I recently read a lot about individuals asking how to stop their two huskies from fighting with each other.  It got me to thinking about what is considered an actual fight, and what is more rough play.  There IS a difference.  Did I emphasize that enough?  A HUGE difference.  And you really don't know the difference until you know the difference. 

I will warn everyone reading this that this is not for the faint of heart.

First, let me explain the levels:

1)       Level One -- Normal Playing.  Two or more Huskies are chasing each other around with noticeable physical contact.  This contact can vary from jumping on each other, wrestling, and light biting.

2)       Level Two -- Rough Playing.  Mostly with only 2 Huskies.  Not much different than normal play, but it gets a little rougher.  The biting increases to the point of possibly one of them yelping from pain.  Rough play normally leads to level 3.

3)       Level Three – Dominance.  This is what most people mistake for a fight.  You could call it that in a sense, but it’s not nearly as rough.  All dogs, (and one could argue all species) have a pecking order.  Huskies are no different.  When two Huskies (or dogs) are put together, even as puppies, there is a natural need to determine which one is dominant.  This may continue all the time.  Every day, they may test each other to determine pecking order. Sometimes, one backs down quickly and it seems like no big deal.  Other times, they go at it for a while.  On the surface this truly does look like a fight.  But it’s more like a “shoving match”.  It can escalate, but not very often.  At this point, they go for each other’s neck when biting.  Still not a fight.  Trust me on this one.

4)       Level Four – The Actual Fight.  Now is when it gets UGLY.  Blows are delivered, and blood is present.  Serious injury could result if action isn’t taken immediately.  The best way to paint the picture is to describe the events of our most recent.

They were all (except Miya, who is pregnant) out playing the other day like normal, when Holly started toying with Aleu.  Aleu didn't like it and snapped at Holly.  The two started in and it escalated to level 3.  They simply were trying to be the dominant dog for the day.  However, for some reason, Daisie and Rose decided to join the raucous.  Then Kallen, and even Akira joined in.  And then for whatever reason, they all decided to gang up on Daisie. 

One on one is a bad fight.  Four to Five against one is a problem.  If I don't intervene it could mean a dead husky.

Let me stop for a moment to make sure everyone understands at this point that our dogs love to play, and they love each other’s company.  This is a rare thing.  Simply put, from time to time, tempers are short, and this can happen. Typically, I can predict fights, and avoid them from the start.  For instance, since Miya is pregnant, she can only be out with certain others.  So thankfully she was not involved.  She was out for a while and I put her back in.

Now back to the fight…Normally, a simple spray with the hose will stop a fight.  Not this one.  Daisie puts up a whale of a fight, and wasn’t going to back down.  The only way to stop this one and likely save her life is to jump in the middle.  And so I did.  I started pulling dogs off the pile, one by one until I got to Daisie at the bottom and I literally put her in a wrestling hold until she settled down somewhat and the rest backed off.  I then carried Daisie off.  She was shaking almost uncontrollably and her eyes were as big as saucers.  She and the others were bleeding in spots.  Aleu had it running down her face and it looked bad.  Thankfully, all of the injuries were minor.  We were able to tend to all of them ourselves. Aleu’s bloody face was from a small cut to her ear that trickled down her face.  Only once before have we had to take anyone to the vet for an injury, and that was a larger cut that needed stitches.  Not this time, luckily.

This all happened in a matter of about 40-50 seconds, but it seemed like an eternity.

Did I get scratched?  Yes.

Did I get bitten?  Yes.  (never intentionally)

Would I do it again?  If it meant saving a life or preventing serious injury.  Absolutely.

As I mentioned before, this is a rare thing and I can mostly avoid it because it is somewhat predictable.  Every once in a while though, it just happens.

Some will ask…Why do you allow them to play together if this could happen?  Simple.  Huskies are a pack dog, and not only need, but CRAVE companionship.  Not only with us, but with each other.  It would we much worse for them if they were never given the chance to socialize with each other.  Our dogs are very well socialized, and for the most part love each other’s company. 

The whole point to this Tech Talk is to make sure everyone understands that levels 1, 2, and 3, are completely normal.  If you own more than one dog, and it gets to level three, the best thing to do is intervene at that point.  What they need to know is that neither one of them is dominant.  YOU are.  Separate them and keep them separated for a while.  They will test you, but it’s important they always know who is in charge.  At level 4, they don’t care anymore.  If I can intervene at level three, they back down immediately.  If it escalates, I have to physically separate them.