It irks me to no end when I see carelessness with dogs...especially people that think it's ok to walk their dogs without leashes.

I've owned a few dogs including a great dane (family dog) and a boxer (my dog) -- they are both considered tough dogs, but were both raised so well that I probably could have walked them without a leash, and I did when we were out in the mountains and on private land...but when another person could be around, there is absolutely no way I would have walked them without a leash. Animals are animals...and they will react, whether playfully or defensively, and people can and will get hurt. Period.