RIGHT, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.

While we were away, the pups were in the back garden and clearly had a traumatic experience with the labradors next door. These dogs spend a lot of time in their garden and do sound quite intimidating when they are snuffling around. The pups can't actually see them through the fence and maybe this adds to their fear. Paul, who looked after the girls for the first few days of our break, said that there had indeed been a sudden commotion when they were out there, but he didn't know what had actually happened.

We've noticed,that whenever we let them out through the back door, the run, snarling and barking straight to the fence where they lose the plot completely and get themselves into a real state, turning on each other in the anxiety and scrabbling at the bottom of the fence. Often the dogs next door will be out there and will bark at them, sending them into a frenzy. They won't be distracted and just get more and more out of control.

We noticed this behaviour as soon as we got home from the States, but it appears to be getting more pronounced and now, we've found that the anxiety begins at the back door, as if they're anticipating the trauma that awaits them, but instead of avoiding it, they head straight for it.

This evening we tried to get them calm before they went through the back door - but that didn't work. Then we tried taking them into the garden via the side gate and, although they were headed off at the pass by me bearing tasty little bits of chicken, all that happened was that they ate their treat and then still headed over to the fence where the usual fracas began.

We're getting a bit anxious abuout it now, because we don't want it to become really entrenched behaviour and need to find a way to overcome their fear and aggression.

Any ideas anyone?