Brendan Hughes

I separated two 30kg dogs fighting yesterday. Two family friendly retrievers, a weimaraner and a golden retriever, it was probably like separating Dale Winton and Graham Norton in a deathmatch. My dog has a nasty bite to the leg, I got a bruise on the thigh where one dog went for the other, missed, and clamped down through my jeans (no skin punctured). It's not the first time I've done that. Wife gave me a bollocking afterwards and said I could get seriously injured, and just to leave the dogs to sort themselves out and we'd pay the vet bills afterwards.

In 1991 I ended up rather unexpectedly with a guy off his head (speed, I found out later) holding me by my lapel with one hand while brandishing a nice hunting knife in the other and saying "what the f*ck are you going to do now?" As I was trapped in a doorway and couldn't think of anything else to do within 2 seconds I punched him in the throat. Police afterwards noted I had three parallel marks on my neck, presumably from the serrations on the back of the knife. 3mm further and I would have been just another murder statistic, a fuss for a week in the local paper and never heard of again, not seeing my 22nd birthday. That's pretty fecking sobering now I think about it. To this day I have no idea why the option "plead nicely for my life and apologise" didn't cross my mind.

Like many on here, with a little child I no longer take risks - or so I thought until yesterday.

This isn't meant to be *****-waving. I'm really curious, how does one distinguish between bravery and stupidity? Or is it just that when you succeed you're brave, and when you fail you're stupid?

David Lock

Well I'd certainly have left Dale Winton and Graham Norton to get on with it.

Be stupid not to

The Zohan

I do not think you can judge it at the time, it is retrospective

roughly bravery is when it all goes right and you manage to do whatever it is, seperate dogs from killing each other, poleaxe a druggie threatening you with a knife, save a child from drowning, save you friends from being massacred on the battlefield, etc.

when it goes wrong i think it then can look like stupidity, not saying all cases are by any means.

The thing is that when you have the time to look back and analise what you or whoever did then it is easy to then make a judgement as to brave or foolhardy.

TBH i think anyone trying to help others at risk to themselves should be shown some respect and in most cases yes, are brave.

dpb

Id stop short of getting between 4 dogs

stilover

The knife incident is neither brave or stupid.
Being stupid is doing nothing and hoping the guy doesn't slit your throat. It's not brave to defend yourself in such circumstances either, it's self-preservation.

Snazy

Dont think it would be right to call it stupid, more a calculated justified choice

Well done.

Shocked to hear of an incident from such loving breeds though

Is stopping on a dark A road trying to calm someone trapped inside a crashed car on its roof, brave or stupid. For that matter, crossing the A3 to get to them lol

Act first, with an element of common sense, think "what if" later. Whenever I have looked back at things I have done, you always think "what if" after. Its human nature.
Jumping in the Thames to get someone out was probably my daftest to date lol

stilover

Worse still when they're on a Hen night.

dpb

unless they were plastered of course

Lee247

Acting on instinct and protecting your dog. Nothing wrong with that, but I would have given you a bollo cking too

I can't answer whether instinct is bravery or stupidity, bit of both probably, but we all have it. Some just chose not to use it

Spoon

Both are simply in the eye of the beholder. One mans bravery is another mans stupidity.

Bravery comes with a certain amount of confidence. It can be called stupidity when somebody doesn't have the confidence to try it and not because it's necessarily stupid.

Stepping in between 2 fighting dogs shows you care. Not something recommended but difficult not to if you don't want to see either dog hurt.

The knife incident you did right because you got it right. Had you just bítch slapped him it might have been a different outcome.

As for the dogs or particularly the breed and fighting, well it kind of explains the importance of not trusting any animal and should be copied and pasted on to every recent and future dog thread.

Brendan Hughes

I didn't. I missed his windpipe by an inch, he walked off rubbing his neck I do remember that he wasn't interested in seconds though.

Spoon

The fact he wasn't interested in seconds says you got it right.

Brendan Hughes

This is interesting. Is the answer in a generalisation that, what the men think is brave, the women view as stupid?

Could be...

Lee247

No, wimmins instinct. Your wife is looking after you
Your instinct to protect your dog is not stupid. Put the boot on the other foot. What would you have said to your wife if she had done what you did.
I suspect the same as she, admiration for your bravery and worry about your safety
The knife incident, you should be very proud of yourself.

Stupidity does not enter the equation, in my eyes.

But you were stupid to intervene (joke)

Snazy

Was just watching a show where a woman has rescued 30 Pitbulls, never a bite, but her Dachshund bit a chunk out of her arm.

Brendan Hughes

Hmm, doesn't work as a direct comparison, my wife doesn't have the skills or strength that I do - not a boast, just a statement. I'd need to look for another situation to compare. I get your point though.

It's also fair to say that, whatever she did to intervene, my reaction would be relief and anger borne from a sense of responsibility towards my partner.

Thanks for the responses everyone, this was really bugging me last night. Looks like there's no easy answer...

Snazy

Definatly no right nor wrong answer for it mate. Its all about the circumstances, your ability, physical and mental state..... too many things to factor in to deem something straight right or wrong.

Enter a burning building in civilian clothes... For a trained firefighter off duty, not so challenging, to the average joe..... no chance. Poor example but you get my drift

Either way, well done. And in the meantime beat some dicipline into them lol

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

When a guy comes home, drunk, smelling of perfume, with lipstick marks on his neck and face. Staggers into the house, singing, jumps into bed, slaps the missus on the **** and shouts

"dont worry fatty, your next !! "

hectic

the line is actually set just higher than I can climb

Snazy

You're brave but aspire to be stupid ?

Brendan Hughes

Swiss - sorry, I don't see any line in your example?

hectic

Damn!! busted

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

I dont think lines come into it at this level, just levels of poo

Snazy

That was the bouncing bomb in world war 2 was it not?

lol sorry mate, just in a stupid mood nothing new!!

jjones

don't kid yourself, that was no "miss"

hectic

*runs out to kitchen arms outstretched humming the tune *

*me too *

gallois

some good dog fight breaking up tips here. PETroglyphs BREAKING IT UP IS HARD TO DO: Ways to Break Up A Family Dogfight

Leslie

You just cannot say which, it is how the situation takes you at the time. If you had given in to the thug with the knife he might have killed you anyway since he considered you weak.

Without seeing the dog fight it is difficult to comment but I personally would not criticise you for your actions anyway.

Les

Klaatu

Listening to reason (Fact, not IPCC, NOT Al Gore) or accepting "concensus" on "climate change".

al4x1

With the dog fight you did the right thing, with the breeds involved you have the answer why you only have bruising and not a proper bite. The dog will have known it got you and not the other one as though fighting they don't loose the plot altogether. A bucket of water of course would have been simpler but you don't always have one to hand. I've had a retriever go for my dogs while they were on leads and managed to scruff that and pick it up much to its owners horror. If you have to always go for the scruff as they cannot then bite you then get them at least 2 legs off the ground.