Here is my good buddy Clint. He's a K9 handler with a local sheriff's office and happens to be the reigning champion two years in a row for the "Top Dog" award at the state law enforcement competitions. He may have never taken state in high school but he has made up for it since. The thing about K9 handlers is that eventually, they all get their "red badge of courage". Sometimes, more than one-but so far, this is Clint's best.
While doing a demo for a Sheriff's Camp in front of a large crowd, Clint role played as a dangerous suspect resisting aprehension by the police. Another buddy of mine and award winning K9 handler, Jeremy, deployed his large Belgian Malinois. (I have taken numerous bites from this dog and have a tremendous respect for his agressive and hard hitting nature.) The dog did exactly as he was trained to do and hit Clint with such force, Clint lost his footing in the rain and mud flipping both he and the dog and crashing to the ground. The dog initially bit solidly into the protective bite sleeve but as they fell to the ground, he let go momentarily but relied upon his own training and instantly re-engaged, sinking his teeth deep into Clint's deltoid muscle. As the crowd cheered, Clint quietly informed Jeremy that the dog "had him". Jeremy called the dog off and Clint waived to the cheering crowd as he walked back into the woods from whence he came. Clint knew it was a good bite but it wasn't until returning to his truck that he saw how deep it actually was. His shirt torn and bloody, they took a look and realized that it was time to go to the E.R. The tear required 9 stitches on the inside to pull muscle tissues back together and 14 stitches on the surface to bring the skin over the wound. I spoke with Clint that night and asked him what he thought of the whole thing, he said, "oh man, that dog can bite." I asked him if he were a real bad guy and the dog had been used on him, would he have given up? "HA! Yes, no choice in the matter!" The moral of the story... if you ever hear the police say, "stop or I'll send the dog!" Seriously, stop! Unless you can run faster than 35 mph for an extended period, then I say, take your chances!