What a morning! Perhaps a misunderstanding?

Out walking my dogs this morning, having a lovely time, when we come across a loose, male ESS.

He was lovely a lovely boy, but very full on and was trying to put his nose up my dogs' rear ends!

Managed to get him on a lead. He had no tag. So, I phoned the local Police station to see if he had been reported missing and just as I was doing that, a car pulled up and woman got out to collect the dog.

As the woman approached, the dog growled at her. I THINK she was about to smack him on the face, she kind of held back so maybe she wasn't and it was just the panic? However, I told her NOT to hit the dog.

She took the dog the collar and put him in to the boot of the car - I could hear him growling.

Meanwhile, she was saying "I'll hit my dog if I want to, he shouldn't have ran away". I told her that it wasn't the dog fault and there was no wonder he was running away if he was going to be smacked when caught and dogs also require training to come back.

She responded with "shut up, you stupid cow". Charming. Just as well I'm not bothered.

She then drove off. I carried on walking with friends and their dogs. No even a thanks for taking control of the dog to stop it getting knocked down on the road that we were beside.

About half an hour or so later, we were well on with our walk and I heard a voice saying "excuse me, excuse me" - it was the woman with the Springer and the dog was on a lead, with a Halti.

She came to apologise and said she was really sorry and that she just panicked. She said she would never hurt a dog and that she had only had him for 3 months and this was his third home. She said the previous home hadn't treated him very well and 3 months ago you couldn't even pat him. She she said she'd had a Springer for 13 years before him. She said she got him from Springer rescue and that she was a Police Officer and sees how bad some of them come in.

I told that if that was the case, then I really do apologise for what I said and that many people would've thought the same as us with the regards to the situation. I told her I understand the issues behind some rescue dogs. I really did apologise to her for my wrong assumption.

I said to the dog, "you'll need to tell your mum to get you a dog with contact details on it, just in case, as we could've phoned her". She said he just lost his tag today, allegedly.

She showed me the lead and Halti and said he is never allowed to just run away.

One of the women I was with has been a traffic warden for 28 years and is always in and out the local Police station and has never seen or heard of her. Obviously, there is a chance she may work in another Police station, it doesn't necessarily have to be the local one, I know that.

My friend said that if indeed she was a Police Officer then she wouldn't have reacted the way she did, but then I have no idea, I'm not a Police Officer and maybe people act differently when it's their own dog, which may well have been the case here.

Anyway, she apologised for how she reacted and I apologised for what I said and all was ok again. However, I wish she would've said at the time he was a rescue with issues and wouldn't have assumed she was the one hitting him. Would've saved a lot of bother.

Maybe it's just my suspicious nature, but what do you think about this?

hmmm it does all sound a bit suspicious.. but i dont know, the fact she said she would hit the dog to start off with and then changed her mind is a bit wierd, and something must be wrong with the relationship she has with the dog because if he was a resuce and generally badly behaved or had issues, then surely he would of growled at you too?

Yes, that's kind of what I'm thinking as well. Glad you picked up on that.

He didn't growl at me once or the two other women I was walking with.

I even put him on a lead and got him in a sit while I phoned the station. He didn't bother in the slightest.

I just think it's all a bit odd.

That's not easy to do.

I think I would accept that as evidence of good character despite her poor start.

Well done for securing the dog for her.

Yes, you could well be right.

She did say he didn't like the car and was crying the whole way to pick up the daughter from somewhere. She was then walking the dog home, whilst the daughter took the car home.

Perhaps he was just scared of going in the car?

hhmmm policewomen are trained not to panic, they are also trained to keep their mouths shut where necessary and neither would she have responded in a manner which she did (ie stupid cow) and dogs do not "come into" police stations any more.

If she was a bona fido pc I am marrying William in a few weeks.

If she wasn't for real, why did she bother to apologise? Surely she would have just left it? I admit it does seem a bit odd but that is niggling at me a bit.

at the last sentence!

Hmm, yes, this is what we're thinking as well - Police Officers are - or should be - trained not to react in such a way.

However, could it be that she did so because this was her own dog? Or it could be that she is making the story up? Could be either, I suppose. I'm just finding it all a bit odd, to be honest.

Regarding dogs being brought in to stations, ours took dogs in up until not too long ago when the kennels were deemed inadequate (which they are - they are awful). That said, I've no idea if they've changed them now, but I doubt it. Must find out though, just so I know.

Well, that's what I'm wondering. Unless she did it because she didn't want to make herself look bad if we ever saw her again, given that I have seen her from time to time on that walk.

Being married to a police officer I can tell you get get just a pissed off as the next person.
They may be trained to keep there cool but they are human after all.
Why would she have come to say sorry she could have left it.
Sometimes my dogs have pissed me right off and I have lost my temper ( not with them just the situation iykwim )

I would give her a chance and we all have bad days after all.