“What in the world are you?”

“Call yourself a dog?”

Technically, it’s the middle of summer, but in the far south the day has been almost autumnal and I nearly blipped a tree full of ripe apples!

We meet many other dogs on our wanders, Bob and I, and were a bit unnerved this evening (at least I was) to meet a large, lone, loose German Shepherd that could’ve swallowed Bob whole if it chose to. Luckily, it showed no interest whatsoever in the feisty, scrappy, little black dog that was barking its head off at it and (for once) I was able to get Bob back on his lead without too much drama.

This other large dog guarding his farm, however, just didn’t seem to know what to make of Bob at all. Was this little waggy thing really another dog? Bob’s small, but not tiny, yet I got the feeling the big boy was totally perplexed by the little visitor outside his gates! Within a few minutes, though, they were playing and mock pouncing either side of the bars and had they been able to get together I think much fun - and mayhem! - would’ve ensued.

Odd that Bob would bark and growl at the Alsatian, but just wagged his tail and whined at this gentle (apparently, anyway…) giant.

(Because Bob is in the foreground, this shot underplays the contrast in size between these two. Take it from me, the guy behind the gate is one very big dog!)