Riley, our 11-year-old toy poodle is incorrigibly stubborn. Since he was a puppy we had tried everything we could think of to cure him of his bad habit, including what we'd read as a possible solution to the problem of his nosy curiosity and bellicose reaction to the presence of dogs he has never before met, and nothing has worked. So that, when we're out with him if he smells, sees, or hears the presence of another dog he is instantly alerted, and immediately aggressive.

We must keep him in close view of us at all times. When needed, he's leashed; when we feel reasonably confident he can be off-leash we allow that, but always close to us. Many years ago he was well ahead of us on a winter afternoon on a wooded trail and met an oncoming husky head on, snarling at the dog and leaping toward it. The husky responded by picking Riley up between his jaws and holding him there. Riley was well padded in a winter coat, and the husky had no intention of harming him. I reached them and prised Riley out of the husky's mouth just as his owner reached us.

Yesterday was another of those season-unusual days, very mild, sun in evidence and a light breeze, a day to take advantage of and revel in, and so we did, out for our usual ravine walk. Generally we see no one else taking advantage of this local natural treasure so close to where we live, but yesterday's weather had brought out other dog walkers and we came across a few. One, a young local fireman whom we have the acquaintance of, with his two dogs, and the meeting was without incident for the dogs know each other. Another, whom we know slightly with a mixed-hound who simply side-stepped Riley.

And then much later walking through the forest trails, a pair of women, obviously a mother and daughter walking with their two black terriers. We could hear the terriers a long way off, running amok through the woods, yipping constantly, chasing squirrels. When they caught up to us as we mounted a long hill, Riley close behind while I was depositing peanuts in the usual caches along the way, Riley did the usual, growling when the others approached too close to him for his liking.

The two women were taken with Riley, amusing in his little coat and harness, and bent to coo over him and stroke him. Amused too, no doubt, by his tiny, aggressive presence, telling their dogs to give wide berth. Next thing we knew, one of the terriers had up-ended Riley, and was furiously at him, biting and scrabbling at him. One of the women, closest to them, detached the terrier and I grabbed Riley who was still baring his teeth and growling.

They were appalled and apologized profusely, sincerely concerned with whether he had suffered harm. I was upset and apologized myself for not having monitored Riley more closely since it was clear his attitude had provoked the attack. Yet another reminder that I cannot with any degree of responsibility rely on other dogs side-stepping the challenge that a very small dog presents to their equal right of passage in public spaces.

Needless to say we were much relieved to ascertain that no physical harm had indeed come to the little belligerent.