Two Dobermans and two very small chihuahuas met frequently on early morning walks in the Plati district, often leading to the hurling of abuse between their lady owners.

However, the confrontation became physical one day, landing both protagonists in court, local French-language daily Monaco Matin reports.

When the Doberman owner, a French resident, was unable to control one of her charges the older lady, a retired Monegasque, energetically landed a number of blows on the younger woman, who needed hospital treatment and a 10-day certificate of being unfit for work. Her Dobermans failed to intervene and were, apparently, traumatised by the violence..

“Since then, my Doberman has become incontinent,” the victim of the assault told the court.

On a second occasion the two dog owners crossed paths and, after a confrontation between the dogs, it was the turn of the younger woman to slap the retiree.

The two incidents prompted the court president to clarify the situation by remarking that it wasn’t the dogs appearing before the tribunal.

The fact that the younger dog owner had a criminal record didn’t help her case and, after a pause, the court’s decision was to impose a fine of 1,000 euros on the Dobermans’ owner, the French resident, plus 800 euros in damages, and a fine of 200 euros and a symbolic one euro in damages on the chihuahuas’ mistress, the Monegasque.