Woof!

Nice Next Door/Next Door But One (it's complicated, the son of Nice Mr Next Door has moved out of next door and into next door but one and they are all brilliant neighbours) has a dog.  She is just coming out of puppy hood with all ears and paws and bounce.  She is pure bred working sheep dog, so not a pure border collie (I think) but a large amount of border collie and I suspect some lurcher, together with a set of springs as the dog is taller than the average border collie, and seems to be permanently mid bounce. 

Little bear is very nervous around her.  She bounces and barks and runs up and down behind the garden wall when little bear was near and once pushed him quite hard when he had his back to a gap in her fence.  When she rears up she is taller than him, with rough hard claws and did I mention the bounce?  She makes Tigger look like he had just taken sleeping pills.  And I think by the end of the week the 'nervous' is going to be up to 'terrified'. 

There isn't a bad bone in the dog's body.  She is a lovely, giddy, bouncy, jumping, mouthing, barking, cuddle stealing puppy.  And while she has been able to jump out of the garden for a bit, she hasn't realised it.  Until today, when I went to collect little bear from school and she was outside our gate.  Fortunately she is good tempered and I just cuddled her into her garden and called her owners, before dashing off for little bear.  That is a dog that will do almost anything for a cuddle.  Unfortunately that 'almost' doesn't include 'stay still and don't bounce'.  I have no chance of getting little bear to stroke her as she will certainly bounce, bark, jump up and generally terrify little bear.  I find her rough and uncomfortable, and she isn't bigger than me.  Little bear is also now a bit too timid to offer her treats, and besides, being offered treats means that she bounces, barks, jumps up, etc, etc, etc...

So not only do we now have to keep an eye out for the ginger gentleman when we let out evil cat, but also Bouncing Dog, who does see cats (except her own cats which are obviously part of the pack) as legitimate targets.  I can see Bouncing Dog bouncing at the postman (and our postie is lovely) and random passers by and cars and the ginger gentleman's days of sauntering along our street to beat up the resident tom on the way to the next bit of food are definitely numbered.  Bouncing Dog will definitely bounce at little bear as she has chased up and down after him as he ran past her one side of the wall as she was in her garden.  

I believe the fence is going to get bigger.  I just hope it will be big enough.