Gwion wrote:Hard to know what to do in such a situation, but having hands near snapping dogs heads is dangerous!!!
What is there to do other than reach on in? Leave it and it can only end with one getting seriously hurt when you're talking about dogs that size.
The problem comes when the other owner won't reach in, in my experience.
All the blues I've ever seen between dogs with owners, the dogs have never tried to bite a person separating them, they're just focused on each other. Each owner grabs their respective dogs collars and separates them. Done.
I've seen a few where one owner just freezes and it's left to the other to try and separate them until the other guy wakes up and grabs his dog.
Learned the details after the incident, but I had it happen once where someone had just gotten a Sheppard which have been a guard dog for an industrial estate. it was kept there for a year or something basically with food, shelter and nothing else. Kept outside while work was on without much interaction. Obviously going to be a problem... Not understanding and not having seen anything of its temperament or behaviour she let it off at the gate to the local part and it ran straight over and bit my girl on the neck. Did it to half a dozen other dogs too before she finally couldn't accept her own excuses for its behaviour and didn't see them again.
I tell ya, it's hard enough to separate a pair of 30kg dogs by yourself. Let alone a pair who are 40kg, 50kg or more... Forget it.
Same thing happened to my brother who had an American Staffie. Can't remember the other dog but something of similar size. This other blokes dog pulled the leash out of his grip and it was on. Not only did he not help, he backed away a few metres to stay out of the way
You hope the other owner is on the ball. Worst case would be a stray starting it when your stuck on your own. Nothing to do but try and hurt the dog enough that it'll retreat. Easier said than dog while protecting and holding your own though.