Just had an encounter

with two collie cross type dogs outside our house.

Ollie is still traumatised by the dark because of the fireworks the only way we can get him out for wee at night is to walk him on harness and lead 2 seconds down the path from the house.

I saw a man going onto the field in what we call the middle cut so we turned around to come home Ollie had done his wee and turned back which he usually does we were almost in the gate and this man must of heard me talking to Ollie then next thing I know one dog had run off the field onto the path straight at Ollie. All was fine Ollie had a little grumble and the dog started to move away then the second dog came off not so friendly and started snapping at Ollie so I shouted can you call your dogs off please mine isn't so good with strange dogs, he still stayed the other side of the hedge calling.

His dog was still challenging Ollie who surprisingly was quite composed and listened to me and when I pulled him back to me tried to stay near me then again this other dog was snarling and growling so Ollie had a little growl in warning. Poor Gorden was in the toilet and could hear the commotion I then had shouted call your dog off he appeared round the corner calling them one went back the other didn't till he really shouted at it it did then. He did apologise saying I didn't realise people walked there I said I actually live here while getting in the gate and quite often walk this path so in future please remember and walked off.

Ollie is fine and I am actually very proud of him and poor Gorden was a little worried and met us at the door.

Well done to Ollie

Well I think Ollie behaved brilliantly, considering, as you say, he can be a bit off with some dogs, it's a wonder he didn't give that dog a big telling off, especially when you consider the size of him, that alone should have scared the dog off! Hopefully, the owner will have taken note of what you said to him and will keep his dogs under control in future. Stupid isn't it!

I feel sorry for Gordon being cut short in the loo quite honestly!!!!

Thanks I was very proud.

He will be grumpy all night now.

Stupid man hopefully he will of taken note Gorden said silly man letting his dogs run loose in the dark.

Sorry my mind went blank and thats all I could think of saying lol Poor Gorden

Really worrying that stupid owner lets aggressive dogs off lead in the dark especially with bad recall. I did wonder why you didn't pick up your dog and then saw he was a little large for that. Well done Ollie for keeping your cool

I was surprised at Ollie keeping so cool he can be a bit aggressive sounding when on a lead so tonight has proved he is all mouth and trousers. If he had meant business he wouldn't of been the one coming worse off.

I think the man wasn't expecting anyone around thing is I and some others who live locally quiet often walk that path at night and I use it during the day too. Maybe he will now keep them on lead or keep away. Did not recognise him as being local, we all know each other.

I have a very large heavy bird table in my garden and if I had needed it I would of used it.

I just met one of these gorgeous dogs out on our walk, and bearing in mind what you have said about Ollie not liking some other dogs, I kept mine close to me, but then this lovely big doglet came over to us and Georgie fell in love with him, Zena didn't bother with him, and then he walked off with him to the other owner and started going on HER walk!!!! That's the first one I've ever met whilst out on a walk, but I didn't get the chance to chat with the owner, I was more interested in getting Georgie back!!!!

They are lovely aren't they ?

Ollie is much better off lead than on. The males can be a little domineering with other dogs sometimes, I tend to find just let them greet and watch the body language. Ollie usually says hello then moves off to find his own space after having a little run about sometimes depending on his mood.

Last night proved he is all mouth and trousers when on the lead I think I will still keep an eye on him though.

He was fine when younger and I couldn't believe it when a neighbour told me her son use to have a Bernese and a GSD and the Bernese stalked the GSD and in the end he had to re-home the Bernese.

Ollie does sometime block dogs if he feels like it. The vet is convinced his getting in first is due to joint problems he was saying this is the reason a lot dogs get grumpy they are worried about getting hurt.

We are convinced he has the onset of arthritis as although he has lost a lot of weight and moves more freely we noticed Saturday after a long walk the back leg started dragging every so often. We hear his claws drag every so often and he was limping slightly on his left leg by the time we reached home. On the whole though he is so much better he was bouncing around in the frost this morning. So diet and glucosamine and MSm are doing the trick.

So strict diet for him from now on as they do suffer from joint problems and he will be 5 next year.

Ollie sounds like he's doing well on all his medication, it can only help can't it. I suppose big dogs are going to suffer more because of the weight they are carrying all the time, even if they are normal weight! I hear Georgie's nails scuffing at the end of a walk, but never at the start which is a good thing.

I was watching that body language as to whether or not to let Zena say hello, coz it did stop a couple of yards away from us so I could at least keep her with me until I'd sussed him out with Georgie's greeting (comes in handy!). They looked very demure, it was all very calm, they did that head to tail business, and the bernese kind of held his head higher than Georgie, as if to say, I'm bigger than you mate so don't you start anything (although heightwise, they were almost the same). The owner was walking on, totally oblivious that her dog had come over, so I guessed he was ok, but his tail wasn't wagging at all??? He gave a look that he could have been aggressive too, that's what worried me at first, but it all seemed ok, but then nothing ever goes for old George, even a known aggressor around here would never go for him and if it did, he would just give it the look, turn his nose up and walk away!

It might possibly be a new dog in this area Lynn, coz I've never seen one around here before and I always walk up there at 11.30 for my 2nd walk with Georgie, so I could see it again tomorrow hopefully and have a chat with the owner. Having said that, we have had a breeder of these dogs in our village for donkey's years, it's a proper boarding kennels they run and she shows all of hers and yet I've never seen her walking any of them. Lovely dogs, but they look like a heck of a lot of work with that fantastic coat!