This happened a while ago to me, due to a dog fight. First, when I was young and on the farm, two of our dogs got into a fight. I reached down and my Dad hollered at me to not stick my hand down there or I would pull back a nub. With that said, now to the story...I was walking with my dog and my neighbors dog attacked her. Although I thought I knew both of these dogs, I attempted to pull them apart, now read above again. Sure enough good old Dad was right, one of the dogs bit my finger off and I mean off. Don't even know which of the dogs did this. No pain, just the shock of the finger now missing and bubbling blood. The neighbor used dog pepper spray on both of the dogs and painted both of their faces yellow. They did not separate, although it left both of us gasping. We turned a water hose on them, still no separation. Finally I held my dog and he used a pick mattox handle and pried his dog's jaw open and we separated them. I went to the hospital and etc. So, pepper spray often will not work and don't stick your hand down there or you might pull back a nub...
A firearm might be your only recourse, especially if you are by yourself. While involved in protecting itself, your dog might even seriously injure you. I didn't sue my neighbor, neither did I press charges, as our family's were friends. I don't know what I would have done if I was armed. I am retired military, former 1SG and all, so although friendship had a play, in the heat of the moment? Later I wasn't angry, just something that occurred and I probably should of stood off, until the neighbor came outside. We both had to take our dogs to the Vet and get them sewed up, but they weren't missing any body parts.
