Dogfight! We won!

Nala pretending to be a peacenik.

(4 December) 

58.58 min - 9.9 km, +6ºC, with Nala and Leroy.

A typical Nordic-Maritime hour: started the run in brilliant sunshine, then it suddenly turned dark and - on the 4th of December! - a real thunderstorm started, with lightning, thunder and hale stones, which turned to slashing rain. The rain stopped soon and it was glorious brilliant sunshine again 40 minutes into the run. 

And an amazing time for Nala. Especially considering what had happened. 

Lately I have been trying to take Nala running more often. She was running again today, toujours en forme, the dogs were both bouncing, ahead of me all the time. 

We usually pass 10-12 dogs along the route, all behind fences or on a chain, bar two nasty ones. We call them 'dump dogs' because their owner is an old man who has a huge pile of metall junk, mostly 'white goods' by his house. I think he makes a living dealing in scrap metal. The dogs are often on the loose, chasing cars and passersby, real nuisance. 

They often chase us too. Ha! Soft target - a runner with two dogs on a lead. Usually I just ignore them and tell the dogs to 'heel.'

Not today. I forgot to tighten Nala's running collar and, when the dump dogs lunged at us, she pulled —and the collar flew off. God, did she go after the dumpsters! 

Nala is a waiflike little thing, much smaller than an average Golden. She was the last in a litter of twelve puppies and we took her because the kennels owner literally begged us to have her. 

But hell hath no fury like a Nala in the fight. Before I could intervene she grabbed one of the dump dogs, a muscular black and white terrier, larger than her, by the back of the neck lifted him in the air — I couldn't believe my eyes — and smashed him on the ground. He retreated whimpering. Meanwhile, Leroy fended off the second dog, a white Labrador cross.

Total rout! Chicken scraps for the victorious Nala, my girl.