Note to self

Cannot handle BIG dogs.

I had been on a long bike ride, and returned to find neighbors' LARGE Weinheimer dog wandering in my front yard. Usually, she is a gentle dog -- and she ran over to me, all eager to get petted.

Neighbors aren't home from work, so I thought I'd let her in my backyard in order to prevent her getting lost. Woe is me, because I forgot about Rambo and Oscar coming out of my house into the yard through doggie door.

At first, Weinheimer (Cocoa) just stood there while they sniffed her, and then they all ran around the yard...at which point, all @ell broke loose. Rambo tried to attack Cocoa, and then SHE turned on him, and I thought he would be killed! I tried to break it up, but Cocoa was too large and just kept biting at Rambo, practically picking him up in her mouth! I was in the midst of a dog-fight, literally! Then Oscar got in on the fight, and there was vicious barking (even caused dogs in adjacent yards to start barking/howling)!

I finally went to the back door and called Rambo and Oscar to come in, which they did. Obeying for the first time I can remember!!!!

I examined Rambo and Oscar, and they had no breaks in the skin...just lots of dog slobber on them. Good Lord, that was scary!!!!!

Cocoa is still in the backyard, and gentle with ME...but I have mine in the house in their crates until neighbors get home to take Cocoa.

This has been a wake-up call, a lesson: Little dogs are NO match for BIG dogs. Even though Rambo THINKS he is big, he is really small.

Oscar got bitten by a larger neighborhood dog last year when I was at work, because he escaped the backyard fence. It cost me nearly $300.00 to get him well. You think I would have learned my lesson...

But I was just worried Cocoa would get lost since she was loose, and didn't think she was a threat because she's always been gentle. The dog that attacked Oscar was also a female who had pups and got loose occasionally. Cocoa still has two pups but both are supposed to be gone in less than a week. Maybe she's more dangerous due to the pups?

I don't know...but I have learned my lesson: I CANNOT manage a large dog, period.