[gemy]

I am so glad you and Lilah are okay. It sounds like the owner was taken aback too, and I am glad she apologized.

It just goes to show things can happen in an instant of in-attention. Many dogs are friendly .. until they are not... And I don't mean this in a judgemental way, it is just the nature of the canine. Prey drive can get triggered where/when it was never triggered before.

My pet peeve which is becoming a passionate peeve are the retractable leads. THey should in my opinion never be used for walking a dog of ANY size.

If you want to allow your dog some space to run, get to a park, then put on the retractable lead, throw your toy etc.

I tell you if I see a dog and most especially a dog which is larger sized on a retractable lead I cross the street if I can, I also bring my dogs into heel on a very short but loose lead. We have pretty strick lease laws here, and thankfully the majority of folks abide by them, put if you have your bruiser on a retractable lead, you simply have no control over that dog. And if you have a toy dog out to the end of the long lead you simply can't re-act fast enough to reel that dog in. Plus the handles of those leads or ergonomically awkward.

Also folks should know just a word to the wise, is that the two weakest spots on the collar and lead/leash attachment is the loup on the collar the snap on the lead that attaches the lead to the collar/halter. ON a large dog, this can wear over time, and a very hard pull can have the two detach from each other. Then you have a free dog...........