Leerburg / Dog Training Articles / Dominance & Aggression / The Use of Breaker Bars in Dog Fights

The Use of Breaker Bars in Dog Fights

By Ed Frawley

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Leerburg does not encourage dog fighting of any kind.

I have an article on my website explaining a safer way to break up a dog fight without getting bit This article was written from my experience breaking up fights between German Shepherds or other breeds of police service dogs.

Once or twice a month, I get e-mails from pit bull owners telling me that I am off-base on my methods. They all recommend that I include information on the use of a breaker bar. This article contains information on that subject.

There are a couple of issues that need to be made before I get into this article.

I like pit bulls as a breed. I have seen some great pits and if they did not have such a terrible reputation, they would make excellent service dogs. Unfortunately, I do not think the public would accept them.
I think that people who train for, endorse, encourage, or promote dog fights with pit bulls are nothing less than redneck assholes. These people are the scum of the earth. They are pieces of shit. I do not often use this language on my website but I want to make my views on these people very clear. I think people convicted of dog fights should spend many, many, many years in prison.

I do not agree with these people who say that all dog fights should be broken up with a breaker bar.

When pit bulls fight, they grip the other dog and lock onto them. They have extremely powerful jaw pressure and in many cases, are not aggressive to humans— although this is not always the case which is confirmed by the number of people that have been killed by this breed.

When you talk to pit fighters (and I get this from their e-mails), they recommend standing over the dog, (with it between their legs) and using the breaker bar the way you see it being used in the photo below.

It would be a serious mistake to try this maneuver if you were trying to break up GSDs or for that matter, most other breeds. When dogs that are not trained to fight get into a serious dog fight, they really get strung out. When they are pulled apart, most will turn and try and attack the person that has just pulled them out of or away from the fight. They do this instinctually. That's how many people get bit.

So with that in mind, if you put a dog between your legs and plan on using a breaker bar, you had better be ready to go to war with your dog when he releases (or is released) from the jaws of another dog.

Leerburg does not encourage dog fighting of any kind. In the event that a dog fight occurs, read our article on How to Break Up a Dog Fight without Getting Hurt.

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About Author

Ed Frawley

Ed Frawley is the founder of Leerburg. He has been training dogs since the 1950s. For 30 years, Ed bred working bloodline German Shepherds and has produced over 350 litters. During this time, Ed began recording dog training videos and soon grew an interest in police service dogs. His narcotic dogs have been involved in over 1,000 narcotics searches resulting in hundreds of arrests in the state of Wisconsin. Ed now solely focuses on producing dog training courses with renowned dog trainers nationwide. If you want to learn more about Ed, read about his history here.