Bitch Fight: Brooklyn Dog Experts Weigh In On Taming Fido

While Heights’ residents have rightfully bitched about stepping in, jogging past or catching a waft of an irresponsible dog owner’s pooch’s poop on sidewalks and streets, the Sunday New York Post offers advice about dogs that become aggressive when they come bum to butt with other hounds. Two local Brooklyn experts are among those that weigh in.

John Squires, owner of Wag Club, a doggie day-care and grooming facility in the Heights, recommends that if your bitch gets bitchy, carefully “grab hold of the aggressor from behind, by the hips or back legs, and pull up so he’s on his front two paws. It will put him off-balance and make him look back to find out what’s going on.”

Cobble Hill’s Dr. Brett Levitzke, medical director at the Veterinary Emergency & Referral Group, adds to use caution: “Remember the natural instinct of the dog attacking is to follow, so you’re just bringing them close to you.” He also notes that “the biggest mistake people make is to reach in and try and grab their dog, but they can be bitten by the other dog or even their own dog in the heat of the fight.”

There’s more advice in the article from other Brooklyn experts, including Fort Greene’s Shannon Le Brun, founder of Waggy Walkers Pet Services.

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  • Matthew Parker

    This advice is for dogs that are off-leash. If dogs are on-leash, owners generally can just pull them apart with their leashes if they get into a scuffle.

    The above advice is useful for designated off-leash areas, dog runs, or if you’re on private property with dogs.

    However, keep in mind if following the advice above and grabbing an aggressive dog from behind, that dog will likely reach back and try to direct his attention at you–even if it’s your own dog. If you’re pulling from behind, also keep step backwards to make it even harder for the aggressive dog to reach back to direct his attention at you. You may need to keep doing that for quite a while before the dog calms down and focuses more on being off-balance than trying to attack or defend against the other dog.