I understand what you are saying bC. I have a similar situation but with a bit more added. I have a Pit Bull. I take him to parks (not dog parks) etc. He is always on a leash (not a retractable) and I ALWAYS carry crap bags. I will take him to whatever trail that allows dogs. I do not believe in letting him dog off leash in parks or trails. I do get in the faces of dog owners who are complete idiots, who let their dogs crap all over everything and do not clean it up, who let they dogs get into mischief and do nothing about it or who cannot control their dogs. I will even go as far as discipling someone elses dog if they do nothing about it. In the mortal words of the judge in Caddyshack, "I didnt want to do it, but I felt that I owed to them". My dog got jumped 3 times so far, and all 3 times I physically stopped the other dog before my dog got a hold of them... just for the fact that I own a Pit Bull and all 3 times the other owners looked at me as if I were insane. The dogs were a dalmation, golden retriever and an English Sheep dog. And the owners called them mellow and good natured....whatever. If you own a dog you better damn well take care of it and respect the space of other people.