Kiko's Fight Part 3: Analysis

On Thursday I posted the narrative of an altercation that my dog and I got mixed up in. Two other dogs met up with us and a fight ensued. Yesterday's post described our injuries, treatment and healing process. Today's post is my analysis of what happened.

Given Kiko’s relatively light wounds sustained on his neck, it appears that the Staffordshire terrier was merely holding Kiko down and not attempting to injure or kill him. However, the more serious wounds on his thigh are consistent with a more aggressive attack by the black Labrador mix.

Also given that Kiko was the only dog to bite me, it appears that the other two dogs did not see me as a threat or combatant. The white Staffordshire terrier accepted without protest my pinning him to the ground with my leg. Their post-altercation action of moving away is also consistent with this hypothesis.

Kiko’s excited frame of mind during the initial approach may have contributed to the altercation. By the time the white Staffordshire mounted him, he was already in a state of high excitement.

My reaction to the Staffordshire’s dominant behavior may also have contributed to the altercation. I shouted at the Staffordshire and tried to push him off of Kiko, which added energy to the situation. Simultaneously I was trying to return Kiko to his “down stay” position. The Staffordshire may have interpreted my energy and actions as a rebuke against Kiko’s excited state of mind, leading to the Staffordshire’s escalation of grabbing Kiko’s neck.

Another possibility is that the Staffordshire's bite was mitigated by the leather collar that Kiko was wearing, so the Staffordshire might have been trying to hurt him more than the injuries would otherwise seem to indicate.

Tomorrow's post will go over some lessons I've learned from the experience.