I agree with Bolero that if a dog has to be propped up to stand, then it should not be allowed to scratch.

Also, if it had to have her legs aligned just right to stand, then she was left down too long.

:30 doesn't seem like a lot, but I've been in situations where if there wasn't a pick up in :04 there would be a DOA.

I remember one time I could just see that one dog had no defense, and the other dog bit hard enough to crush the sternum/bone, and we picked up in :04.

The picked up dog was still very much in the fight, but he has badly wounded (and didn't know it); Ten minutes later, his chest flesh was deep red and swollen from hemorrhage, and he was out of it. It took 6 weeks to heal. Had we left the two in there for :10-:15 I don't think the one would have lived.

Like boxing, sometimes when 2 greats meet it can go awhile, but other times it is still a mismatch. Like when Tyson fought Spinx. That lasted less than 1 round. No way could you let Spinks keep getting hit on the floor for another 10-15 minutes or he'd be dead.

The same is true with these dogs, and it's up to the owner to have the sense to SEE what's actually happening in there, assess the damage and likelihood for recovery, and get in there and stop it if it needs to be stopped. You don't have to "wait for a handle," you get in there and get the dog up if it's getting killed.

Jack