The situation: Two Dogs are in conflict with an NPC. Another is watching. The Dogs are losing the "just talking" conflict and, rather than escalate, one of the Dogs decides to give. The other escalates to physical and decides to beat the truth out of the NPC.

The NPC suddenly reveals big-time demon/sorcerer stuff, and things get very wild, very fast.

The character who Gave before wants to jump back in, and the third Dog is ready to jump in as well.

What happens?

You can't join a conflict already underway. If you drop out of a conflict but it continues, you can't rejoin.

1. If you're in the conflict, you're in the conflict. You've rolled dice.
2. If you're in the conflict, when it's your Raise, you can either Raise or Give. You can't pass, there's no such monkey. If your character has no Raise they're willing to make "just now," you have to Give and take your dice off the table. You're out of the Conflict
3. If you're not in the conflict - because you never were in it or because you Gave - you're not in the conflict. You can't roll dice.

If you're losing a conflict and need backup from your friends - Give. Then call for a followup Conflict and get them to be in it. Yes, you will lose what's at stake, and you'll have to come up with new stakes for the followup conflict. That's life.

He sits on his hands until the conflict's over. He Gave, he's out.

Same thing.

One Exception to All This:

You can bring in your previously-non-participating dogs as Improvised Objects in the scene, for an extra d6. It's not much, but it's something. If they are particularly Excellent for however this conflict is working out, make em 2d6, or 2d8 for being Excellent-plus-Big.

Also:

Exploit the mechanics' time flexibility. Stop thinking of a Raise-See exchange as a combat round or whatever - it can happen in as much or as little game-world time as you need it to. Tell the player who stayed in the conflict they have to wrap up the conflict in the split-second before the other two characters jump into the follow-up conflict -- then stretch time. If the character has any sense he'll Give at once and launch the obvious follow-up conflict.

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