This morning after our dog walk , Jill and Rosie went in the back garden and I was opening the gates for Jill to drive out. Our neighbour has two dogs, one even smaller than Rosie, which came rushing out from 50 metres up our right of way and bit my ankle. Real blood followed! I managed to put a small lead on it that I carry on dog walks in case we find a lost dog wandering. The neighbours weren't home but they had a young visitor who was very upset at the sight of my blood, so hopefully he will pass it on to the neighbours when they get home this afternoon.

That's pretty bad; are your jabs up to date? Is rabies endemic in NZ?

Not that I've heard of Laurie but I did update my tetanus jab. It's such a tiny dog but has very sharp teeth!