The ALPHA !

Went on a good long walk/jog today, (almost an HOUR, can ya believe it?). This was great, until I was winding it up to go back to the house.

Our neighbor has two dogs. With very little training, and no sense of where they should be. They come on our property with highly depressing regularity. I have tried to be a good neighbor, it bugs me, but at this point there isn't any damage, and I have trained my dog, so there hasn't been a problem, to speak of. Other than annoying the h*** out of me.

So, I was getting ready to go down the hill, and here come dog 1 and 2. Rudee sees them and lurches forward (I have him off lead, he's trained to come back on command), and then Rudee and dog 1 confront each other. Suddenly, dog 1 snarls and bites at Rudee, catching him on the muzzle.

I grabbed one of my walking poles, and started toward them, and bellowed in my most aggressive voice, (it has been compared to a Master Sargent by my FIL),

"*** **** YOU, NO! GO HOME! NOW!!"

The most amazing thing happened. I hadn't raised the stick, and I was probably still a dozen or more feet from them, but they both dropped, spread eagle, on the ground, then dog 1 bolted for home.

Rudee wet himself, then ran back to me, grovelling and hiding behind my leg.

Dog 2 is heavily mentally deficient, it took him a minute or three to get it through his skull to that peanut brain that dog 1 had left, and that he needed to go. (Did I mention he's really stupid?) But even dog 2 was spooked when I let fly.

I try not to do that often, but I guess we have a definite idea who they consider the alpha!

WOOF!!! said Cat...

(I checked Rudee over, and I think it may have just been a dominance thing, Rudee's nose and muzzle aren't damaged, and he isn't bleeding or scratched up. Just a bit unnerved, I think...)