Originally Posted by
mstateglfr
I own 2 dogs now and have lived with multiple dogs my entire life.
I agree most dogs arent out to kill me or anyone else for that matter. But to say that they should just be ignored and move on is hardly the answer.
1- people shouldnt have to find themselves in a situation where they must deal with the potential of a dog jumping on them.
1a- kids and the elderly do exist in this world. Go figure, they arent as strong as adult males who are active. They often times cant outrun/avoid/stop a dog running full speed at them.
2- Owners should keep their dogs on a leash and out of the way of others using MUPs. Its that simple. We teach our young children this when we walk on MUPs. When they have the leashes, we remind them many times each walk to shorten the leash as people come close from either direction and to walk the dogs on the right side so they are off the path. It is the owner's responsibility to control the animal, not the jogger/cyclist/walker's responsibility to avoid being jumped on or attacked.
I generally agreee - never let my dogs run free and harass people.
But I still have a slightly different perspective:
1. I've never seen a dog attack a child, not even a man unprovoked - but a child, never.
2. People are often too "humanocentric" IMO. I got used to dealing with problematic people, but also with stray dogs, even in packs. You can't live in a bubble protected from everything.