Like many other greyhounds, mine (an ex-racer) is unsure of other dogs and has occasionally been a bit "grumpy" with them, so I always keep her muzzled.

In an attempt to help socialise her with other dogs, I recently took her to a local dog training class, expecting her to meet others having similar problems.

Towards the end of the session, the trainer selected a small number of dogs, including mine, for a period of free association.

Although this started well, it quickly turned very nasty when one of the other dogs decided to attack mine as she ran past it.

My dog suffered serious wounds to her neck and shoulder, which required over 50 stitches to repair and has required further trips to the vet every couple of days since.

The trainer had advised that I kept my dog muzzled during this exercise, but the dog that attacked her was unrestrained and had never been muzzled in public even though its owner suspected that, before rescue, it had been used for dog fights.

This now seems like a disaster waiting to happen and has made me realise just how much reliance we place in the judgement of those who run such training classes.

An organised session with an experienced trainer is the last place I would have expected dogs to be exposed to such danger.

Beside leaving my dog with injuries that will take months to heal, this incident has also made me very wary of other dogs.

It now seems unlikely that I will ever be able to enjoy walking my dog in Nonsuch Park again, denying me a pleasure that I had enjoyed for years.

What started as an attempt to cure my dog's occasional "grumpiness" has turned into a nightmare for both of us.

SUE CAMBER Parry Close Epsom