On Thu, 04 Nov 2004 23:37:21 GMT, "Dr. Dr. Smithers"
wrote:

A dog has Canines (fangs on either side) for grabbing and puncturing,
incisors (small teeth in front) for nibbling, premolars for tearing, and
molars for crushing bone" If you notice how a dog will chew on a bone, he
will pull the meat off with his front teeth and then carefully move the bone
back to the rear of his mouth. A dog biting you will grab a hold and shake,
it will cause tearing of the flesh, puncture marks etc.but he is not going
to bite anyone's thumb off. It just will not happen.

Um.....No?

Canines can tear off digits if they attack straight on and pull.
Their front incisors are perfectly capable of performing that function
in particular if it occurs at or near a joint. I've had a Rottie
dislocate a shoulder in a training scenario - I could easily see a
digit being lost that way. I'm too lazy to perform a Google search,
but it seems that I remember a case in MA about a mastiff taking off
some fingers from a child.

The fact that you did not hear the old story or did not understand why the
story could not happen is what Harry was hoping for. What I can not figure
out, is why anyone would go to all the trouble to fabricate such a silly
story.

Based on a life time's experience with dogs of all types including
large breed guard/attack dogs, I could put some credence to the story
even if I had never actually seen it happen myself. It's not totally
outside the probability curve.

If Harry swiped the story from somewhere, I'm sure he will own up to
it at some point. Harry may be a lot of things, but I don't perceive
him as being dishonorable.

Later,

Tom

"Beware the one legged man in a butt
kicking contest - he is there for a
reason."

Wun Hung Lo - date unknown