On 16 Apr 2005 00:55:16 -0700 jonathan  cano  whittled these   
   words:   
   > My dog was attacked this evening.  Luckily he seems to be unharmed but   
   > it is easy to imagine that he could have been killed.   
      
      
   > 30 seconds later I hear someone shouting "get him away" and then I hear   
   > a high pitch yelping over and over.  As I am running toward the sound   
   > (into the moonlit park) I see a large white mixed breed dog (90 lbs?)   
   > that has my dogs neck in his jaws.  I grab a hold of the dog, getting   
   > behind him on his back and try to pull it off my dog.  I try prying at   
   > its jaws with my hands but have no luck.  The dogs owner tells me to   
   > stop trying to pull the dogs apart so I stop.  He then eventually   
   > (another 30 seconds later?) coaxes his dog to let my dog go.  My dog   
   > immediately comes to me and we leave the park.   
      
   > When I got to the street where there was light I check my dogs physical   
   > condition and he seemed OK.  We walked home (3 minutes away) and I   
   > checked him again more thoroughly and found no injuries that required I   
   > take him to the vet.   
      
   > End of story.   
      
   > * Beginning of discussion about story.   
      
   > OK, in retrospect I realize that there are many things I can do to   
   > avoid the attack (e.g. not letting my dog off the leash in the park   
   > when it is dark) and I plan to make the corresponding changes in my dog   
   > walking procedure.   
      
   > Still, if the other dogs owner had not been successful at getting his   
   > dog to disengage his dog likely would have KILLED MY DOG.  His dog was   
      
   Probably not.  If your dog was uninjured then it was likely one of those   
   situations that is terribly scary but more sound than anything else.   
      
   > definitely a mixed breed that included 'fighting dog' in its heritage.   
   > I don't have any axe to grind about 'aggressive' breeds.  I've known   
   > many dogs of so called 'dangerous' breeds that were fine dogs.   
      
   > I do have a problem when someone elses dog attacks my dog unprovoked   
   > and tries to kill my dog.   
      
   Sure, and that is a reasonable feeling.   
      
   > The big question: imagine the scenario above taking place again but   
   > this time the attacking dog, lets call him "Bowser"  can not be   
   > disengaged from my dogs throat.  Short of shooting Bowser dead with a   
   > gun (I don't plan to pack any heat) what is the best way of   
   > "persuading" Bowser to disengage from my dog?  Here are some options   
   > that have crossed my mind:   
      
   > (1) a electrical shocking 'stun gun'.   
   > (2) killing Bowser by cutting his throat with a knife.   
   > (3) wacking Bowser with a baseball bat or axe handle.   
   > (4) ???   
      
   Cuting a dogs throat is not that easy nor quick.  In 99% of the cases you   
   can disengage the dog without resort to injurious or deadly force,   
   although I understand the impluse to not care about that.   
      
   If a dog as a grip my reaction has been to take control of the dog's head.   
   THe one time I needed to do so was with a German Shepherd.  I ended up   
   putting a choke hold on the dog.  As long as you can keep the dog from   
   shaking and tearing it is unlikely your dog will be seriously injured or   
   killed - given the releative sizes we are discussing (not talking about   
   tiny dog to big dog here)   
      
   > Against fighting dogs that "lock on" with their jaws I don't think (1)   
   > would be very effective.  Perhaps it would stimulate Bowser to bite   
   > down harder...   
      
   No jaws "lock".  They simply grip and hold instead of letting go or   
   tearing.   
      
   > (2) should be effective if I can cut a major artery so that the Bowser   
   > looses consciousness quickly.   
      
   Choke hold is easier, more effective, and less messy.  Also you don't need   
   to carry anything to accomplish it.  However in 99 percent of the cases   
   all you really need to do is grab the offending dogs reas legs, lift and   
   walk backwards.  That risks a bite to you   
      
   > Even if (3) breaks Bowser's neck that might still leave his jaw locked   
   > and functional.   
      
   No.  Jaws don't "lock"   
      
   > You might suggest that I call the police and then sit idlely by and my   
   > dog dies but that is a difficult option for me to accept.   
      
   no worries I wouldn't stand idly by either. But as I said if you control   
   the offending dog's head actual risk to your dog is minimal - as long as   
   your dog isn't actually choking. ANd cutting off the air supply of the   
   offending dog will work.   
      
   > This is all mostly theoretical as I will be doing a better job of   
   > avoiding dangerous dogs in the future.   
      
   Good that is the ideal.   
      
   > Here is the best plan I've come up with so far:   
      
   > (a) tell the dogs owner to get his f@#$ing dog off my now.   
      
   > If (a) doesn't succeed pretty darn quick then:   
      
   > (b) dial 911 on my cell phone and tell the operator where I am.   
   > (c) put my phone down, take out my knife and kill Bowser and quickly as   
   > I can.   
      
   Personally even if I had a knife I wouldn't use it.  Too much can go   
   wrong.  For best avoidance carry an air horn.  Use it if another dog   
   approaches yours without appropriae canine greeting.  That way you can   
   repel the dog without worrying about whether it is friendly but rude or   
   unfriendly and risky.   
      
   --   
   Diane Blackman   
   http://dog-play.com/   
   http://dogplay.com/Shop/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)