Well today I won't be walking, today is barely safe to go in the yard let alone go for a walk. The wind is strong, the gusts are scary, and to top it all it's pissing it down now too. I hate being confined to barracks like this, it doesn't help my head and it's boring for the dogs. I contacted two friends, one in Penygroes the other in Clynnog and it's wild down there too so no point going onto lower ground either. Mind you Steve has just said that I would be silly taking the van out anyway .. True I guess.Ross and Kaiah will no doubt be loud and annoying today, they really are not use to days indoors. So yes today the "what ifs" of Snowdonia are keeping me indoors!
I love the above photo from yesterday, it's that moment when you wonder what they are looking at, so you take the photo and then look to see a dozen sheep running your way followed by the farmer and his dog. But they waited ... Good girls, very relieved and proud. I then went on my way feeling a little uncomfortable as someone else was by then also following me up the track. I had to go straight as my van was at the shooting range. It's quite a pull up and the person was right on our heels, he was coming faster and faster. I got to the van just in time before he was there behind me. I then realised that I wan't that unfit, my girls were loose and he was being dragged up the track by a rather nutty looking sheepdog. I was considering asking him if we were in a similar situation again if he would give me a little more space .. but when I saw who it was, I recognised him as a young man with learning problems so rightly or wrongly I said nothing .. If I see him again I think I'll go off track, even if does mean going in the opposite direction to where I need to go!
We walked to the end of the path, but rather than going back on the road we turned back to follow the track back. We saw a woman just in front of us and all three dogs went on the lead. Again just to embarrass me Ross would not come without his 3ft stick and we had quite a battle of strength and wills over it. Still struggling with Ross and his stick we passed the woman who looked rather odd sat hunched on the rock. About 20 ft after passing her I let Loki off the lead, after all Loki is not only obedient but he is very aloof with strangers, he has no interest in people other than his small circle of privileged friends. That's why I could no believe what he did next. He turned round and went back to the woman, and to add insult to injury he put his front feet on the rock and put his face in her face. OMFG, what the hell was he thinking? The woman shrieked "get it away get it away." I did and apologised, she said she was terrified of dogs and was physically shaking. I felt dreadful, why did he do that? If it was Ross I'd get it, he's an idiot, but not Mr aloof Loki. Ok he's a sensitive dog, he possibly contributed to saving my life as that night is the only night he has ever barked endlessly after we went to bed, he was also extremely sensitive to my bad heads for about a year or so after my surgery.
You may remember he would sit on the sofa with a very worried expression the whole time I slept. (I'll find the photo) I can only think that Loki picked up on this woman's fear and being sensitive needed to investigate the strange smell for himself." Because dogs are experts at reading body language, they can quickly pick up on someone who is afraid of them. They can actually smell fear. When we are scared, sweat glands are more active which will produce “body odor” a dog can smell. There's even evidence dogs can see fear as well as other emotions on our face. Experts who have studied dogs and their sense of smell have concluded that dogs can't necessarily smell the emotion that is fear. They can, however, detect smells and see movements and body postures that may help them sense when a person is nervous, anxious, or afraid."
No doubt Loki picked up on something, her posture was hunched and she was obviously therefore giving off an odor that made him investigate her further. Sticking his face in her face must have been terrifying for her and I'm whole heartily sorry that he did it, but I can't help but wonder why? What did he need to know? If I'm faced with a similar situation again I would not let him off the lead so quickly, but we had seen 2 other people on the track and I'd done exactly the same .. well I didn't even put him on the lead to pass the terrier people.
I'm not making an excuses for the incident, Loki was wrong to not listen and now I know I was wrong to let him off the lead so quickly, lesson learned. Dogs are amazing creatures, all I can conclude is that she was giving off a smell that concerned him, possibly a similar smell to when I was ill? Then as you can see from this photo he could not settle or relax until the episode was over.
