A reader writes:
After reading your thread on why pitbulls get a bad rap, I feel obliged to share a recent story about one mauling another dog – and more importantly, what stopped the attack.
A group of us were having a picnic at the beach in San Francisco last month and a few people brought their dogs with them. Among the dogs there were a small pit bull mix and a golden doodle puppy. All the dogs were playing nicely until they weren't. The pit latched on to the golden doodle's throat and locked down. Hearing the awful screams, a bunch of ran over and tried to stop the attack. I pulled the pit's hind legs (a friend with a pit said this was a good method to make them let go), but to no avail; someone else hit the pit over the head; and someone else used the handle to try and pry the dog's jaws open. Nothing at all worked, and after what seemed like over a minute of this, I was sure the adorable little golden doodle was done for. All of the sudden, the pit let go.
As it turned out, another woman who we didn't know had come running across the beach upon hearing the screams. As she told us afterwards, her dog had been attacked by a pit a few years ago and she had an idea what to expect. She had run over, pulled the pit's tail flat against his back, and when that didn't work … she stuck her finger up the dog's ass. No joke. Worked like a charm, and I've been telling people the story ever since, hoping that it saves some other dog or person in the future.
The golden doodle is alright. The pit didn't get the neck straight on, which, in addition to our hero's finger, probably saved the dog's life.
The Dish 