The owner of the lame dog obviously took heed of the advice and discussed it with the dog's vet.  Tests for Lyme disease were inconclusive;    however, the lameness disappeared a few days into a course of antibiotics.  I read more and more about the disease.                                    The most comprehensive web site I found is this one:                                                               http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/lyme.html

So many of the symptoms (including the circular spot) displayed by our dog seem to point towards Lyme disease.  However, the    disease is quite rare in the UK and it is              exceptionally difficult to diagnose, because for example, the blood tests for it are so unreliable.  My wife and I have shared our thoughts with our vet who has developed a treatment plan (essentially a course of antibiotics) should the lameness reappear.  Lyme disease does recur in an animal or a tick can re-infect it if the animal is susceptible to the disease.

Lyme disease, it appears, is much more prevalent in America.  I read somewhere that there, it is believed that over 60% of dogs     contract the disease but only about 5% of these display any symptoms.  I could find no similar statistics for the UK.  By the way, humans can get it as well!

Perhaps the mystery of our dog's      lameness in training and more recently is now

solved; I am not sure.  I will be more persuaded, however, should antibiotics cure lameness in him in the future.
Oh!  I nearly forgot.  For those of you who didn't know and haven't guessed already, the town in Connecticut is called Lyme.  It is the place where the disease was first identified in 1975.                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                      John Townsend      via email                                                     

"The Health Protection Agency is seeking help in collating and enhancing data on the distribution of all British ticks.  If you would like to help, by posting the agency any ticks you       remove from your dog (or you!), details can be found on the web site http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/PAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListName/Page/1209369564141?p=1209369564141 "

The Branch held their annual Barn Dance on the 2nd May which was another success
and raised over £600,

All the best, Sue
(Desperate from Nuneaton)