->  WC> powerful locking  Jaws, The locking jaw is a myth but with a 2000
->  WC> pound bite force per  square inch there's really not much difference
->  WC> and I can't see anyone  prying them loose with less than an EMT's
->  WC> hydraulic "jaws of life."

-> Amen! To that....

->  WC> I've been bitten my a large Pit Bull in rescuing my dog, a smaller
->  WC> Pit Bull. My dog never reacted but did look to me for help.

-> Sad.. And Nothing Ticks me off more, that when they show the dogs on the news 
-> that they just took into the Humane Society that had been rescued from a 
-> fight. Usually in the city of Rochester it is Pit Bulls. But these dogs are 
-> huddled together in a kennel all tore up from the fight the night before and 
-> they huddle together like they depend on each other for dear life. Nothing 
-> makes me madder. I don't know what there is about me that this causes my 
-> blood to boil! They didn't ask for that but were forced into the pain and 
-> suffering by Humans.. Sorry It just gets me. Here is what some people call 
-> the most viscious dog, looking so hurt and magled because of people. Glad I 
-> am not a police officer. I'd love to nail those guys that do that.

It happens a lot here in Florida :-(

-> Back to what you were saying. That must have been awful frightening!

Not in the least... at the time. Fear came a couple days later as I
realized both how lucky we'd been and how powerless I was against such
an unstoppable dog. 

I was primarily mad and intent in tracking down where the fellow lived
which I did.

->  WC> I'm left handed and could not pick up 2 pounds with that hand for
->  WC> near six months however shortly thereafter it recovered fully.

-> I can imagine, I have been bitten on the had where it hardly broke the skin 
-> and that hurt. The nerves and tendons in the back of the hand seem to be 
-> susceptible to Bites. But from a Pit bull? Can't be pleasant.

AmStaff's jaws were so big most of my hand went straight in and were
surrounded by teeth.
Only five teeth penetrated and all the way through every one.
The canines an inch up of my wrist on my very large hands.
The rest were on my little finger with the worst going through sideways
under the nail.

->  WC> I consider _that_ bite to have been minor compared to what might have
->  WC> happened as there was no way I could fight off that animal.

-> How did you get him off?

Well I acted on instict and not any plan, just refused to stand there
and watch my dog die.

"Brutus" attacked my dog by the throat and chest and his owner
had zero control over the animal.

I got onto my knees some 14 inches eye to eye to the thing
intent on ripping my dog's throat out and extending my left hand
I rubbed the side of his snout where his lips met hoping to distract him
and have it hit my hand freeing my dog.

Brutus moved so fast I never even saw him release my dog and hit my hand
after some long six seconds of thinking "when is this dog going to hit"
and "boy this is sure going to hurt."

So now I'm attached firmly by hand to 100 pund Pit Bull
and we're looking each other straigt in the eyes.
I tried to convey nothing but my feeling. "ok, now what's next?"

Brutus after several seconds on my hand glanced back at my dog
giving me a hint he was going to go back after him, seconds later
I felt the enormous pressure on my hand start to relax.

It was when he went back for Spanky I had the briefest of intervals
to drag myself and Spanky clear while Brutus jaws snapping inches away
dragged his owner Jimmy Nation some 35 feet after us before Brutus
started to wind down some.

Nothing really planned, all transpired on the spur of the moment
plus a healthy helping of dumb luck.

Brutus  was and remains the most dangerous dog I've ever seen.

->  WC> No kidding, that monster almost killed my dog in under 20 seconds. He
->  WC> was fortunate the teeth missed the trachea and arteries and veins. I
->  WC> was hurt far less but bled a great deal more than my dog.

-> Man I tell ya, thats why I don't take my dogs through the neighborhood. I do 
-> a lot of walking and have run into some of these neighborly dogs. I used to 
-> walk mine, but things got close a few too many times. Even now when I walk 
-> myself. I carry a nice taped up dumbell. No weights, but if I have time and 
-> I'm attacked. I am gonna crack a skull. No matter how I love animals. cuz 
-> like in your case above, it's you or them..

Someone suggested a old style window counterweight but I've enough
trouble with mobility and those are darned heavy.

->  WC> necrotic flesh oozed out of my wounds. Spanky suffered no infections
->  WC> at all.

-> Whew! Thats good. Was he a pup when that happened?

Brutus is young, Spanky was 15 which is why I treated him at home 
for fear of general anesthesia a Vet would have put him under to stich
him up.
I watched him very closely looking for bubbles indicating a punctured
windpipe or excess bleeding and saw nothing disturbing except the level
of general damage and punctures.
Tears and punctures closed in a month, lost hair scraped off during the
attack and hemorraging cleared up in just over two months.

->  WC> Dobie is a joke, never went to a doctor. My Pit bull I've
->  WC> obesrved for
->  WC> over 15 1/2 years and see no signs of aggression or instability.

-> You may not have met the right dobie  No... They are noted for not 
-> being manglers, but they do bite and thats why I used the example. It's just 
-> quick repeated bites, but usually no mangling from them. Actually they get a 
-> bad rap too. I had two of them. Both were very sweet animals. One I had to 
-> give away and it was given to a house with a baby. When the baby went along 
-> the porch, too near the stairs, the dobe would go drag the baby back by the 
-> diaper. 

->  WC> Spanky serves as a companion dog for the disabled here and I cannot
->  WC> for the life of me find a single bad habit or incident I'd alter in
->  WC> this loyal, intelligent animal who has repeatedly exhibited the very
->  WC> best of judgement.

-> You know Wayne, I had a Newfoundland like that. He was the best PERSON I ever 
-> knew. 
   
Feel precisely the same here and I've expressed it precisely the same
way many times.

-> I only hope that when I grow up I can have the wonderful dispostion
and

-> noble traits that he had. I have had many dogs, but this one, was, well as I 
-> say, the best person I ever knew.

Hey, first to admit here I've made my share of mistakes here
and compared to my Pit Bull my judgement and actions don't bear
comparison with the dog's exemplary behavior.
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