SADLY my Easter weekend took a turn for the worse while out walking with my sister in the Conwy valley.
Armed with the OS map, even though we know the area well, we followed the public footpath as it went through the middle of a farmyard.
As we rounded the corner of the barn, the stead erupted in a fury of barking and snarling as two cocker spaniels and two border collies charged up to us aggressively and circled round us.
Calmly but confidently, talking in soothing voices, we continued to walk, but suddenly a collie rushed forward and bit me in the calf.
Owners of unpredictable dogs should keep them away from children
The farmer saw what happened but didn't seem too concerned.
Was this a regular occurrence?
The dogs sense fear, he said, but growing up in an animal-mad family, I have no fear of dogs, at least not until now.
Luckily for me, I was wearing stout trousers and thick walking socks. The dog's teeth only broke the skin slightly and didn't draw much blood; all I have to show for it now are the teethmarks and some bruising.
But what if I'd been bare-legged?
What if I'd been a small child?
Particularly worrying was that this farm was also a campsite, so would have more visitors than most.
I can understand the need for farm dogs to be guard dogs, but it does seem rather irresponsible to have an unpredictable dog running loose in the same place as children.
I have since made friends with a lovely collie out walking on the Great Orme, so I've not developed dog-phobia.
But I'll still think twice about choosing a route near any farmyards in future.
