First thing he did was alert me when my elderly neighbour had fallen over in her garden and was unable to get up. Max heard her calling for help and would not stop barking and running to the front door, when I let him out he ran straight to the side fence and kept barking there making me go out and have a look, from that I was able to help her up and safely back into her home.

The next thing he did was save me from a knife wielding mugger, I was walking him round the field at 1am, came across 4 teenagers, the one at the front of the group pulled a knife and demanded my purse. I laughed at him, at which point Max sprung into action straining at his lead, barking while on his hind legs, they ran off into the night. The police rang a few months later and said that as they had caught no one for it and there had been no more reported incidents of this nature they were closing the case. I am convinced to this day that the group of teenagers did not see Max until it was too late.

After this we moved to the country, Max quickly settled into his new home and made friends with the new neighbours, one was a very elderly lady who lived alone, and the other was a single man who worked away a lot, both were very happy to have a dog next door, they felt safe.

Shortly after moving to the country, Max met the future In-Laws dog, Leo a cross poodle, it was not the kind of meeting that I had in mind for both the dogs, Max and I were walking in the fields when we met Paula and Leo, we waited for them to catch up and as the dogs were saying hello a huge German Shepherd Dog came along snarling at Leo (this dog had attacked Leo previously) instantly Max became very protective of Leo, every time this GSD tried to get at Leo, Max blocked its path by towering over its back and growling rather nastily, Max managed to keep the GSD away from Leo until its owner arrived to put it on a lead. I later found out that the GSD and his owner had been the subjects of several complaints to the police. I was very proud of Max that day, so was Paula and from that day on Max and Leo were best friends and Max was very protective of Leo.

This was proven again when a woman let two aggressive border collies out of a car that ran at Leo snarling and barking. Max ran in between the collie and Leo and pinned the collie to the ground by the throat, without hurting the collie Max just let it know that it was not going to harm his mate.

The next thing to happen, it was a lovely summer’s morning and the back door of the house was open so Max could get into the garden, I was in the shower when I hear Max barking and someone shouting a couple of expletive’s - it was the window cleaner who was stuck straddling the garden gate, Max would not let him in the garden I did warn the window cleaner not to try to get in the garden if the back door was open - guess he did not listen!!!

The last time that Max saved my bacon was last month; I was out walking him round the orchard before work, at approximately 05:40. A man followed me round the orchard, I did not know he was there until Max came out the bushes and stood growling with his teeth bared and hackles up, I shone the torch round and there was a man with a hood up round his face standing behind me. I carried on walking and the man continued to follow me, Max did not leave my side, when we got closer to the street lights I stopped walking and turned round, Max moved from my side to stand right in front of me putting himself in between the man and me. I stood for a few seconds watching at which point the man took a step towards me and Max just took off at him barking, the man ran across the field towards the houses, I let Max chase him for a few seconds before I called him back. I don’t think this man will be following anymore people after this.

Max is a very friendly sociable dog if you are supposed to be there, he welcomes visitors to the house with a bouncy nature and a wagging tail, and he is wary of strangers but not aggressive towards them unless he feels that any of the family is in danger. Max is a very loyal dog, if I am out walking him alone he will always stay where he can see me, if I am home alone with Max and go to bed, he will come to bed with me and will not move from the bed until Martin comes upstairs.
We have a few friends and family members that we are not allowed to visit unless we take Max with us.

Thank You for training Max and turning him into a fabulous pet/protector

Yours faithfully

Carol-Anne Whitelaw