any of the three of you and get well soon!


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

Glad to hear you are okay Bud. Dog fights can get ugly fast-especially with strong breeds. Happy that they are okay too. Love that Airedale BTW! BIGGGG Boy!!!


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## Peter Recuas (Mar 6, 2014)

Prompt relief and blessing to you


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## Samurai Samoht (Apr 6, 2013)

Ouch!! Really sorry to hear about the injuries. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Tom


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## oldmiser (Jan 22, 2014)

Glad to know you will be ok my friend..yeah any animal fights are a bad deal...Wishing you the best..with a speedy recovery

Well now you can take a little time to do some tinkering or some lost reading time....AKAOldmiser


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## JonM (Aug 17, 2013)

Zulu is quite the good looking dog. Good luck with the recovery & get well soon. It's tough getting between 2 dogs, not to mention a bit unnerving.


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## Hound (Apr 5, 2014)

Airedales are great dogs. I've never owned one but I've know three. Sorry to hear about your injury. Heal fast.


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

My sympathies, Charles, and happy it wasn't worse.


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## BC-Slinger (Jan 6, 2013)

OMG I am sorry to hear that Charles I am happy besides the wound you and old Zulu are ok. You know Zulu is my favourite terrier besides old Goliath. I hope for you to have a speedy recovery and when my boss gives me some spare time and my weekends are not jammed packed we have to get some slinging.

Best wishes Charles rest and get better.!


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Charles, I'm sorry to see that you got bit, but I commend you for getting in between them and for controlling the situation. I'm glad that you are going to be good as new soon and didn't get any permanent damage.

Take care and heal fast....the shooting season is coming soon.

Todd


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## squirrel squasher (May 17, 2013)

This is crazy! Glad your okay for the most part


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

Ouch! Sorry to hear about the injury, you're a good man sir, most people would not have been very understanding. Feel better, and get well soon!


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## Sunchierefram (Nov 16, 2013)

Get well soon Charles!!


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

Speedy recovery you should go by the name of "2dogdown" Hope You get a fast Healing Process
Cheers oh and cool dog you have there


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## reset (Apr 13, 2013)

Glad to see your ok Charles. Thats a tough situation to be in. Good job keeping them down.


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

It's good to hear that you are okay. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Relax, cut bands, and surf the forum.


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## SmilingFury (Jul 2, 2013)

Sorry to hear you got hurt. Glad you were able to avoid any permanent damage to yourself or the dogs. Get well soon.


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## Lug (Nov 12, 2013)

reset said:


> Glad to see your ok Charles. Thats a tough situation to be in. Good job keeping them down.


==

+1 on that!


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## ryguy27 (Nov 8, 2013)

I'm Glad You're Okay For The Most Part And That Both Dogs Are Okay.

Your Neighbor Is Lucky That You're Such A Kind Person. There Are Plenty Of People Out There That Just Wait For Moments Like These To Sue The Bejeezus Out Of Someone.

Have A Speedy Recovery!


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

get well soon mr. charles. that dog is lucky it aint here in mexifornia, he'd be floating in the salton sea right now.


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## Underachiever (Oct 17, 2013)

Get well soon mate!

Luke


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Quite a few years ago I discovered that stopping a dog fight by grabbing both participants could be problematic. I still have the scars!


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## Jaximus (Jun 1, 2013)

Wow, a 100 pound GSD can do some serious damage. Definitely took some stones to get between those two. Well done, my friend. May you be blessed with a speedy recovery and many virgins.


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## bmlodge (Feb 26, 2013)

Sorry to hear that Charles, hope you have a speedy recovery. A very brave thing to do in my opinion too, couldn't have been very easy wrestling with two 100 pound dogs. I guess it's different when one of them is yours though!

All the best,

Ben


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## big t (Mar 10, 2012)

Sounds like you were lucky hope a speedy recovery


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your expressions of sympathy. This is day two. I removed the bandages and did a salt water soak. There is some slight swelling, but nothing serious. Although there was some more bleeding (oozing would be a better description), there is no sign of infection. I did not need pain killers to sleep last night. There is one very large hole that will take some time to heal over, but the other wounds seem to have sealed already. I hope to be able to get back to shooting in a day or two.

Yes, it is always risky to get between two dogs that are fighting, especially when they are as big as these two. I do not in general recommend it. But I am reasonably experienced, and it all happened so quickly that I did not even think about it. In this case the situation was complicated because there were two very large dogs involved, neither of which wanted to back down. That meant I had one hand for each dog. Once I had the dogs under some control and could hold them apart, I gave my guy an order to down and stay, and then I could devote myself to being sure the other dog did not get up and try to take advantage of the situation.

A few months ago I was walking with a lady friend, and I had her Boston terrier on a leash. Suddenly a large shepherd type dog charged across the street growling and snarling and made for the little guy. As I saw him coming, I handed the leash to my friend and stepped in front of them. When the shep tried to go by me, I grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and lifted its front off the ground. It continued to snarl and growl, but could not reach me. I walked it on its hind legs back to the owner and said "I believe this belongs to you!" and shoved the dog at him. He took the dog by the collar and began apologizing. I was so p!ssed that I just walked away without comment. Had I not been there, my friend's dog, and possibly she as well, would have been badly mauled.

I have been involved in several other incidents of this sort over the years. I used to participate in obedience competitions and was a trainer for the Vancouver Island Doberman Pinscher Society for a while. In my opinion, it is almost never the fault of the dog. I put the blame on the owners who fail to properly train and properly control the dog.

So I will lose a few days of shooting and gardening. But it is not the end of the world, and neither dog appeared to be injured.

Back to slingshots!!!!!

Cheers ..... Charles


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## JohnKrakatoa (Nov 28, 2013)

Looks to me you know what you are doing, Zulu is a cool name for a cool dog (daymn 120 pounds, thats almosta Great Airedale Terrier

now...  )


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## The Warrior (Jan 30, 2012)

Wow man, that's crazy. Heal soon.


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## LBH2 (Jul 20, 2013)

Hope you are doing well &#8230;..LBH2


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## Whitewolf (Mar 13, 2014)

Godspeed on your recovery Charles.....will keep you in my prayers


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## Btoon84 (Nov 22, 2011)

dang Charles! Get well soon sir!! :cookie:


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## youcanthide (Jun 16, 2013)

Best way ive found to stop a dog fight is to pick the more aggressive of the two up by its hind legs and continue to push or turn as if to push it on its side, they will seperate, then its the keeping them apart that youve got to worry about.

Ive got a staffy thats spot on with other dogs but is a little too quick to start getting nasty if the other dog gets abit much for him. Had to separate him from other dogs 3 times now, always the other dogs idiot owner walking them without a lead where they shouldnt be, and the above method worked brilliantly, dog fights always sound alot worse than they actually are

anyway have a speedy recovery charles


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## KineticEnergy (May 11, 2014)

Ouch!!! So sorry this happened to you. Hope you get better soon so you can resume shooting.


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## LazarusLong (Dec 19, 2013)

Good luck sir. You really know what to do. Pretty amazing stuff. Get well soon.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

youcanthide said:


> Best way ive found to stop a dog fight is to pick the more aggressive of the two up by its hind legs and continue to push or turn as if to push it on its side, they will seperate, then its the keeping them apart that youve got to worry about.
> 
> Ive got a staffy thats spot on with other dogs but is a little too quick to start getting nasty if the other dog gets abit much for him. Had to separate him from other dogs 3 times now, always the other dogs idiot owner walking them without a lead where they shouldnt be, and the above method worked brilliantly, dog fights always sound alot worse than they actually are
> 
> anyway have a speedy recovery Charles


I fully agree on the hind leg approach in the right circumstances. But if both dogs are keen, grabbing one by the hind legs will just give the other a chance to do a lot of damage. In this case I did not want to grab either one by the hind legs, or the free one would have really had a go.

A couple of years ago I had a dog that was very mild ... never wanted to fight anything. I was walking him on lead when a Rottweiler that was off lead ran over and jumped my dog. I spun around and grabbed the rotti on each side by the flesh just where the hind leg joins the body, and lifted his rear off the ground. That place is VERY tender on a dog. The rotti immediately ceased its attack and began screaming. My dog just ran off about 10 feet and stood. Try as it might, the rotti could not get anywhere near me. The owner began shouting at me to turn his dog loose. I told him I would as soon as he put a leash on the dog. He promptly leashed it, and I released his dog. That strategy worked very well because there was only the one dog that wanted to fight.

Cheers .... Charles


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## Mr.Teh (Feb 28, 2012)

I love dogs, good to hear nothing is happen with Zulu,

for you Charles a fast recovery, it's always a tough job to go between two dogs :thumbsup:


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## Can-Opener (May 11, 2013)

Speedy recovery


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## Pilgrim (May 3, 2014)

Glad you are ok, praying for all! Peace!


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## amm1266 (Mar 27, 2013)

thoughts and prayers are with you heal fast ...


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## mr. green (Nov 3, 2012)

Your the man, Charles. Taking on two big dogs by yourself.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.


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## benzidrine (Oct 14, 2013)

Glad to here the damage isn't too bad. Dogs are pretty bad in my neighborhood had to intervene a couple of times myself once to help a child.

I have no problem with people owning dogs but at least in my area they have to start putting in harsher penalties for letting large dogs loose in inappropriate areas or having unsecured living spaces IMO.

I had a neighbor whose dogs got loose just about everyday. One of the most irresponsible things I have ever witnessed.


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## Daddy-O (May 10, 2014)

I hope you recover very quickly. That was a brave thing you did. You seem to be a kind-hearted man, and a good neighbor. I hope you never have to go through that again.


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

Normally The Boss likes to do the dogwalking himself but there was a period when I was delegated to do the morning walk. And ,of course, if he was ill I would be doing it.

It concerned me that our little dog might be attacked. The Spanish tend to let their dogs roam free and there are some monsters here including a huge and sometimes aggressive mastiff called Yogi. I tend to be on amiable terms with these ( I always carried some treats) but one never knows and I was always a 'cat person' til I met The Boss so not too familiar with canine behaviour. The thought of our little dog being torn apart preyed on my mind somewhat !

So, when dog walking, I took to carrying a slingshot. This once proved efficaceous by firing a warning shot just in front of a couple of dogs that approached with aggressive barking but I felt I needed something by way of a last resort (handy for muggers too!)

I'd picked up a nice cast bronze piece from a flea market so I filled the end with lead and mounted it on a stout stick.

Hopefully it will never be used except to lean on...but in extremis I've no doubt that it would do the job !


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## Sharker (Sep 15, 2013)

Lucky you, keep rest and wounds heal soon


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## Pawpawsailor (Jun 8, 2012)

My gosh, Charles! I hope your healing well.


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## TSM (Oct 8, 2013)

Dog fights ain't no joke. Way to keep a cool head and minimize the carnage for all involved. Heal fast and be safe.


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## slinger16 (Nov 3, 2013)

Feel better charles, wishing you a swift and speedy recovery


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## tradspirit (Jul 23, 2012)

Prayers for a speedy recovery. Glad you managed to get the dogs down and prevent either one from hurting the other. Speaks highl;y for your courage and dog savy. Airdales are geat dogs and yours is obviuosly one big tough boy!


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## jazz (May 15, 2012)

heal well and recover soon,

cheers,

jazz


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