One of my big pet peeves is unleashed dogs. My favorite saying upon seeing an unleashed dog is: "They don't bite until they do". I apologize to all you dog owners out there who are utterly offended that I would even think your sweet Rover might bite me, but look at it from the dog's point of view. Rover has no idea if I am friend or foe. My walking past your property or past your family might be construed as a threat. I guarantee if Rover thinks I am threatening his family, he will protect them. Or, even more simply and logically, if Rover sees an interesting butterfly, squirrel or even a leaf, off he goes! Who knows what lies in wait past where you can't see...bigger animals that might hurt Rover, cars, or other paranoid people like me who maybe have Mace, pepper spray, or an accurate kick.
Anyway, today when John and I were running on a clearly marked path with strict instructions to leash all dogs, we passed a family walking with their unleashed dog. Normally, because I am such a chicken, I stop running completely until the unleashed predator has passed. However, with John by my side I was brave and kept running. (It helped that Rover in this case was a little white ankle biter weighing no more than 10 lbs.) As we passed this family in typical, bold April fashion I asked the owner if he has a leash for his dog. He pleasantly replied "Yes." I then said, "Would you please leash your dog?" To that pleasantry, he said equally politely "No thank you" and kept on walking!! Now the kicker is that Rover apparently is a runner at heart, because he trotted along side us in perfect heel for about a quarter mile. His owner continually called Rover back to him, but Rover paid no attention and stuck with us. After Rover realized he couldn't possibly run more than a few minutes with his short legs he promptly sat down in the grass and we never saw him again. I got such a secret, sadistic thrill knowing that the owner was "getting his" by not leashing his dog. Haha, joke's on him! He probably had to walk five minutes to go claim his dog, then walk five minutes back to his waiting family.
So to all you dog owners out there, please leash your dog! John is sick of hearing me complain and vent for 20 minutes every single time we see an unleashed dog.
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I actually had a big dog jump up on me while I was running on the path a few months ago. It was on a leash but the owner wasn't holding on very tight. The dog suprised both of us, that's for sure! I think it just wanted to play, but it still scared me. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. Like you said, no dog owner thinks their dog is a threat until something bad happens.
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