dogs

Oh, I'm so sorry!  Didn't see that before I posted. 

One of the problems with dog owners is the 'so-called leash restrictions'.  I always keep my smaller sized dog on a leash whenever I am out.  I have been to in-numerable parks where every trail is marked: "pets must be on a leash' and consistently there are one or more owners who have taken their dogs off their leashes as soon as they are 'out-of-sight' of the road (or rangers).  My dog has been attacked more than once while on a trail (and on his leash).  He is small enough for me to pick up.  I have had dogs try to bite me while trying to bite my dog.  Luckily the owners usually have run up and grabbed their dog before actual harm has occurred.  The usual excuse is that their dog is so excited on being out in a woods that the dog has been pulling on the leash so hard that the owner finally lets the dog roam free.
The excuse that 'fluffy' is perfectly harmless...doesn't wash!  Especially when the pet weighs more than 50 pounds and is capable of bringing down a deer or even a bear.  A toy poodle wouldn't be able to do too much damage, but a breed like a pit bull can kill.  There was a case here in Minnesota in the last two weeks where a family pit bull which was 'family friendly' was left in a baby's bedroom for just a couple of minutes.  When the mother returned, the child had been killed with one bite.
If large breeds are allowed to accompany owners into parks etc....I feel that the owners should be prosecuted the same way as if the dog owner had attacked or killed the victim with intent to harm.
I wouldn't want other campers to be allowed to carry a gun with the safety off along the same trails I use.

Originally posted by David I did have a positive experience while camping at a State Park this year.   I noticed a gentelman walk by my campsite a couple of times with his dog (younger pit bull or mix thereof).  Each time the dog would see Dixie and bark, tug at the leash, etc.  Each time the guy would correct the dog.  German Shepherds have this "look" which is confident, aloof, "don't EVEN think about it" look.  Each time, Dixie calmly stood there and gave the other dog the "look" - no aggression, no advancement, just standing her ground (near me), with the "look".   Anyway, the third time by, the gentleman spoke: "I'm using your dog to train mine.  I hope you don't mind" and he said this in a friendly sort of way and seemed sincere.  My reply was: Please feel free...it's a good exercise for my dog , too".   I thought it was pretty cool that the guy cared enough to try to train his companion to be a good citizen and fellow K-9 camper.  Over the course of the weekend, he appeared to be making progress.  If only more would do so......

The Journal of Applied Animal Behavior says that dachshunds, Chihuahuas and Jack Russell terriers are the most likely to bite. Another study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society puts Labradors and golden retrievers in the high-risk category.

"The real problem is that there is so much conflicting information (about aggressive breeds), that you don't know what to believe," says Donna Popow, senior director of knowledge resources for the Insurance Institute of America, a nonprofit offering insurance education in Malvern, Pa. "Any dog will bite, given the right set of circumstances