This time I am going to recount a true story that occurred 30 years ago. Nowadays, we now have a greater understanding of the dogs mind, but even so, whilst we can come up with all sorts of explanations we still have no definitive proof that dogs possess extra sensory perception. I will return to this fascinating subject at a later date. The lady and her dog arrived in my office for a hastily booked appointment. The dog was a golden retriever. In those days the retriever was the most popular family dog and this one was a classic specimen He had a rich golden colour coat almost mahogany, broad handsome head, a benign look and a tail that never stopped swishing from side to side. This was the sort of dog that everybody who has children prays for, that wonderful dog who helps the toddlers take their first steps, accepts being pulled around, sat on and puts up with the indignity of being dressed up, in fact totally bombproof, that dog that you would trust never to hurt the children, who in 10years had never growled. The story went something like this: The lady and her dog are on a regular walk and a man approaches from the opposite direction. He is smartly dressed and does not carry a walking stick, umbrella or brief case, neither does he wear glasses or wear a hat. all the things that can set the alarm bells ringing for a dog, The man is at least 50 metres away and suddenly “bombproof” freezes, he doesn’t growl or raise his hackles but what his owner described as an continuous roll of thunder comes from his chest. The man passed by showing no sign of hostility and “bombproof” returns to normal as if nothing has happened. The lady is very distressed, such is the reliable nature of this dog and his behaviour so out of character, can he still be trusted with the children? Well I found nothing wrong with the dogs temperament and while I could accept the dogs reaction from a very short distance reacting to someone at that far away who was not behaving in any sort of threatening manner was puzzling, but just to be safe I referred her to a veterinary surgeon for a complete check up and he found nothing wrong as well. We all conferred and agreed that while we couldn’t explain the dogs behaviour there was no risk to the family and “bombproof” carried on being his usual self. The explanation came some two years later. The lady phoned me and told me that in the newspaper that day was a story of a man who had just been convicted of a series of crimes of attacking women, the photo was conclusive, it was the man, “bombproof” knew!! R

Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem.

A.A. Milne