Rio de Janeiro  - An 11-year-old boy in Brazil bit a pit bull that had attacked him causing the animal to flee, local media reported Thursday.

The boy, Gabriel da Silva, was attacked in the family's garden by their dog, Tita, on Tuesday, but fought back, biting the dog.

"Then Gabriel chocked the dog's neck and bit it. He is a champ," the boy's grandmother, Arlinda, said with pride when describing the incident in the town of Belo Horizonte in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais.

Reports said the boy broke a tooth, but received only minor injuries on his arm.

The dog was captured by the fire department and will remain under observation for 10 days. The family will then decide with the help of experts whether to keep the animal or put it to sleep, but they reportedly want to have no further contact with the dog.

"It's funny. He was with us since he was small and never attacked anyone before," the grandmother said. (dpa)