On looking back, I think you're right, it must have been both the combination of this little black ball of fluff hurfing towards us (her ball went past us but not far, so she HAD to come that near) and the fact that this little doggy thought Zena had HER ball in her mouth!

The strange this is, Zena will always let any other dog have her ball, it doesn't ever bother her, and this bloke said it never bothers HIS dog, but I beg to differ there going on the other day when she snapped at US if we went to take it off her! Zena is different with her ball, she clamps it tightly in her mouth, it's hers until SHE wants to give it to me to throw, she won't drop it (she'll drop anything else out of her mouth for me but never that ball!) It's just the way Zena instantly attacked it, flipped it on it's side, just like I've seen Georgie do on a couple of occasions with bolshy dogs, just to teach them a lesson, he's never hurt them, and the poor little thing was going mad underneath her, rolling around snapping, snarling, but then so was Zena which was quite a surprise to me actually. She goes up to any dogs we pass with her tail wagging, always friendly, always ready to play, never once seen any sign of this aggression in her before. She just doesn't like this dog I'm sure of that, the way it's not allowed to walk past our gates at home, she goes mad at it, but then again the OTHER dog always starts the barking first, never Zena or Georgie, so maybe it's a bit of a bolshy little thing!

When I grabbed her off this dog, I noticed that both their balls were there on the ground side by side about 2 feet apart, so for Zena to actually drop that ball of hers like that to have a fight tells me she meant business!

I think I'm going to have to meet them up there again and see what happens, and if that dog comes hurfing over to US again, then at least that way, I can see that IT is the aggressor and not Zena, because yesterday, Zena actually moved a couple of feet away from me towards the dog when it came to us and I thought she was just going to greet it after the other night, but maybe it said the wrong thing to her! Lol!

OMG poor you it is a scary thing to see, but as no harm was done put it down to experience hun. Zena is growing up!!!!

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Balls can be the starting point of many arguments here too. Ben is very ball posessive there are only one or two dogs that he will let near his! It's a high reward thing isn't it. Glad it wasn't worse hun after all you have been through lately, that would have been the last straw...yet another trip to the vet with dog bites eh???

Thanks mate. Well me being me, as you know me so well, I was more concerned with apologising to the owner, because in all honestly, Zena could have killed that poor little thing if she had wanted to couldn't she! Maybe that was her aim before I grabbed her off it, although neither of them were showing any signs of giving up! Then I ask myself this question: Why did he launch that other dog's ball right over to US like that then?? That's not right is it when he had the whole of the green to chuck it? Zena was quite happy to ignore the other dogs up there, 2 small labs and his 2 dogs (this one included), she was playing with ME and her ball which I was trying to prize off her! I honestly don't know why he did that tbh, and it was pretty stupid wasn't it imo!

When we were stood there talking, our two dogs kept themselves apart, then I threw Zena's ball up the green and he did the same with his launcher and his dog's ball and they ran together about 4 ft apart, Zena getting there first, dropped her own ball, went to pick up the other dog's ball, I yelled out no, leave it, and she dropped it and picked hers up, but then she prefers hers it's not a tennis ball! Yes, Zena is very ball possessive, it's my trump card, and yet she's never, ever aggressive about it, she just won't let you have it unless she wants you to, or if you're a young child, they can always have it! This other dog though, is very aggressive with hers, if she drops it and you went to pick it up, she'd have you, whereas Zena would give in that she's dropped it, it's yours now!

I suppose it could be the fact that she's growing up now, it was HER space that was invaded, and I'm sure that other dog went straight to her face to get that ball out of her mouth, so all in all, I can't blame her can I! Poor Zena must have thought, wtf is going on here mustn't she!!!! Her instinct kicked in thinking she was going to get attacked maybe so went in for the kill! I keep going over and over it in my head, seeing her on top of that dog like that, I just never thought she had it in her, I always thought she'd run off if threatened in such a way. I've underestimated her methinks!

Looking back and remembering Cassie, she was the sweetest, kidest gsd out, and yet she once had a go at a little whippet that went for her up at the stables, same thing,lots of noise, a big scrabble, then she'd stick her head in the air, turn the other way and walk off! Lol! She had class that Cassie!!!!

Yea it was a bit stupid of the other guy to throw the ball in your direction. We always throw them away from other dogs. Remember that Staffie attack on Poppy, that was all because she went to get the ball!!!
They are high prize toys for some dogs and Zena being a ball doggie no wonder she must have thought WTF

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All the 'attacks' with Kismet have happened over high value things.. balls or treats dropped on the floor...

Like Zena, although Kismet loves her squeaky ball, she has always allowed other dogs to take it.. But as soon as that adrenaline is ramped up and a pack of dogs start running after a ball, or one of the dogs starts to become possessive.. then I have to take her away from the situation. I know Kismet and she wont be pushed and bullied. If someone wants a fight... She'll take them...

I have stopped walking her at one of my local fields because of the amount of other dog owners who insist on giving treats to strange dogs... Selkie developed an antisocial habit of running up to stranger sand nudging their treat pocket then sitting down and shouting at them and Kismet got into a fight with a couple of dogs that wandered up when a particularly soft touch old man was giving her treats... No amount of pleading on my part would stop them from feeding them, so we stopped going there...

I'm sure Zena will be fine.. Just maybe take a different toy for a while? Take a ring or frisbee, something nothing like the other dog's ball and for everyone's sake, try to avoid the little dog if you can...

It sounds like Zena was just putting him in his place, she could have injured him if she meant it. Mine sometimes sound like they are killing each other but it is all noise, ten minutes later they are washing each other.

That's all very interesting, thanks Magye. Yes, it's the same up on that blooming green too! They all stand there in the mornings, chatting, throwing the balls with the chuckers and handing all the dogs treats, and Georgie is just like your Selkie there because of it, even though I asked them NOT to give him any, and when I originally took Zena up there once or twice in the mornings before we got going on our nice big long walks, I emphatically told them NEVER to give her anything because she was in training and treats had to be earned, not handed out willy nilly! It's quite embarrassing now with old Georgie, coz whenever I stop to chat to anybody, no matter where we are, up goes his paw, dirties their leg with it asking for a treat and yet he NEVER gets them off me, coz he's already well trained, and he only gets them at home in the evenings without even having to do anything coz it's always been that way with him.

This particular walk I do in the evening though, is just her and me, out for a bit of fun, play and the ball, coz our other two walks are just that i.e. walking, sniffing, bit of training in the company of George too, so I do like to have her on her own just that once a day, and anyways it's too much for him to go out for a third time, so it's just me and her.

That's a brilliant idea though, I'll take her rubber frisbee coz that is also very high in value!

I found it very strange also, the way she was very hyped up when we got home, and it took a very long while to "settle" her, even for her dinner, and then she was a bit hyper all evening which is unlike her, so maybe the adrenalin was still flowing from that ruck! LIttle monkey, I hope she doesn't start thinking it's ok to argue with dogs she doesn't particularly like coz I don't want that with her, especially at this tender age, I'm gonna have to keep on top of this one. You're right I think, keep away from trouble, and don't go up there at the same time as this other dog, it's just not worth courting trouble really is it!

Thanks moetmum, yes, I think we can learn a lot from our dogs can't we! I dread to think if mine fought like that at home! I've had small rucks or arguments, but nothing like that thank goodness and hopefully, there won't be any with Zena and Georgie they're in lurve ya know!!!!

That must have been frightening for you....Glad no one was hurt x

I am coming to the realisation that many other owners are ideots
If the two dogs shout at each other either side o the fence then it sounds that they just dont like each other
Its great that they can run side by side ignoring each other - but I would say they are both going to be a little stressed by that and so adrenalin is high and they will be a little more reactive

and a dog she dosent like running right into her face - that is v rude in the doggy world
The guy sounds like a fool - personaly i would just totally avoid them - dogs, like humans, dont have to like everyone they meet and so why have your dog around a dog she dosent like and an owner who is so obviously a fool??

My Mia does hold grudges - big time, she remembers friend from foe from a long distance away
and I would NEVER just leave her to sort out her differences because when her blood is high she is unable to stop and back off and that means the other dog dosent get the chance to back off either so the fight is a mexican standoff where neither dog can give in cos the dog is in their face

Yes, that's also in my mind too, I'm wondering if that other dog intended to have a go at Zena never minding that ball, just because she knew it was Zena, and vice versa, coz neither of them would have backed down, I do know that! Thank God I was right there at the time before it could have been too late!!! He was a long way away the bloke, coz he'd used his chucker thingy!