Something or someone has frightened Tikva because for the last few days she will not go out unless I am sitting here even though the door is, as usual, open so she can go out/come in at will and I can see out - and also see anyone coming down the path. If I move to go to the loo, go into the kitchen or anywhere else in the place she follows me and waits until I come back into the salon. This is totally unlike Tikki as she has never done this before. I am not certain but I think it is because my neighbours' Mastiff keeps getting loose and coming into our yard - Tikki will do her "go away dog" bark [which is different to her "go away human" bark] and I just do my fishwife act, yelling for it to go home. But last Thursday or Friday the boys, who are at a Yeshiva boarding school, came home for the High Holydays together with a schoolmate of the older boy, and they decided to take Nala for a walk. Must have been a blue moon the night before, as it is only the second time I have seen her being taken out since once only when they first got her. This boy is what, nine or ten years-old, very slight build and totally incapable of handling such a large dog if it decides to pull. Which is what Nala did last week, dragging the child into my yard and part way down my ramp. I tried to pull Tikki in because I did not like the look of the situation, and just managed to get her before Nala reared up threateningly and pulled the boy over, dragging him along. Nala is tied up as she is a guard dog but she frequently gets loose and apart from making me get up and plonk out and/or do my fishwife act from the doorway, has nearly caused more than a few accidents as she strolls across the road onto the childrens' play area, terrifying any children that are there - and there is booga all I can do about it.
Poor little Tikki. Worse still, it sounds like there's nothing you can do about the situation. Talk about no win. Give her a big snuggle from me, Juli x
Tikki says thank you for the snuggle Chris - she was still very anxious yesterday and instead of sitting by me looking out at the world going by as she usually does, as did Pereg, she sort of hid between Xanadu and the bookshelves. She is still velcroed to me if I move but has spent most of the day so far back to sitting looking out of the door, although not as close to the doorway as usual. Not that there is anything to see as it is Shabbat, and there are fewer people wandering about than usual so it is even quieter than normal, and so far no sign of Nala although I have heard her on and off during the day. With such a loud, deep bark probably everyone around here have heard her too.
Nala really is huge and getting out is a frequent occurrence. Usually she takes notice of Tikva barking and/or my yelling at her to go home and trots off, and although she will sometimes make as if to go for Tikki she has never reared up as if she would pounce at her like that before. Would she actually go for Tikva? I do not know but am not prepared to risk it because Tikki would stand no chance. Neither would I if she went for me.
